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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 warns against the folly of indulging in sin, describing it as the 'fool's bauble' and 'fool's fiddle.' He emphasizes that fools take delight in wickedness, treating sin as a sport, which ultimately leads to their eternal damnation. Brooks cites various scriptures to illustrate that those who mock sin will face mockery in hell, and he stresses the corrupting nature of sin as a poison to the soul. He calls for a recognition of the grave consequences of delighting in evil, urging listeners to turn away from such folly.
The Fool's Bauble, the Fool's Fiddle
"The wicked freely strut about, when what is vile is honored among men." Psalm 12:8 "They love to indulge in evil pleasures." 2 Peter 2:13. "Their souls delight in their abominations." Isaiah 66:3 Proverbs 10:23, "A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct." Evil conduct is the fool's bauble, the fool's fiddle. Fools take great delight and pleasure in doing evil. Sin and wickedness are a sport or recreation to a fool. It is a great pleasure and merriment to a fool—to do wickedness. Proverbs 14:9, "Fools make a mock of sin." They make a jeer of sin—which they should fear more than hell itself! They make a sport of sin—which will prove a matter of damnation to them. They make a pastime, a game of sin—which will make them miserable to all eternity. They make a mock of sin on earth—for which the devil will mock and flout them forever in hell. Justice will at last turn over such fools to Satan, who will be sure to return mock for mock, jeer for jeer, and flout for flout. Those who love such kind of pastime, shall have enough of it in hell. All unbelievers are such fools—for they delight and take pleasure in sin, which is the most corrupting and dangerous thing in the world. "And so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth, but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:12 Well, sirs! Sin is the poison of the soul, the nakedness of the soul, the disease of the soul, the burden of the soul— and if God in mercy does not prevent it—sin will prove the eternal bane of the soul. Oh, then, how great is their folly, who delight in sin, and who make a sport of it!
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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.