Smooth Stones Taken from Ancient Brooks

As a writer, Brooks scatters stars with both his bands: he hath dust of gold; in his storehouse are all manner of precious stones. Genius is always marvelous; but when sanctified it is matchless. The ringing of the bells of the sanctuary is sweeter than the music of the house of feasting. Had Brooks been a worldly man, his writings would have been most valuable; but since he was an eminent Christian, they are doubly so. He had the eagle eye of fiuth, as well as the eagle wing of imagination. He saw similes, metaphors, and allegories everywhere; but they were all consecrated to his Master’s service: his heart indited the good matter, for he spake of the things which he had made touching the King.

Reader, thou hast here presented to thee, in a cheap and readable form, the choice sayings of one of the King’s mighties. The great divine who wrote these precious sentences was of the race of the giants. He was head and shoulders above all the people, not in his stature (like Saul), but in mind, and soul, and grace. Treasure these gems, andly PBEFACE.

adorn thyself with them, by putting them into the golden setting of holy practice, which is the end the writer always aimed at. Use these “smooth stones” as David of old, and may the Lord direct them to the very forehead of thy sins, for this b the author’s main design!

One of these pithy extracts may assist our meditations for a whole day, and may open up some sweet passage of Scripture to our understandings, and perhaps some brief sentence may stick in the sinner’s conscience, like an arrow from the bow of God.

So prays the servant of Christ and His Church,

C. H. Spubgeon,

Me. Thomas Brooks was a very affecting preacher, and useful to many. Though he used many homely phrases, and sometimes too familiar resemblances, which to nice critics might appear ridiculous, he did more good to souls than many who deliver the most exact compositions. And let the wits of the age pass what censures they please, “he that winneth souls is wise.” Mr. Brooks had been for some time preacher at St. Thomas Apostle, and about the year 1651 was chosen by the majority of the parishioners of St. Mary Magdalen. Gathering a church there in the congregational way, the rest of the parish preferred a petition against him to the committee of ministers, and he published a defense against their charges. He died September 27th, 1680. His friend, Mr. Reeve, preached his funeral sermon and succeeded him.*

Mr. Baxter makes especial mention of Mr. Brooks,

In some of his works he writes himself “Late preacher of the word of St. Margaret’s, New Fish Street.” See his “Mute Christian.”

amongst those independent ministers who opened their meetings more publicly than before, after the fire of London. His farewell address to his people (which has no text) appears to have been published by himself. It is peculiarly adapted for usefulness. We shall therefore here introduce a full analysis of it, and the rather, as the account of Mr. Brooks is so brief. It will give the reader a more just idea of the man than any thing that could be said of him. He first answers three queries, viz., 1. Why men make such opposition to the plain, powerful, conscientious preaching of the gospel? 2. What goes from a people when the, gospel goes? Answer: Peace, prosperity, safety, civil liberty, true glory, and soul-happiness, the presence of God. (2 Chronicles, xiii. 9; xv. 3, 5, 6; 1 Samuel, iv. 22; Jeremiah, ii. 11-13.) 3. Whether God will remove the gospel from England? Many reasons to hope the contrary. There may be a darkness upon it, but when it is darkest it is nearest day.

He then proceeds to give his people some hints of advice, which he calls legacies, hoping they might be of use to ihem in the perusal when he had not the advantage of speaking to them in public. 1. Secure your interest in Christ. This is not a time for a man to be between hopes and fears. Take not up with an outward form, crying,” The Temple of

the Lord.” 2. Make Chi-ist and Scripture the only foundation for your souls, and for faith to build upon. 3. In all places and companies, be sure to carry your soul-preservatives with you, (a holy care and wisdom), as men carry outward preservatives with them in infectious times. 4. See that all your graces, your faith, love, courage, zeal, resolution, magnanimity, rise higher by opposition, threatenings, and sufferings. Say as David, if this be vile, I will be more vile. 5. Take more pains to keep yourselves from sin than from suffering. (Acts, ii. 40; Revelations, iii. 4.) 6. Be always doing or receiving good. This will make your lives comfortable, your deaths happy, and your account glorious in the great day of the Lord. Y. Set the highest examples of grace and godliness before you for imitation. Next to that of Christ, the pattern of the choicest saints. For faith, Abraham; for courage, Joshua; for uprightness, Job; for meekness, Moses, &c. 8. Hold fast your integrity. Let all go rather than let that go. (Job, xxvii. 5, 6.) 9. Let not a day pass without calling the whole man to an exact account. Hands. — What have you done for God to day? Tongue. — What have you spoke? &o. 10. Labor for a healing spirit. Away with all discriminating names that may hinder the applying of balm to heal our wounds. Discord and division become

up Christian. Fot V^olves to worry the lambs is no wondier, but for one lamb to worry another is unnatural and monstrous. 11. Be most in the spiritual exercises of religion, meditation, self-examination, &c. Bodily exercises without these will profit nothing. 12. Take no truths upon trust, but all upon trial. Bring all to the balance of the sanctuary. (1 Thessalonians, v. 21; Acts, xvii. 11.) It was the glory of that church that they would not trust Paul himself. 13. The fewer opportunities and the lesser advantages you have in public, the more abundantly address yourselves to God in private. (Malachi, iii. J 6, 17.) 14. Walk in those ways that are directly contrary to the vain, sinful, superstitious ways that men of a formal, carnal, lukewarm spirit walk in. 15. Look upon all the things of this world as you will when you come to die. Men may now put a mask upon them, but then they will appear in their own colors. 16. Never put off conscience with any plea that you dare not stand by in the great day of your account. 17. Eye more the internal workings of God in your souls, than the external providences of God. If God should carry on ever so glorious a work in the world as the conquest of nations to Christ, what would it advantage thee if sin, Satan, and the world triumph in thy soul? 18. Look as well on the bright as well as on the dark side of Providence. 19. Keep up precious thoughts of God, under his sharpest and severest dispensations to you. 20. Hold, on and hold out in the ways of well-doing in the want of all outward discouragements. (Revelations, ii. 10.) Follow ye the Lamb, though others follow the beast and the false prophet. 21. In all your natural, civil, and religious actions, let divine glory rest upon your souls; let the glory of Christ lie nearest your hearts.

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