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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 deep affliction that sin brings to a gracious soul, comparing it to a deer fleeing from poison to find healing in the fountain of Christ. He illustrates how believers, aware of their sins' impact on God, are driven to seek His mercy and healing, echoing the lament of Paul in Romans 7:24. Brooks poignantly likens the betrayal of sin to Brutus's betrayal of Caesar, highlighting the personal pain it causes God when His children choose sin over Him. The sermon calls for a recognition of the seriousness of sin and the urgent need for repentance and healing in Christ.
When Brutus Went to Stab Julius Caesar
"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me." Psalm 51:3 Sin most afflicts a gracious soul. The deer feeling within her the working of the serpent's poison—runs through the thorns and thickets, and runs over the green and pleasant pastures—that she may drink of the fountain and be cured. Just so, gracious souls, being sensible of the poison and venom of sin, run from the creatures, which are but as thorns and thickets; and run over their own duties and righteousness, which are but as pleasant pastures—to come to Christ the fountain of life—that they may drink of those waters of consolation, of those wells of salvation which are in Him, and cast up and cast out their spiritual poison, and be cured forever. Believers know that their sins do most pierce and grieve the Lord. The sins of God's people, provoke Him most, and sadden Him most—and this makes them sigh and groan it out, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24 If a snake were to sting your dearly beloved spouse to death—would you preserve it alive, warm it by the fire, and hug it in your bosom? Would you not rather stab it with a thousand wounds? When Brutus went to stab Julius Caesar, he cried out, "What, you my son Brutus!" So may God well cry out, "What, you My son! What, will you stab Me with your sins! Is it not enough that others stab My honor? but will you, My son?" You are wise, and know how to apply it.
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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.