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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 that true pleasure, delight, contentment, and satisfaction in God are only experienced by those who are genuinely holy. He contrasts the fleeting pleasures sought by the covetous, ambitious, and worldly individuals with the profound joy that comes from a relationship with God. Brooks highlights that delighting in God is a noble and spiritual endeavor, reserved for the holy, who recognize His unparalleled beauty and worth. He encourages believers to find their ultimate satisfaction in God, as expressed in the Song of Solomon and Isaiah.
Pleasure, Delight, Contentment and Satisfaction in God
There are no people under heaven, who take any real pleasure, delight, contentment and satisfaction in God—but those who are genuinely holy. "How is your Beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your Beloved better than others, that you charge us so?" Song of Songs 5:9 The covetous man takes pleasure and delight in his money-bags. The ambitious man takes pleasure and delight in his honors. The voluptuous man takes pleasure and delight in his lusts. The malicious man takes pleasure and delight in his revenge. The envious man takes pleasure in the harms which befall others. The drunkard takes pleasure and delight in his cups. The adulterer takes pleasure and delight in his harlots. The gamester takes pleasure and delight in his shifts and tricks. The worldling takes pleasure in his fopperies and fooleries. It is only the holy man who takes pleasure and delight in God. To delight and take pleasure in God, is a work too high, too hard, too spiritual, and too noble—for any but holy people! "My Beloved is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others! Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:10, 16 "I delight greatly in the Lord! My soul rejoices in my God!" Isaiah 61:10
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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.