God had but one Son without corruption—but
He had none without temptation!
By temptations the Lord will make His people more
and more conformable to the image of His Son.
Christ was much tempted—He was often in the school
of temptation; and the more a Christian is tempted,
the more into the likeness of Christ he will be transformed.
The most tempted Christians do most resemble Christ in
meekness, lowliness, holiness, heavenliness, etc. The
image of Christ is most fairly stamped upon tempted
souls. Tempted souls are much in looking up to Jesus—
and every gracious look upon Christ changes the soul
more and more into the image of Christ. Tempted souls
experience much of the succouring of Christ, and the
more they experience the sweet of the succourings of
Christ—the more they grow up into the likeness of Christ.
Temptations are the tools by which the Father does
more and more carve, form, and fashion His precious
saints into the similitude and likeness of His dearest Son.
By temptations, God makes . . .
sin more hateful, and
the world less delightful, and
relations less hurtful.
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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.