Grace Gems

[nChrist]

He awoke with everlasting flames about his ears!

(Thomas Brooks, "The Transcendent Excellency of
 a Believer's Portion above All Earthly Portions")

Earthly riches commonly load the soul with a multitude of
cares, fears, griefs, and vexations--which mightily disturb
the soul, distract the soul; yes, often rack, torture, and
torment the soul.

Earthly riches, for the most part, do a world of mischief
and hurt to their owners. Oh the souls which earthly riches
have pierced through and through with many sorrows!
Oh the minds which earthly riches have blinded!
Oh the hearts which earthly riches have hardened!
Oh the consciences which earthly riches have benumbed!
Oh the wills which earthly riches have perverted!
Oh the affections which earthly riches have disordered!
Oh the lives which earthly riches have corrupted!

Oh the time, the thoughts, the strength, the energy--which
rich men spend and consume upon their riches--while their
precious souls lie a-bleeding to death, and an eternity of
misery is hastening upon them!

Dives was so taken up with his riches, pomp, state, and
with his royal apparel, royal attendance, and royal fare--
that he never minded heaven, nor ever dreaded hell--until
he awoke with everlasting flames about his ears!

When the bodies of the wicked are rotting in their graves,
and their souls are roaring in hell, none of their worldly
greatness, pomp, state, glory, gallantry, riches, houses,
or revenues, shall descend after them to administer one
drop of comfort to them! Therefore never envy their
outward prosperity or worldly glory.

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[nChrist]

Not the doll nor the rattle

(Thomas Brooks, "The Transcendent Excellency of
 a Believer's Portion above All Earthly Portions")

"The one who loves money is never satisfied with
 money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied
 with income. This too is futile." Ecclesiastes 5:10

Worldly portions can never satisfy the souls of men.

Absalom's beauty could not satisfy him.

Haman's honor could not satisfy him.

Ahab's kingdom could not satisfy him.

Balaam's gold could not satisfy him.

Ahithophel's wisdom could not satisfy him.

The pharisees' learning could not satisfy them.

Dives's riches could not satisfy him.

All the world cannot fill the soul; nor can all the
creatures in the world fill up the soul with complete
satisfaction. Nothing can be the satisfaction of the
soul--but He who made it.

All earthly portions are dissatisfying portions. They
do but vex and fret, gall and grieve, tear and torment
--the souls of men. The world is a circle, and the heart
of man is a triangle--and no triangle can fill a circle.
Some good or other will be always lacking to that man
who has only outward good to live upon.

The soul can never be at rest, until it comes to rest and
center in God. God Himself is the soul's only home. No
good but the chief Good, can suffice an immortal soul.

It is the breast--and not the doll nor the rattle--which
will satisfy the hungry babe. And it is God, and not this
or that creature--which will satisfy the soul of man.

____________________

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[nChrist]

The funeral

(Thomas Brooks, "The Transcendent Excellency of
 a Believer's Portion above All Earthly Portions")

A Christian knows that death shall be the funeral of all . . .
  his sins,
  his sorrows,
  his afflictions,
  his temptations,
  his vexations,
  his oppressions,
  his persecutions.

He knows that death shall be the resurrection of all . . .
  his hopes,
  his joys,
  his delights,
  his comforts,
  his contentments.

He knows that death shall bring him to a more clear,
full, perfect, and constant enjoyment of God! This
makes him sweetly and triumphantly to sing it out,
"O death! where is your sting? O grave! where is
your victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:35-37

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[nChrist]

What should move God to love us?

(Thomas Brooks, "The Transcendent Excellency of
a Believer's Portion above All Earthly Portions")

The free favor and love of God, the good will and pleasure
of God--is the true ground and cause of God's bestowing of
Himself as a portion upon His people. There was no cause,
nor loveliness, nor desirableness in them--which could
move God to bestow Himself upon them.

God, for the glory of His own free grace and love, has bestowed
Himself as a portion upon those who have deserved to have their
portion among devils and damned spirits--in those torments
which are endless, ceaseless, and remediless.

But what should move God to love us, who were so unworthy,
so filthy, so empty, so beggarly? The question may be resolved
in these words--He loves us because He loves us. The root
of all divine love to us, lies only in the bosom of God.

____________________

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[nChrist]

He was still a-pointing at the toads in their bosoms

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

How shall we find out that particular sin, for which God
corrects us--for which He has brought the rod upon us?

Seriously observe what that sin is, which your soul would
have spared above all, which your soul is most unwilling
to leave, and bid an everlasting farewell to. Observe what
your right-hand sin, your bosom sin, your constitutional
sin, your complexion sin, is; for it is a hundred to one that
God has sent the rod for the subduing of that very sin!
Commonly by the rod, God points at the mortifying of that
particular sin to which the heart stands most strongly inclined.

It may be that sin which you cannot endure should be touched,
or reproved, or spoken against. Ah! how proud, how impatient,
how passionate, how mad are many--when you come to touch
their right-eye sin! When you come to touch them in the
tender part, oh! then they fume, and swell, and rage,
and carry on like people out of their wits; as you may see in
the scribes and pharisees, who were so angry and mad with
Christ that they sought His death; and all because He was
still a-pointing at the toads in their bosoms; namely,
pride, vainglory, hypocrisy, and self-righteousness. Oh! they
could not endure that the sharp razor of reproof should come
near their sorest part!

Certainly that Christian must be under a very bad distemper,
who smites a righteous man with reproach--for smiting him
with a reproof. Though gracious reproofs are a choice
remedy, yet few stomachs can bear them. Who is angry
with the physician for prescribing a bitter medicine? And
yet, ah! how angry are many Christians when they fall under
holy reproofs. Now, doubtless, the voice of the rod is this,
"Soul! take heed of that sin which you cannot endure
should be touched. Labor mightily with God to get that
particular sin mortified--which you cannot endure should
be reproved." It is very probable that, for the subduing
of that particular sin, the Lord has visited you with His
fatherly rod.

____________________

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[nChrist]

That white devil!

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

While the disciples were healing diseases and casting
out demons, the proud white devil was a-stirring in
their own souls; as is evident by that gentle rebuke
which our Savior gives them in Luke 10:20, "Don't
rejoice that the spirits submit to you."

There is no pious duty which a Christian performs, but
one white devil or another--one lust or another--will be
still dogging and following of him to that duty. There is
no public duty, there is no family duty, there is no private
duty which a Christian performs--but either that white
devil pride, or that white devil hypocrisy, or that white
devil vainglory; or else some one or another white devil
will follow the soul, near at heel to it.

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[nChrist]

A whore's forehead

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

"You have a whore's forehead, you refuse to be
 ashamed!" Jeremiah 3:3

"Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No,
 they have no shame at all! They do not even know
 how to blush!" Jeremiah 6:15

They had sinned away shame--instead of being ashamed of
sin. Continuance in sin had quite banished all sense of sin
and all shame for sin; so that they would not allow nature
to draw her veil of blushing before their great abominations.
How applicable these scriptures are to the present time, I
will leave the prudent reader to judge.

But what does the prophet do, now that they were as bold in
sin, and as shameless as so many harlots; now that they were
grown up to that height of sin and wickedness; now that they
were above all shame and blushing; now that they were grown
so proud, so hardened, so obstinate, so rebellious, so bent on
self-destruction--that no mercies could melt them or allure them,
nor any threatenings or judgments could in any way terrify them
or stop them? The prophet goes into a corner, he retires into the
most secret places, and there he weeps bitterly; there he weeps
as if he were resolved to drown himself in his own tears. "I will
weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears." Jeremiah 13:17

In the times wherein we live, hell seems to be broken loose, and
men turned into incarnate devils! Soul-damning wickednesses
walk up and down the streets with a whore's forehead, without
the least check or restraint.

Ah, England, England! what pride, luxury, lasciviousness,
licentiousness, wantonness, drunkenness, cruelties, injustice,
oppressions, fornications, adulteries, falsehoods, hypocrisies,
atheisms, horrid blasphemies, and hellish impieties--are now
to be found rampant in the midst of you! Ah, England!
England! how are the Scriptures rejected, God derided,
and wickedness tolerated!

And what is the voice of all these crying abominations--but
every Christian to his closet--every Christian to his closet--and
there weep, with weeping Jeremiah, bitterly--for all these great
abominations whereby God is dishonored openly. Oh weep in
secret for their sins--who openly glory in their sins, which should
be their greatest shame. Oh blush in secret for those who are
past all blushing for their sins; for who knows, but that the
whole land may fare the better for the sakes of a few, who
are mourners in secret?

____________________

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[nChrist]

It would make him pull his hat over his eyes!

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

All Christians have their secret sins. Secret not only
from other men--but from himself! It is but natural for
every man to err, and then to be ignorant of his errors.
Every man's sins are beyond his understanding. There
is not the best, the wisest, nor the holiest man in the
world--who can give a full and entire list of his sins.

"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from
 secret faults." Psalm 19:12

"Who can understand his errors?" This interrogation has
the force of an affirmation: "Who can?" No man! No, not
the most perfect and innocent man in the world!

O friends! who can reckon up . . .
  the secret sinful imaginations,
  the secret sinful inclinations,
  the secret pride,
  the secret blasphemies,
  the secret hypocrisies,
  the secret atheistical risings,
  the secret murmurings,
  the secret repinings,
  the secret discontents,
  the secret insolencies,
  the secret filthinesses,
  the secret unbelievings,
which God might every day charge upon his soul?

Should the best and holiest man on earth have but
his secret sins written on his forehead, it would not
only put him to a crimson blush--but it would
make him pull his hat over his eyes, or cover
his face with a double scarf!

"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from
 secret faults." Psalm 19:12

____________________

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[nChrist]

The constant cry of the rod

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

One lesson that you are to learn by the rod of affliction,
is to get more weaned and more mortified affections to
all worldly comforts, contentments, and enjoyments.

A man never comes to experience so much of . . .
  the emptiness,
  the nothingness,
  the uselessness,
  the vanity,
  the mutability,
  the impotency,
  the insufficiency,
  the uncertainty
of all worldly comforts and enjoyments--as when he falls
under the rod of affliction. The constant cry of the rod
is, "Be dead to the profits, pleasures, honors, and applauses
of the world! Be dead to everything below a living Jesus!"

____________________

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[nChrist]

A cleaner way to hell

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

"I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."
    Luke 18:12

Take heed of trusting in religious duties. These duties
rested in, will as eternally undo a man--as the greatest
and foulest enormities.

Open wickedness slays her thousands--but a secret
resting upon duties slays her ten thousands!

Open profaneness is the broad dirty way which leads
to hell--but trusting in religious duties is a sure way,
though a cleaner way to hell.

Profane people and formal professors shall meet
at last in the same hell.

You know, in Noah's flood all that were not in the
ark, though they climbed up the tallest trees, and
the highest mountains and hills--yet were drowned!
So let men climb up to this duty and that--yet, if
they don't get into Christ, they will be damned!

It is as natural to a man to rest in his duties, as it
is for him to rest in his bed. It is not your duties,
but your Christ, that must save you. Many shining
professors burn themselves by resting in their
duties and services.

Oh, rest not on anything but Jesus Christ! It is His
free grace, it is His special mercy, it is His infinite love
--which is your resting-place! It is the bosom of Christ,
the favor of Christ, the satisfaction of Christ, and the
pure, perfect, spotless, matchless, and glorious
righteousness of Christ--which is your resting-place!

It was the saying of a precious saint, that "He was
more afraid of his religious duties, than of his sins.
For his duties often made him proud; his sins always
made him humble."

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[nChrist]

A man too big for temptations to conquer!

(Thomas Brooks, "The Hypocrite Detected")

Communion with God is . . .
  the life of your graces,
  the sweetener of all ordinances, providences and mercies,
  the strengthener of your hearts and hands,
  the soul of your comforts, and
  the crown of your souls.

Communion with God makes the bitter things
sweet; and massive things light.

Nothing like communion with God to fence you
against temptations, to sweeten all afflictions,
and to make you cleave to God in the face of
all troubles and oppositions.

A man high in communion with God, is a man too
big for temptations to conquer, or troubles to
overcome. Souls that have no communion, or but
little communion with God--they are usually as
soon conquered as tempted, as soon vanquished
as assaulted.

____________________

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[nChrist]

All the hell that you shall ever have!

("The Mute Christian Under the Smarting Rod"
 or, "The Silent Soul with Sovereign Antidotes"
 by Thomas Brooks, 1659, London.)

Consider Christian, that all your . . .
  trials and troubles,
  calamities and miseries,
  crosses and losses,
which you meet with in this world--is
all the hell that you shall ever have!

Here and now you have your hell.
Hereafter you shall have your heaven!

This is the worst of your condition;
the best is yet to come!

Lazarus had his hell first, his heaven last; but
Dives had his heaven first, and his hell at last.

You have all your pangs, and pains, and throes
here--that ever you shall have! Your ease, and
rest, and pleasure--is yet to come!

Here you have all your bitters;
your sweets are yet to come!

Here you have your sorrows;
your joys are yet to come!

Here you have all your winter nights;
your summer days are yet to come!

Here you have your evil things;
your good things are yet to come!

Death will put an end to all your sins
--and to all your sufferings!

Death will be an inlet to those joys, delights,
and comforts--which shall never have an end!

Who can seriously meditate upon this, and not
be silent under God's most smarting rod?

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[nChrist]

Go and kill such a man

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

"See now that I Myself am He! There is no god besides Me.
 I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will
 heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand." Deut. 32:39

All diseases and sicknesses are under the command of God;
they are all His sergeants, His servants, to execute His pleasure.

We must acknowledge God's sovereign power and authority
over the rod of affliction--to break it, or burn it, or take it off,
or lay it on--as He pleases.

When God bids diseases . . .
  'Go and afflict such a man.' They go!
  'Go and torment such a man.' They go!
  'Go and kill such a man.' They go!
When He calls them off--they come off at His call!

God is the author of all the diseases, maladies, and sicknesses
that are in the world. He sets them on and calls them off at His
own good will and pleasure. "When disaster comes to a city,
has not the Lord caused it?" Amos 3:6

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[nChrist]

Redeeming the time

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

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
     Ephesians 5:16

"Time is the only thing," says Seneca, "that we can
innocently be covetous of; and yet there is nothing of
which many are more lavishly and profusely wasteful."

Chilo, one of the seven sages, being asked what
was the hardest thing in the world to be done,
answered, "To use and employ a man's time well."

"We trifle with that which is most precious, and throw
away that which is our greatest interest to redeem."

Many Christian professors, instead of redeeming of
precious time--do trifle and fool away much of their
precious time at the mirror, the comb, the lute, the
violin, the pipe, or at vain sports, and foolish pastimes,
or by idle jestings, immoderate sleeping, and
superfluous feasting.

The best Christian is he who is the greatest
monopolizer of time for private prayer.

That man is doubtless upon the brink of ruin,
whose worldly business eats up all thoughts . . .
  of God,
  of Christ,
  of heaven,
  of eternity,
  of his soul, and
  of his soul concerns.

That man is lost, that man is cursed, who can find time
for anything--but none to meet with God in his closet.

____________________

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[nChrist]

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.

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