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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 emphasizes the brevity and uncertainty of life, illustrating how death can strike unexpectedly and without warning. He recounts various historical figures who met sudden ends, highlighting the unpredictable nature of mortality. Brooks urges listeners to recognize the certainty of death while acknowledging the uncertainty of life, encouraging them to prepare spiritually for their eventual meeting with God. The sermon serves as a poignant reminder of the need for readiness in the face of life's unpredictability.
Scriptures
Zeuxis Died Laughing at the Picture of an Old Woman
As the life of man is very short, so it is very uncertain. Now healthy—now sick! Alive this hour—and dead the next! Death does not always give warning beforehand; sometimes he gives the mortal blow suddenly; he comes behind with his dart, and strikes a man at the heart, before he says, "Have I found you, O my enemy?" Eutychus fell down dead suddenly, Acts 20:9. Death suddenly arrested David's sons and Job's sons. Zeuxis died laughing at the picture of an old woman which he drew with his own hand! Sophocles choked to death on the seed of a grape! Diodorus the logician died for shame that he could not answer a witty question. Joannes Measius, preaching upon the raising of the woman of Nain's son from the dead, within three hours after died himself! Ah! death is sudden in his approaches. Nothing more sure than death! Nothing more uncertain than life! Though there is but one way to come into this world—yet there are a thousand thousand ways to be sent out of this world! "Prepare to meet your God!" Amos 4:12
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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.