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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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Thomas Brooks emphasizes the importance of contemplating hell as a means of preserving oneself from falling into it. He warns that while earthly pleasures are fleeting, the torments of hell are eternal and unbearable. By reflecting on the various aspects of hell's torment—its bitterness, pitilessness, diversity, easelessness, remedilessness, and eternity—individuals can be motivated to seek salvation and avoid eternal damnation. Brooks urges listeners to let the fear of hell guide their choices and actions in life.
Scriptures
The Best Way to Be Preserved From Falling Into Hell
"Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!" Matthew 25:41 The sinner's delight here is momentary; that which torments hereafter is perpetual. The best way to be preserved from falling into hell, is to think often of hell. Ah! that you would often consider . . . the bitterness of the damned's torments, the pitilessness of their torments, the diversity of their torments, the easelessness of their torments, the remedilessness of their torments, the eternity of their torments. Ah! may these thoughts of hell be a means to preserve you from lying in those everlasting flames!
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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.