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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 transformative power of God's grace in his sermon 'Such Guilty, Filthy, and Polluted Souls!' He reflects on the list of sinners mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, highlighting the severity of their sins and the dire consequences they face. However, he rejoices in the hope that even the most notorious sinners can be washed, sanctified, and justified through Jesus Christ. Brooks encourages listeners to remember that no heart is beyond the reach of God's grace, and that transformation is possible for all who seek it. He calls on sinners to believe in the possibility of change and the cleansing power of God.
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Such Guilty, Filthy, and Polluted Souls!
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 What a sad roster of vile people! These monstrous sinners and prodigious sins were enough to have brought another flood upon the world; or to have provoked the Lord to rain hell out of heaven upon them—as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah; or to have caused the ground to open and swallow them up—as once it did Korah, Dathan, and Abiram! And yet behold! some of these are changed and sanctified! "And that is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." verse 11. Oh, the infinite goodness! Oh, the infinite grace! Oh, the infinite wisdom and power of God—which has pardoned, washed, sanctified, and cleansed such guilty, filthy, and polluted souls! The worst of sinners should never despair of being made saints—considering what notorious sinners have been made holy. There is no heart so wicked—but grace can make it holy. Well! sinners, remember this—it is possible that those . . . proud hearts of yours may be humbled; hard hearts of yours may be softened; unclean hearts of yours may be sanctified; blind minds of yours may be enlightened; stubborn wills of yours may be tamed; disordered affections of yours may be regulated; defiled consciences of yours may be awakened and purged; vile and polluted natures of yours may be changed and purified.
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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.