"For He does not willingly (or as the Hebrew has
it, 'from His heart') bring affliction or grief to the
children of men." Lamentations 3:33
Christians conclude that God's heart was not in their
afflictions, though His hand was. He takes no delight
to afflict His children; it goes against His heart. It is . . .
a grief to Him to be grievous to them,
a pain to Him to be punishing of them,
a sorrow to Him to be striking them.
He has no will, no desire, no inclination, no disposition,
to that work of afflicting of His people. And therefore
He calls it 'His strange work.' Isaiah 28:21.
Mercy and punishment—they flow from God, as the
honey and the sting from the bee. The bee yields
honey of her own nature—but she does not sting but
when she is provoked.
God takes delight in showing of mercy. Micah 7:18.
He takes no pleasure in giving His people up to
adversity. Hosea 11:8.
Mercy and kindness flows from Him freely, naturally.
He is never severe, never harsh. He never stings, He
never terrifies us—but when He is sadly provoked by us.
God's hand sometimes may lie very hard upon His people,
when His heart, His affections, at those very times may be
yearning towards them. Jeremiah 31:18-20.
No man can tell the heart of God—by His hand.
God's hand of mercy may be open to those against
whom His heart is set—as you see in the rich poor fool,
and Dives, in the Gospel. And His hand of severity may
lie hard upon those on whom He has set His heart—as
you may see in Job and Lazarus.
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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.