- Home
- Speakers
- Thomas Brooks
- The Hypocrite's Hope
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.
Download
Topics
Sermon Summary
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the futility of the hypocrite's hope, warning that those who live in sin and presume upon God's grace without true repentance face dire consequences. He cites Job 27:8 and Proverbs 11:7 to illustrate that the hopes of the wicked perish at death, and that false assurance leads to greater misery in damnation. Brooks calls for deliverance from such false hopes and urges the pursuit of a divine hope that fosters a hatred for sin. The sermon serves as a stark reminder of the importance of genuine faith and repentance.
The Hypocrite's Hope
"For what hope do the godless have, when God cuts them off and takes away their life?" Job 27:8 "When the wicked die, their hopes all perish." Prov. 11:7 That assurance is but presumption, which allows men . . . to play with sin, to be bold with sin, to make light of sin, to walk on in ways of sin. Such 'assurance' will never bring a man to heaven; it will never keep him from dropping into hell; yes, it will double his damnation, and make him the most miserable among all damned, wretched, forlorn spirits. "So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish." Job 8:13 Ah, Lord! from such false hopes deliver my soul; and give me more and more of that divine hope which makes sin to be more hateful than hell.
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download
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.