- Home
- Speakers
- Thomas Brooks
- Unfreeze The Frozen Graces
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
Sermon Summary
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the necessity of actively exercising the graces bestowed upon believers by God, warning that dormant graces yield no glory to God and little benefit to the believer. He illustrates that even the strongest saints can be easily overtaken by sin when their graces are not in action, much like powerful creatures that are vulnerable when asleep. Brooks reassures that God often uses severe trials and providences to awaken and revive these hidden graces, igniting love, faith, hope, and joy that may have grown cold. Ultimately, these challenges serve to deepen reliance on God's attributes and promises, leading to a more vibrant spiritual life.
Scriptures
Unfreeze the Frozen Graces
God loves to see the graces of His children in continual exercise. All the glory which God has from us in this life, is from the actings of our graces. Sleepy graces bring God no glory—nor do us any good. There is little difference —as to the comfort and sweet of grace—between sleepy grace, and no grace at all. The strongest creature, the lion; and the subtlest creature, the serpent—if they are asleep, are as easily surprised and destroyed as the weakest worm! Just so, the strongest saints, if grace is not in exercise, are as easily surprised and captivated by sin, Satan, and the world—as the weakest saints are! O sirs! God, by some severe providence or other, by some fiery dispensation or other—will stir up your sleepy graces! There are several cases wherein the graces in a Christian's heart may seem to be hidden, cold, dead and covered over; as sparks of fire are hidden in the ashes; or as bits of gold are hidden in a dust heap, or as pearls may be hidden in the mire. The sparks of divine grace, by the prevalency of some strong corruption, or by the violence of some dreadful temptation—may burn low, as to their lively operations. But God, by one severe providence or another, by one fiery trial or another—will blow that heavenly grace, that divine fire, into a flame—and cause their hidden graces to revive! By severe providences and fiery trials, God designs the reviving, quickening, and recovering of our decayed graces. By fiery trials, He will . . . inflame that love which was ice-cold, raise that faith which had fallen asleep, quicken up those hopes which were languishing, put life and spirit into those spiritual joys and comforts which were withering and dying! God, by fiery trials, will unfreeze the frozen graces of His people, and put new life and spirit into them! God may have burnt up your outward comforts, so that He might lead you forth to live in a daily exercise of grace . . . upon Himself, upon His power, upon His all-sufficiency, upon His goodness, upon His faithfulness, upon His fullness, upon His graciousness, upon His unchangeableness, upon His promises.
- 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.