- Home
- Speakers
- Thomas Brooks
- Then You Will Kiss It!
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 importance of viewing afflictions as instruments of love from our Heavenly Father. He encourages Christians to recognize that, like Jesus, we should accept our trials with gratitude, understanding that they are meant for our growth and discipline. By seeing the rod of affliction in the context of God's love, we can embrace our hardships rather than complain about them. This perspective transforms our pain into a source of sweetness and kindness from God.
Scriptures
Then You Will Kiss It!
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." Revelation 3:19 Christian! Always look on the rod of affliction, in conjunction with the hand which holds it. Thus Jesus did, "Shall I not drink the cup that My Father has given Me to drink?" Though the cup was a bitter cup, a bloody cup—yet seeing it was put into His hand by His Father, He drinks it off, with a "Father, I thank You." The rod in itself brings nothing but pain to the child; but the rod in the hand of a father brings nothing but love, kindness, and sweetness. You should never look upon the rod of affliction, but as it is in the hand of your heavenly Father—and then you will kiss it, rather than murmur under it!
- 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.