To turn from some sins—but not from all, is gross hypocrisy.
One sin stripped the fallen angels of all their glory! One sin
stripped our first parents of all their dignity and excellency!
One fly in the box of precious ointment spoils the whole box.
One thief may rob a man of all his treasure. One disease
may deprive a man of all his health. One strong wind may
blow down and blow away all a man's comforts. Just so—one
sin delighted and wallowed in, will make a man miserable
forever!
One sin allowed, wallowed and tumbled in, is sufficient
to deprive a man forever of the glorious presence of God. In
the law, the person who had but one spot of leprosy in any
one part of his body was accounted a leper, although all the
rest of his body was sound and whole; and accordingly he
was to be shut up, and shut out from the society of the
people of God, Lev. 13. Just so—one sin, one leprous
spot, allowed and beloved—will forever shut a man
out from the glorious presence of God!
One sin wallowed in, will as certainly deprive a man of
the blessed vision of God, and of all the treasures, pleasures,
and delights which are at God's right hand—as a thousand sins!
What can be the outcome of this, but ruin and damnation?
It was a sore vexation to king Lysimachus, that he lost his
earthly kingdom for one draught of water. O sirs! it will be
an everlasting vexation to such, who for one lust shall at
last lose not an earthly kingdom—but a heavenly kingdom!
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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.