Thomas Brooks
@ThosBrooks
(1608-1680) London Pastor and Puritan.
Tell me what pleasure, what delight, what comfort is there in looking upon the enemies, the wounds, the sores, the sickness, the diseases, the nakedness of our friends?
It is sad to consider that saints should have many eyes to behold one another's infirmities, and not one eye to see each other's graces, that they should use spectacles to behold one another's weaknesses, rather than looking-glasses to behold one another's graces.
Everything that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through.
He that stands upon his parts and abilities, doth stand upon a quicksand that will certainly fail him.
Alas, Lord! all I have is but borrowed from that fountain that fills all the vessels in heaven and on earth, and it overflows.
There is not a greater hindrance to all the duties of piety than self seeking.
The child's most precious things are most secure in his father's hands; so are our souls, our graces, and our comfort in the hand of Christ. - Thomas Brooks, Works i:71
There is nothing that speaks a man to be more empty and void of God, Christ, and grace, than self-seeking.
If we knock, we break. Dissolution is the daughter of dissension.
“The greatest kindness we can do to children is to make them early to know the Bible.” - Matthew Henry
Self-seeking will make a man say anything, do anything, and be anything, to please the lusts of others, and to get advantages upon others.
The least sin set home upon the conscience, will more wound, vex, and oppress the soul, than all the temptations in the world can; therefore never yield to the least sin to be rid of the greatest temptation.
Satan will come on with new temptations when old ones are too weak. In a calm prepare for a storm.
Satan is bold and impudent, and if you are not peremptory in your resistance he will give you fresh onsets.
He that would stand in the hour of temptation must plead with Christ, 'It is Written.'
Make present and peremptory resistance against Satan's temptations, bid defiance to the temptation at first sight.
“Till men have faith in Christ, their best services are but glorious sins.” -Thomas Brooks
True grace leads the soul to rest in Christ, as in his summum bonum, chiefest good.