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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 unbreakable nature of the covenant of grace, which is rooted in God's free, everlasting, special, and unchangeable love. He asserts that God's immutable counsel and purpose ensure that His election stands firm, and that no power, whether from sin, temptation, or affliction, can sever the covenant relationship between God and His people. Brooks reassures believers that God's glorious and invincible power guarantees their eternal connection with Him, affirming that once they are in covenant, they remain in covenant forever.
Scriptures
Not All the Powers of Hell
The covenant of grace is founded . . . upon God's free love, upon God's everlasting love, upon God's special and peculiar love, upon God's unchangeable love— so that God can as soon cease to be, as He can cease to love those whom He has taken into covenant with Himself, or cease to keep covenant with them. The covenant of grace is also founded upon God's immutable counsel and purpose. The decree and purpose of God's election stands firm and sure. The covenant of grace is also founded . . . upon God's glorious power, upon God's infinite power, upon God's supreme power, upon God's invincible power, upon God's independent power, upon God's incomparable power; and until you can find a power that can overmatch this divine power, the saints' covenant-relation holds good. It is not the indwelling power of sin, nor violent temptations, nor heavy afflictions—which can dissolve our covenant-relation with God. Though sin may work, and Satan may tempt, and fears may be high—yet God will still maintain His covenant interest in His people, and His people's relation to Himself. "I will betroth you unto Me forever." Hosea 2:19 "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Heb. 13:5 It is not all the powers of hell, nor all the powers on earth, which can make null or void our covenant-relation. Those whom free grace has brought into covenant, shall continue in covenant forever and ever. Once in covenant with God—forever in covenant with God.
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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.