"And another book was opened, which is
the book of life." Revelation 20:12
The names of the elect are written in the book of life.
They do not obtain salvation by chance, but were
elected of God to eternal life and happiness before
the foundation of the world. Now their names being
once written in the book of life, they shall never,
never be blotted out of that book! In the book of
predestination there is not one blot to be found;
the salvation of the elect is most sure and certain!
"I will never blot out his name from the
book of life." Revelation 3:5
The book of life is the book of all those who were
elected and redeemed to life through Christ Jesus.
This book of life contains a register of such particular
persons in whose salvation, God from all eternity
determined to have His mercy glorified; and for whom
Christ merited faith, repentance, and perseverance—
that they should repent, believe, and be finally saved.
"The book of life shall be opened;" that is to say, the
decrees of God will be then published and made known,
which now are sealed up in His bosom and locked up
in His archives. Then it will be seen whom are appointed
to eternal life, for the glorifying of God's free, rich, and
sovereign grace; and whom He purposed to leave in
their sins, and to perish forever, for the exaltation of
His justice.
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who
does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those
whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Revelation 21:27
The book of life shall be opened in the great day,
because then it shall be shown . . .
who were elect—and who were reprobates;
who truly believed in Christ—and who did not;
who worshiped God in spirit and in truth—and who did not;
who walked with God as Noah did—and who did not;
who truly reverenced God—and who did not;
who followed the Lamb wherever He went—and who did not;
who were sincere—and who were not;
who are sheep—and who are goats;
who are sons of God—and who are slaves of Satan;
who have mourned for their sins—and who have made a sport of sin;
who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds—and who did not;
who preferred their farms, and their oxen, and their swine,
yes, their very lusts—before a Savior, a Redeemer!
"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire!" Revelation 20:15
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Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680)
Much of what is known about Thomas Brooks has been ascertained from his writings. Born, likely to well-to-do parents, in 1608, Brooks entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1625, where he was preceded by such men as Thomas Hooker, John Cotton, and Thomas Shepard. He was licensed as a preacher of the Gospel by 1640. Before that date, he appears to have spent a number of years at sea, probably as a chaplain with the fleet.After the conclusion of the First English Civil War, Thomas Brooks became minister at Thomas Apostle's, London, and was sufficiently renowned to be chosen as preacher before the House of Commons on December 26, 1648. His sermon was afterwards published under the title, 'God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright', the text being Psalm 44:18: 'Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way'. Three or four years afterwards, he transferred to St. Margaret's, Fish-street Hill, London. In 1662, he fell victim to the notorious Act of Uniformity, but he appears to have remained in his parish and to have preached as opportunity arose. Treatises continued to flow from his pen.[3]
Thomas Brooks was a nonconformist preacher. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He soon became an advocate of the Congregational way and served as a chaplain in the Civil War. In 1648 he accepted the rectory of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London, but only after making his Congregational principles clear to the vestry.
On several occasions he preached before Parliament. He was ejected in 1660 and remained in London as a Nonconformist preacher. Government spies reported that he preached at Tower Wharf and in Moorfields. During the Great Plague and Great Fire he worked in London, and in 1672 was granted a license to preach in Lime Street. He wrote over a dozen books, most of which are devotional in character. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.