Digital Logos Edition
Brooks discusses several ways of gaining assurance, everlasting happiness, and blessedness. Additionally, he also covers salvation and the faith, repentance, and obedience that accompanies it. Also covered in volume 2 is the doctrine of God being our portion as being observed in three ways. First, an assertion of the Lord being our portion; second, the proof being in the words, “says my soul.” Thirdly, the inference of “Therefore will I hope in him.” These three observations that are discussed more in depth in this volume prove that the Lord is the saints’ portion.
In the Logos edition, all Scripture passages in The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks are tagged, appear on mouseover, and link to your favorite Bible translation in your library. With Logos’ advanced features, you can perform powerful searches by topic or Scripture reference—finding, for example, every mention of “grace” or “prayer.”
“Doct. That closet prayer or private prayer is an indispensable duty, that Christ himself hath laid upon all that are not willing to lie under the woful brand of being hypocrites.” (Page 165)
“The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer lives, thrives, or dies. Godliness never rises to a higher pitch than when men keep closest to their closets, &c.” (Page 162)
“(1.) First, As ever you would give up yourselves to private prayer, Take heed of an idle and slothful spirit.” (Page 277)
“[2.] Secondly. Consider, when Christ was on earth, he did much exercise himself in secret prayer;” (Page 169)
“Communion is the result of union. Communion is a reciprocal exchange between Christ and a gracious soul. Communion is Jacob’s ladder, where you have Christ sweetly descending down into the soul, and the soul by divine influences sweetly ascending up to Christ. Communion with God is a shield upon land, and an anchor at sea; it is a sword to defend you, and a staff to support you; it is balm to heal you, and a cordial to strengthen you. High communion with Christ will yield you two heavens, a heaven upon earth, and a heaven after death.” (Pages 305–306)
Thomas Brooks (1608–1680) was an English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author. In 1625, he started his college studies at Emmanuel College and by 1640 he was licensed as a preacher. At Emmanuel College he was preceded by religious and colonial leader Thomas Hooker, John Cotton who was a principal among the New England Puritan ministers, and Thomas Shepard, an American Puritan minister and a significant figure in early colonial New England. The topics he covers and the way in which they are presented make his books ones to remember and are given in a thorough and passionate way. An associate of Brooks said: “He had a body of divinity in his head and the power of it in his heart.” From 1648 to 1651, Brooks ministered at the church of St. Thomas the Apostle in London and frequently preached in Parliament. Thomas Brooks was buried in Bunhill Fields, which is London’s famous nonconformist cemetery.