"The Lord our righteousness." Jeremiah 23:6
"They are without fault before the throne of God." Rev. 14:5
Weak hearts are apt to sit down troubled and discouraged,
when they look upon that body of sin which is in them, and
those imperfections which attend their best services. They
are ready to say, "We shall one day perish by the strength
of our lusts, or by the defects of our services!" Oh but, to
strengthen them against all discouragements, they should
remember this—that they stand before God, clothed with
the righteousness of their Savior. "They are without fault
before the throne of God." Revelation 14:5
So in Cant. 4:7, "All beautiful you are, my darling; there is
no flaw in you." There is no flaw in God's account. God looks
upon weak saints in the Son of His love—and sees them all
lovely. Ah, poor souls! you are apt to look upon your spots
and blots, and to cry out with the leper not only "Unclean!
unclean!" but "Undone! undone!" Well, forever remember
this—that you stand before God in the righteousness of
Christ; upon which account you always appear before the
throne of God without fault; where you are all lovely, and
where there is no flaw in you.
"They are without fault before the throne of God." Rev. 14:5
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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.