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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 the critical importance of guarding one's heart, as it is the source of all life and spiritual vitality. He illustrates that the heart is the central focus of God's attention and should be treated as a precious treasure, requiring diligent protection against the influences of sin and temptation. Brooks urges Christians to maintain their hearts in a gracious and watchful state, recognizing that this is a challenging yet essential task for spiritual growth. He highlights the need for constant vigilance and the application of various spiritual disciplines to keep the heart aligned with God's will. Ultimately, Brooks conveys that a well-kept heart is a testament to one's faith and relationship with Christ.
Keep Your Heart With All Diligence
"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23 God's eye is mainly upon the heart. The heart is the fountain, the root, the store-house, the great wheel which sets all a-going; so therefore, above all keepings, keep your hearts. The highest and hardest work of a Christian lies with his heart. To reform the heart, to keep the heart in a gracious frame, is one of the best and hardest works in the world. Oh what guards and double guards! Oh what watches and double watches, should men put upon their hearts! A man is to keep his eye, and keep his mouth, and keep his feet—but above all keeping, he is to keep his heart. A gracious heart is Christ's fort-royal. Now, against this fort Satan will employ the utmost of his strength, art, and craft. And therefore how highly does it concern every Christian to keep a strong guard, a constant guard about his heart! Men should keep their hearts, as they keep a rich treasure of money or jewels. Now, to preserve a rich treasure, what locks, what bolts, what bars, what chains are made use of! Our hearts are jewels more worth than all the kingdoms, crowns, and scepters of this world. There are few men who know how to value their own hearts as they should. What are mountains of gold, and rocks of pearl—compared to the heart, the soul of man! All our spiritual riches are in our hearts. Oh then, what a guard, what a watch should a man continually keep upon his heart! It is one of the greatest and clearest evidences of grace, for a man to make it his greatest business, work, and concern—to keep his heart always . . . in a gracious frame, in a wakeful frame, in a watchful frame, in a tender frame, in a believing frame, in a repenting frame, in a humble frame, in a patient frame, in a serious frame, in a heavenly frame, in a jealous frame. "O Lord, my memory is weak, and my utterance is bad, and my understanding is dark, and my gifts are low, and my affections are flat, and my temptations are strong, and my corruptions are prevalent. But You, who are the great heart-searcher, You know that I would sincerely have my heart in a better temper. I had rather have my heart brought into a gracious frame, and kept in a gracious frame, than to have all the riches of the Indies, than to be an emperor, yes, than to be king over all the earth."
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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.