All mankind would have been eternally lost, had
God not, of His own free grace and mercy, made
a covenant of grace with poor sinners.
"They will be My people, and I will be their God."
Jeremiah 32:38
This is a comprehensive promise, for God to be
our God—it includes all.
The covenant of grace is an agreement, which God has
made with sinful man, out of His mere mercy and grace,
wherein He undertakes for fallen man, to make him
everlastingly happy. God engages that He will be our
God; that is, as if He said, "You shall have an interest
in all My attributes for your good:
My grace shall be yours to pardon you,
My power shall be yours to protect you,
My wisdom shall be yours to direct you,
My goodness shall be yours to relieve you,
My mercy shall be yours to supply you,
My glory shall be yours to crown you."
"I will make an everlasting covenant with them;
that I will not turn away from them, to do them
good; and I will put My fear into their hearts—
that they shall not depart from Me." Jer. 32:40
The covenant of grace is everlasting on God's part,
and also on our part. On God's part, "I will never
turn away from them to do them good." And on our
part, "they shall never depart from Me." How so?
"I will put My fear into their hearts—that they shall
not depart from Me." That they shall persevere, and
hold out to the end—I will so deeply rivet a reverent
dread of Myself in their souls—as shall cause them
to believe, love, repent, obey, cling and cleave, and
keep close to Me forever.
O sirs! this is the glory of the covenant of grace—
that whatever God requires on man's part, that He
undertakes to perform for man!
"I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will
be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities
and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart
of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My
Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes
and carefully observe My ordinances." Ezek. 36:25-27
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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.