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Thomas Brooks
Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680). English Puritan preacher and author born in Glastonbury, Somerset. Likely educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he entered ministry during the English Civil War, possibly serving as a chaplain in the Parliamentary navy. By 1648, he preached in London, becoming rector of St. Margaret’s, New Fish Street, in 1652, where he ministered through the Great Plague and Great Fire of 1666. A nonconformist, he was ejected in 1662 under the Act of Uniformity but continued preaching privately. Brooks wrote over a dozen works, including Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (1652) and The Mute Christian Under the Rod, blending practical theology with vivid illustrations. Known for his warm, accessible style, he influenced Puritan spirituality, emphasizing repentance and divine sovereignty. Married twice—first to Martha Burgess in 1640, with whom he had four sons, then to Patience Cartwright—he faced personal loss but remained steadfast. His sermons drew crowds, and his books, reprinted centuries later, shaped Reformed thought. Brooks’ legacy endures through digital archives and reprints for modern readers.
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Thomas Brooks emphasizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in recognizing and rejecting sin. He explains that true conviction of sin and the desire to forsake cherished sins can only occur when one is filled with the Holy Spirit. Brooks illustrates this by comparing the struggle against sin to sacrificing one's most beloved possessions and highlights the Spirit's role in cultivating a love for holiness and a commitment to turn towards God. The sermon calls for believers to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in their journey towards holiness and away from sin.
Spit Out the Sweet Morsels of Sin
"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin." John 16:8 A man never comes . . . to see his sins, nor to be sick of his sins, nor to loathe his sins, nor to arraign his sins, nor to condemn his sins, nor to judge himself for his sins— until he comes to be possessed by the Holy Spirit. A man never comes . . . to spit out the sweet morsels of sin, to make a sacrifice of his only Isaac, to hack his trembling Agag in pieces, to strangle his Delilah, and in good earnest to set upon an utter extirpation of his most cherished sins—until the Spirit of holiness comes upon him. Until the Holy Spirit falls upon the hearts of sinners, they will never be turned out of . . . their pride, their formality, their carnality, their sensuality, their security. To make a man holy—is greater than to create a world; it can be done by none but by the Holy Spirit. It is the great work of the Spirit—to shape and form holiness, in all the vessels of glory. The Spirit sweetly and strongly moves His people . . . to mind holiness, to fall in love with holiness, to press after holiness; to leave off their sins, to turn to God, to embrace Christ, to tremble at threatenings, to embrace promises.
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Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680). English Puritan preacher and author born in Glastonbury, Somerset. Likely educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he entered ministry during the English Civil War, possibly serving as a chaplain in the Parliamentary navy. By 1648, he preached in London, becoming rector of St. Margaret’s, New Fish Street, in 1652, where he ministered through the Great Plague and Great Fire of 1666. A nonconformist, he was ejected in 1662 under the Act of Uniformity but continued preaching privately. Brooks wrote over a dozen works, including Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (1652) and The Mute Christian Under the Rod, blending practical theology with vivid illustrations. Known for his warm, accessible style, he influenced Puritan spirituality, emphasizing repentance and divine sovereignty. Married twice—first to Martha Burgess in 1640, with whom he had four sons, then to Patience Cartwright—he faced personal loss but remained steadfast. His sermons drew crowds, and his books, reprinted centuries later, shaped Reformed thought. Brooks’ legacy endures through digital archives and reprints for modern readers.