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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 destructive nature of sin, describing it as a 'bond of iniquity' that enslaves the soul. He illustrates how sin acts as a chain that binds the sinner to curses, wrath, and ultimately hell, making it the worst form of bondage. Brooks urges listeners to view their sins as chains that should evoke loathing and a desire for freedom. He highlights that unlike any earthly chains, the chains of sin are the most grievous and should compel one to seek liberation through Christ. The sermon calls for a deep reflection on the nature of sin and the urgent need for spiritual emancipation.
The Bond of Iniquity
"I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Acts 8:23 If you would arm and fence yourselves against sin, then look upon sin as the soul's bonds. Iniquity is a chain, a bond. Now, bonds and chains gall the body, and so does sin the soul. As poor captives are held fast in their chains, so are sinners in their sins. For as bonds tie things together, so does sin tie the sinner and the curse together. Sin binds the sinner and wrath together. Sin links the sinner and hell together. Ah! There is no bondage like soul bondage, no slavery like soul slavery. Ah, friends! you should never look upon your sins—but you should look upon them as your bonds; yes, as the worst bonds that ever were! All other chains are golden chains, chains of pearl, compared to those chains of iron and brass, those chains of lust, with which you are bound. Ah! who can thus look upon his chains—his sins—and not loathe them, and not labor for freedom from them?
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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.