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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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Sermon Summary
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that death is the inevitable fate of all humanity, regardless of social status or wealth. He illustrates that death treats everyone equally, from the highest monarch to the lowest beggar, highlighting the futility of trying to escape its grasp. Brooks reminds us that no one can resist death, as it is a universal truth that we all must face. He references Ecclesiastes 8:8 and Hebrews 9:27 to underline the certainty of death and the subsequent judgment that follows. The sermon serves as a poignant reminder of our mortality and the importance of living with this reality in mind.
The Common Inn of All Mankind
"None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death." Ecclesiastes 8:8 Death is the common inn of all mankind. Death knows no difference between robes and rags, between prince and peasant. "All flesh is grass." The flesh of princes, nobles, counselors, generals, etc., is grass, as well as the flesh of the lowest beggar who walks the streets. Never was there orator so eloquent, nor monarch so potent, who could either persuade or withstand the stroke of death when it came! Death comes into royal palaces, and into the poorest cottages, and there is not a man to be found, who can make resistance against this king of terrors, and terror of kings. "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that to face judgment." Hebrews 9:27
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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.