"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for
us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously
give us all things?" Romans 8:32.
O Christian! all the attributes of God are so engaged
for you, that you cannot lack; and all the promises of
God are so engaged to you that you cannot lack; and
all the affections of God are so set upon you that you
cannot lack; and why then should you fear for your
necessities?
O sirs! has God given you His Son, His Spirit, His grace,
His glory, yes, Himself—and will He deny you lesser things?
Has He given you those things which are more worth than
ten thousand worlds—and will He not give you bread to eat,
and clothing to put on? Has He given you those spiritual
riches that infinitely exceed and excel all the riches, rubies,
and pearls in the world—and will He deny you a little money
in your purses to afford your necessities until you come to
heaven? Has He given you a crown—and will He deny
you a crust? Has He given you His royal robes—and will He
deny you a few rags? Has He given you a royal palace—and
will He deny you a poor cottage to shelter you from the stormy
winter and from the scorching summer? Does He feed His
enemies, and clothe His enemies, and protect His enemies,
and provide for His enemies—who are under His wrath and
curse—and will He not do as much for you, O you of little faith?
Will He do so much for those who hate Him—and will He not
do as much for those who love Him? Doubtless He will. Will He
feed the ravens, and provide for the ox and the donkey, and
clothe the grass of the field; and will He allow you, who are
His love, His joy, His delight, to starve at His feet, for lack of
necessities? Surely not!
O Christians! if God has given you Himself for a portion, then
certainly it is a sinful thing, a shameful thing, an unworthy thing
for you to be so troubled, afflicted, and grieved—because you
lack this and that worldly contentment and enjoyment—which
God bestows upon such whose wickedness has debased them
below the ox and the donkey, I mean, men of beastly spirits,
and beastly principles, and beastly practices.
As Benjamin's portion was five times greater than his brethren;
so those who have God for their portion have five thousand times
a greater portion than the wicked of the world, whose portion only
lies in perishing trifles, and in foolish vanities.
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Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680)
Much of what is known about Thomas Brooks has been ascertained from his writings. Born, likely to well-to-do parents, in 1608, Brooks entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1625, where he was preceded by such men as Thomas Hooker, John Cotton, and Thomas Shepard. He was licensed as a preacher of the Gospel by 1640. Before that date, he appears to have spent a number of years at sea, probably as a chaplain with the fleet.After the conclusion of the First English Civil War, Thomas Brooks became minister at Thomas Apostle's, London, and was sufficiently renowned to be chosen as preacher before the House of Commons on December 26, 1648. His sermon was afterwards published under the title, 'God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright', the text being Psalm 44:18: 'Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way'. Three or four years afterwards, he transferred to St. Margaret's, Fish-street Hill, London. In 1662, he fell victim to the notorious Act of Uniformity, but he appears to have remained in his parish and to have preached as opportunity arose. Treatises continued to flow from his pen.[3]
Thomas Brooks was a nonconformist preacher. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He soon became an advocate of the Congregational way and served as a chaplain in the Civil War. In 1648 he accepted the rectory of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London, but only after making his Congregational principles clear to the vestry.
On several occasions he preached before Parliament. He was ejected in 1660 and remained in London as a Nonconformist preacher. Government spies reported that he preached at Tower Wharf and in Moorfields. During the Great Plague and Great Fire he worked in London, and in 1672 was granted a license to preach in Lime Street. He wrote over a dozen books, most of which are devotional in character. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.