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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 addresses the tragic rejection of Jesus by the Jews, emphasizing their persistent refusal to acknowledge their sin in crucifying the Lord of glory. He highlights the consequences of this rejection, including their suffering and scattering throughout history, and notes their continued animosity towards Christians, particularly those who convert from Judaism. Brooks reflects on Jesus' lament over Jerusalem, illustrating the missed opportunity for peace due to their blindness and hardness of heart. The sermon serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of recognizing and accepting Christ.
The Jews
"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify Him!" "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" Mat. 27:22-23 "Him . . . you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain!" Acts 2:23 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!" Acts 2:36 O, since their crucifying of the Lord of glory—the Jews have never laid their finger upon the right sore; to this very day they won't acknowledge their sin in crucifying of the Lord of glory. They realize that God has sorely afflicted them; but their cruelty to Christ, their crucifying of Christ, which ushered in the total ruin of their city and country—they cannot be brought to acknowledge to this very day, though the Lord has burnt them up on every hand, and has scattered them as dung all over the earth to this very day! A learned writer tells us that the Jews call Christ, "a bastard;" and his Gospel, "the Volume of Lies," or "the Volume of Iniquity;" and us Christians "heathen". When they greet a Christian, they call him, "Devil". They hate all Christians—but none so much as those who are converted from Judaism to Christianity, and all this after so great a burning and desolation that the Lord has made in the midst of them! "As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said—If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Luke 19:41-44 It is certain that the majority of the Jews are under woeful blindness and hardness to this very day!
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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.