The Puritans ........

Splendid sins!

(Thomas Brooks, "The Privy Key of Heaven" 1665)

Prayers which are not directed to the glory of God . . .
never reach the ear of God,
nor delight the heart of God.

The end must be as noble as the means, or else
a man may be undone after all his doings. A man's
most splendid actions will at last be found to be
but splendid sins, if he has made himself, and
not the glory of God, the end of those actions.

The cockatrice must be crushed

(Thomas Brooks, "The Privy Key of Heaven" 1665)

"Lust having conceived, brings forth sin." James 1:15

First, sin has its conception--which is its delight;
and then sin has its birth--which is its action;
and then sin has its growth--which is its custom;
and thensin has its end--which is its damnation!

The very thought of sin, if but meditated on,
will break forth into action; action into custom;
custom into habit; and then both body and soul
are irrecoverably lost to all eternity!

If the subtle Serpent can but wriggle in his tail
by a sinful thought, he will soon get in his head
by a worse action!

The cockatrice must be crushed in the egg,
else it will soon become a serpent!

. . . . . . . . .

A precious commodity in hell

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

Most men spend the greatest part of their time
on things that are that are of little or no value;
as Domitian, the Roman emperor, who spent his
time in catching of flies.

Make a speedy and a thorough improvement of all
opportunities of grace and mercy. Do not trifle
away your golden seasons. You have much
work to do in a short time. You have . . .
a God to honor,
a race to run,
a crown to win,
a hell to escape,
a heaven to obtain,
weak graces to strengthen,
strong corruptions to weaken,
many temptations to withstand,
afflictions to bear,
many mercies to improve,
and many services to perform, etc.

He who neglects a golden opportunity, does
but create to himself a great deal of misery.

"Time," says Bernard, "would be a precious
commodity in hell, and the use of it most
gainful; where for one day a man would give
ten thousand worlds if he had them."

When men trifle away their precious time, and golden
opportunities, playing and toying with this vanity
and that vanity; we may ask whether these men
have--no no Christ, no Scripture, no promises, no
blessed experiences, no hopes of heavenly glories
--to enjoy and take delight in?


* * * * * * * * * * *

Some Delilah!

(Thomas Brooks)

There is some Delilah--some darling, some beloved sin or other--that a Christian's calling, condition, constitution,
or temptations--leads him to play with, and to hug in his
own bosom.
As in a plot of ground which lies untilled, among the great
variety of weeds, there is usually some master-weed, that
is more plenteous and more repulsive than all the rest.

So it is also in the souls of men--though there is a general
mixture and medley of all evil and corrupt qualities; yet
there is some one sin which is usually paramount, which is most
powerful and prevalent--which sways and manifests itself more
eminently and evidently than any other of them do.

So, though the root of sin and bitterness has spread itself over
all, yet every man has his inclination to one kind of sin--rather
than another. And this may be called a man's besetting sin,
his bosom sin, his darling sin.

Now, it is one of the hardest works in this world to subdue and
bring under control, this bosom sin! Oh! the prayers, the tears,
the sighs, the sobs, the groans, the gripes that it will cost a
Christian before he subdues this darling sin!

A man may easily subdue and mortify such and such sins; but
when it comes to the master-sin, to the bosom-sin, oh! what
tugging and pulling is there! what striving and struggling is
there to get off that sin, to get down that darling sin!

Now, if the Lord, by smiting you in some near and dear
enjoyment, shall draw out your heart to fall upon the smiting
of your master-sin; and shall so sanctify the affliction, as to
make it issue in the mortification of your bosom corruption;
what eminent cause will you have rather to bless Him, than
to sit down and murmur against Him! And doubtless if you
are dear to God--God will, by striking your dearest mercy,
put you upon striking at your darling sin! Therefore do not
murmur, even when God touches the apple of your eye;
even when He has snatched the fairest and the sweetest
flower out of your bosom!

Peccatum est Deicidium

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

"The deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13

Sin . . .
has its original from a deceitful subtle serpent,
is the ground of all the deceit in the world,
is the great deceiver of souls.

Sin . . .
debases the soul of man,
defiles and pollutes the soul of man,
renders the soul most unlike to God,
who is the best and greatest;
renders the soul most like to Satan,
who is a very sea and sink of sin!

Sin robs the soul of . . .
the image of God,
the holiness of God,
the beauty of God,
the glory of God,
the righteousness of God.

Sin is peccatum est Deicidium--a killing of God!

"But they kept shouting--Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"
Luke 23:21

The unsearchable riches of Christ!

(Thomas Brooks)

There is everything in Christ to encourage the greatest
sinners to believe on Him, to rest and lean upon Him for
all happiness and blessedness. Christ is . . .
the greatest good,
the choicest good,
the chief good,
the most suitable good,
the most necessary good
a pure good,
a real good,
a total good,
an eternal good,
a soul-satisfying good!

Sinners, are you poor? Christ has gold to enrich you.

Are you naked? Christ has royal robes, and white clothing to clothe you.

Are you blind? Christ has eye-salve to enlighten you.

Are you hungry? Christ will be manna to feed you.

Are you thirsty? He will be a well of living water to refresh you.

Are you wounded? He has a balm under his wings to heal you.

Are you sick? He is a physician to cure you.

Are you prisoners? He has laid down a ransom for you.

"The unsearchable riches of Christ!" Ephesians 3:8

Grace, grace!

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

"That no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:29

God does not look for any goodness or merit in the creature to draw
His love--but He will justify, pardon, and save for His name's sake. All
the motives which move God to show mercy are in His own bosom.

Salvation is only from free grace, and not from anything good in us,
or done by us.

God is free to bestow His promises upon whomever He pleases.
He often steps over the rich, and chooses the poor;
He often steps over the learned, and chooses the ignorant;
He often steps over the strong, and chooses the weak;
He often steps over the sweet nature, and chooses the wicked nature;
He often steps over the noble, and chooses the vile; etc.,
that no flesh may glory, and that all may shout out "Grace, grace!"

"By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10
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A heaven unto me!

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)
That knowledge which accompanies salvation, is a
heart-affecting knowledge. It affects the heart
with Christ, and all spiritual things. Oh, it does
wonderfully endear Christ and the things of Christ
to the soul.
"Oh, feed me with Your love--Your 'raisins' and Your
'apples'--for I am utterly lovesick!" Song 2:5 "Oh,"
says the spouse, "my heart is taken with Christ, it is
ravished with His love; my soul is burning, my soul is
beating towards Christ. Oh, none but Christ, none but
Christ! I cannot live in myself, I cannot live in my duties,
I cannot live in external privileges, I cannot live in
outward mercies; I can live only in Christ, who is . . .
my life,
my love,
my joy,
my crown,
my all in all.
Oh, the more I come to know Him . . .
in His natures,
in His names,
in His offices,
in His discoveries,
in His visits,
in His beauties,
the more I find my heart and affections to prize
Christ, to run after Christ, to be affected with
Christ, and to be wonderfully endeared to Christ!
Oh, God forbid that my heart should be affected
or taken with anything in comparison with Christ.
The more I know Him, the more I love Him;
the more I know Him, the more I desire Him;
the more I know Him, the more my heart is knit unto Him.
His beauty is captivating,
His love is ravishing,
His goodness is attracting,
His manifestations are enticing,
His person is enamoring,
His lovely looks please me,
His pleasant voice delights me,
His precious Spirit comforts me,
His holy word rules me;
All these things make Christ to be a heaven unto me!
Oh, but all that mere notional knowledge, that speculative
knowledge, which leaves a man short of salvation--never
affects the heart; it never draws it, it never endears the
heart to Christ, or to the precious things of Christ. Hence
it is that such men, under all their notions, under all their
light and knowledge, have . . .
no affection to Christ,
no delight in Christ,
no workings of heart after Christ.
"If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed."
1 Corinthians 16:22

Soul-mollifying

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

Saving faith is soul-softening, it is soul-mollifying.
Peter believes soundly--and weeps bitterly.
Mary Magdalene believes much--and weeps much.

Faith sets . . .
a wounded Christ,
a bruised Christ,
a despised Christ,
a pierced Christ,
a bleeding Christ
--before the soul, and this makes the soul sit down
and weep bitterly: "They will look on Me whom they
have pierced and mourn for Him (all gospel-mourning
flows from believing), as for an only son. They will
grieve bitterly for Him as for a firstborn son who has
died." Zechariah 12:10.

Oh! the sight of those wounds which their sins have
made--will wound their hearts through and through!
It will make them lament over Christ with a bitter
lamentation. Ah! nothing will kindly, sweetly, and
effectually break the hardened heart of a sinner,
but faith's beholding the blood of Christ trickling
down His sides!

That Christ should love man when he was most unlovely;
that man's extreme misery should but inflame Christ's
affections of love and mercy--this melts the believing soul.

That Christ should leave the eternal bosom of His Father;
that He who was equal with God--should come in the form
of a servant; that He who was clothed with glory--should
be wrapped in rags; that He whom the heaven of heavens
could not contain--should be cradled in a manger; that from
His cradle to His cross--His whole life should be a life of
sorrows and sufferings; that the Judge of all flesh should
be condemned; that the Lord of life should be put to death;
that He who was His Father's joy--should in anguish of spirit
cry out, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' that
that head which was crowned with honor--should be crowned
with thorns; that those eyes which were as a flame of fire,
which were clearer than the sun--should be closed up by the
darkness of death; that those ears which were used to hear
nothing but hallelujahs--should hear nothing but blasphemies;
that that face which was white and ruddy--should be spit upon
by the beastly Jews; that that tongue which spoke as never
any man spoke, yes, as never any angel spoke--should be
accused of blasphemy; that those hands which swayed both
a golden scepter and an iron rod, and those feet which were
as fine brass--should be nailed to the cross--and all this for
man's transgression, for man's rebellion! Oh! the sight of
these things, the believing of these things, makes a
gracious soul to break and bleed, to sigh and groan,
to mourn and lament!

True faith is a heart-breaking, a heart-melting faith.

A vulture, a worm eternally gnawing him!

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's
glory, are being transformed into His likeness with
ever-increasing glory." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Saving knowledge is a transforming knowledge, which
metamorphoses the soul. Divine light beating on the heart,
warms it, and betters it; it transforms and changes it, it
moulds and fashions it into the very likeness of Christ!

The naturalists observe that the pearl, by the often
beating of the sunbeams upon it, becomes radiant.
Just so, the often beating and shining of the Sun of
righteousness, with His divine beams, upon the saints,
causes them to glisten and shine in . . .
holiness,
righteousness,
heavenly-mindedness,
humbleness, etc.
Divine light casts a general beauty and glory upon
the soul; it transforms a man more and more into
the glorious image of Christ!

Look! as the child receives his features from his parents;
just so, the beams of divine light and knowledge shining
into the soul, stamp the living image of Christ upon the soul.

Mere notional knowledge may make a man excellent at
praising the glorious and worthy acts and virtues of Christ;
but that transforming knowledge which accompanies
salvation, will work a man divinely to imitate the glorious
acts and virtues of Christ.

When a beam of divine light shined from heaven upon Paul, ah,
how did it change and metamorphose him! How did it alter and
transform him! It made his rebellious soul, obedient: "Lord, what
will You have me to do?" Acts 9:6. Divine light lays upon a man
a happy necessity of obeying God. Divine light makes . . .
this lion--into a lamb,
this persecutor--into a preacher,
this destroyer of the saints--into a strengthener of the saints,
this tormenter--into a comforter,
this monster--into an angel,
this notorious blasphemer--into a very great admirer of God,
and the actings of His free grace.

Just so, when a spark of this heavenly fire fell upon the heart of
Mary Magdalene, oh what a change, what a transformation does
it make in her! Now she loves much, and believes much, and
repents much, and weeps much. Oh what a change did divine
light make in Zacchaeus, and in the jailor!

Truly, if your light, your Biblical knowledge does not better you,
if it does not change and transform you; if, under all your light
and knowledge you remain as vile and base as ever; your light,
your knowledge, your notions, your speculations, will undo you.
That knowledge which is not a transforming knowledge--will
torment a man at last more than all the devils in hell; it will be . . .
a sword to cut him,
a rod to lash him,
a serpent to bite him,
a scorpion to sting him, and
a vulture, a worm eternally gnawing him!

God at last will own no knowledge, but that which leaves
the stamp of Christ, the print of Christ, the image of Christ
upon the heart; but that which changes and transforms the
soul, which makes a man a new man, another man than
what he was before divine light shined upon him.

The sweetest joys are from the sourest tears

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

Sin is a turning the back upon God--and the face
towards hell. Repentance is a turning the back
upon sin--and a setting the face towards God!

True repentance is a sorrowing for sin because it
is offensive to God. Peter was sorry for his sin;
Judas was sorry his for punishment. Peter grieves
because Christ was grieved; Judas grieved because
he would be damned.

As Noah's flood drowned his nearest and his dearest
friends, so the flood of penitent tears drowns men's
nearest and their dearest lusts! Be they Isaacs or
Benjamins, be they right eyes or right hands, true
repentance puts all to the sword; it spares neither
father nor mother, neither Agag nor Achan.

Repentance is a turning from all sin, without any
reservation or exception. One stab at the heart kills,
one hole in the ship sinks her, one act of treason
makes a traitor. Just so, one sin not forsaken, not
turned from, will undo a soul forever.

A true penitent looks upon every sin as poison, as
the vomit of a dog, as the mire of the street, as the
menstruous cloth, which of all things in the law was
most unclean, defiling, and polluting. He looks thus
upon every sin, turns his heart against every sin,
and makes him not only to refrain from sin--but
to forsake it, and to loathe it more than hell.

True repentance breaks the heart with sighs,
sobs, and groans--that . . .
a loving Father is offended,
a blessed Savior crucified, and
the sweet Comforter grieved.

Penitent Mary Magdalene weeps much, as well as loves
much. Tears, instead of jewels, were the ornaments of
penitent David's bed. Surely that sweet singer never
sang more melodiously, than when his heart was broken
most penitentially.

The sweetest joys are from the sourest tears;
penitent tears are the breeders of spiritual joy. The
bee gathers the best honey off the bitterest herbs.
Christ made the best wine of water; the strongest,
the purest, the truest, the most permanent, and the
most excellent joy is made of the waters of repentance.

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy."
Psalm 126:5

Be strong and courageous

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

God is . . .
glorious in His power,
wonderful in His counsel,
infinite in His mercy,
precious in His goodness,
rich in His grace,
unsearchable in His understanding.

"I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and courageous." Joshua 1:5-6

When God puts His people upon weighty services, He
assures them of His presence, and of His assistance.
He assures them that He will stand by them, and
strengthen them, and support them, and uphold
them. He assures them that . . .
His power should be theirs to defend them,
His wisdom should be theirs to direct them,
His goodness should be theirs to supply them,
His grace should be theirs to heal them,
His mercy should be theirs to pardon them,
His joy should be theirs to strengthen them,
His promise should be theirs to cheer them,
His Spirit should be theirs to lead them.

A whole Christ with a whole heart

(Thomas Brooks, "Touchstone of Sincerity")

The terms upon which Christ is offered in the gospel are
these: that we shall accept of a whole Christ with a
whole heart. Now, mark--a whole Christ includes all
His offices; and a whole heart includes all our faculties.

Christ as mediator is prophet, priest, and king.
Christ as a prophet instructs us.
Christ as a priest redeems us and intercedes for us.
Christ as a king sanctifies and rules us.

A hypocrite may be willing to embrace Christ as a priest
to save him from wrath, from the curse, from hell, from
everlasting burning--but he is never sincerely willing to
embrace Christ as a prophet to teach and instruct him,
and as a king to rule and reign over him. Many hypocrites
are willing to embrace a saving Christ--but they are not
willing to embrace a ruling Christ, a commanding Christ.
"But those enemies of Mine who did not want Me to be
king over them--bring them here and kill them in front
of Me!'" Luke 19:27

Hypocrites love to share with Christ in His happiness--but
they don't love to share with Christ in His holiness. They
are willing to be redeemed by Christ--but they are not
cordially willing to submit to the laws and government of
Christ. They are willing to be saved by His blood--but they
are not willing to submit to His scepter.

But a true Christian receives Christ in all His offices. He accepts
Him, not only as a saving Jesus--but also as a Lord Jesus. He
embraces Him, not only as a saving Christ--but also as a ruling
Christ. He received Christ as a king upon His throne, as well
as an atoning sacrifice upon His cross.

A hypocrite is all for a saving Christ, for a sin-pardoning Christ,
for a soul-saving Christ--but has no regard for a ruling Christ,
a reigning Christ, a commanding Christ, a sanctifying Christ;
and this at last will prove his damning sin.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The hypocrite's hope

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

"For what hope do the godless have, when God cuts
them off and takes away their life?" Job 27:8

"When the wicked die, their hopes all perish." Prov. 11:7

That assurance is but presumption, which allows men . . .
to play with sin,
to be bold with sin,
to make light of sin,
to walk on in ways of sin.

Such 'assurance'will never bring a man to heaven; it
will never keep him from dropping into hell; yes, it
will double his damnation, and make him the most
miserable among all damned, wretched, forlorn spirits.

"So are the paths of all who forget God; and the
hypocrite's hope shall perish." Job 8:13

Ah, Lord! from such false hopes deliver my soul;
and give me more and more of that divine hope
which makes sin to be more hateful than hell.

+ + + + + + + +

Faith, in its practical exercise

(John Newton's Letters)

That faith which justifies:
purifies the heart,
works by love, and
overcomes the world.

That faith which justifies the soul, does likewise
receive grace from Jesus, whereby the heart is
purified, and the life regulated as befits the
Gospel of Christ.

Faith is of great use and importance in the daily
concerns of life. Faith gives evidence and reality
to things not seen, and realizes the great truths
of the Gospel--so that they become abiding and
living principles of support and direction while
we are passing through this wilderness.

It is a believer's privilege to walk with God in the
exercise of faith, and, by the power of His Spirit,
to mortify the whole body of sin, to gain a growing
victory over the world and self, and to make daily
advances in conformity to the mind of Christ.

Faith, in its practical exercise, has for its object
the whole word of God; and forms its estimate of all
things with which the soul is at present concerned,
according to the standard of Scripture.

When our Lord was upon earth, and conversed with
His disciples, their eyes and hearts were fixed upon
Him. In danger He was their defender; their guide
when in perplexity; and to Him they looked for the
solution of all their doubts, and the supply of all their
needs. He is now withdrawn from our eyes; but faith
sets Him still before us, for the same purposes, and,
with the same effects, as if we actually saw Him!

His spiritual presence, apprehended by faith, is . . .
a restraint from evil,
an encouragement to every service, and
affords a present refuge and help in every time of trouble.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The ablest minister

(J. C. Philpot, "Meditations on the
Preceptive Part of the Word of God")
He is the ablest minister who is . . .
soundest in doctrine,
deepest in experience,
most godly in practice.

He must have also a gracious experience in
his own soul of the truths which he preaches,
in their savour, sweetness, and power.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~