THE COMPLETE WORKS

OF

THOMAS BROOKS.

Edited, with Memoir,

BY THE REV. ALEXANDER BALLOCH GROSART,

LIVERPOOL.

001

VOL. IV.

CONTAINING:

THE CROWN AND GLORY OF CHRISTIANITY.

EDINBURGH: JAMES NICHOL.

LONDON: JAMES NISBET AND CO. DUBLIN: G. HERBERT.

M.DCCC.LXVII.

CONTENTS.

CROWN AND Glory of CHRISTIANITY,

The Epistle Dedicatory,

1

3-34

Text Explained, [Hebrews xii. 14,]

35-37

Doct. That real holiness is the only way to happiness.

All men

must be holy on earth, or they shall never see the beatifical vision,

they shall never reach to a glorious fruition of God in heaven,

37

I. What this holiness is: sixfold,

38-47

II. The truth of the proposition, that 'without men are holy,
they can never be happy:' ten arguments,

47-77

III. Reasons: five,

77-80

: ten positive,

(3.) Objections, 241-323, as follows:

Objection 1. We have no power to make ourselves holy; we

are as well able to make a world, to command the winds,

and to raise the dead, as we are able to cleanse our own

hearts, or change our own natures, or sanctify our own

souls; and therefore, to what purpose should we be so

strongly pressed to do that which we have no power to do?

Six answers,

Objection 2. But hereafter may be time enough to look after

holiness; I may yet pursue after the pleasures and profits

of the world, I may yet spend some years in gratifying

mine own lusts, and in walking after the course of the

world; I have time enough before me, and therefore some

years hence may be time enough to look after holiness,

Five answers,

Objection 3. But if we should thus press and pursue after

holiness, then we must take our farewell of all joy and

comfort, of all delight and pleasure, and never expect

to enjoy one merry day more, for we observe that there

are no persons under heaven that live such a melan-

choly, sad, sorrowful, pensive life, as those who press

most after holiness, and who make most stir and noise

. 150-193

. 192-212

246
246-249

Brooks having departed in his 'Crown of Glory of Christ' from his rule of prefixing
"Contents,' I have given above the leading divisions of the work: the lesser details, as
well as the "Table' appended, will be incorporated in the General Index.-G.

about holiness, and therefore if we should resolve to

follow after holiness, we must resolve to spend our days

in sorrow and sadness, in sighing and mourning, and

this we had as lief die as do, &c.,

Eight answers,

Objection 4. We see that no persons on earth are exposed to

such troubles, dangers, afflictions, and persecutions, as

those are exposed to who mind holiness, who follow after

holiness. These are days wherein men labour to frown

holiness out of the world, and to scorn and kick holiness

out of the world; and do you think that we are mad

now to pursue after holiness?.

Twelve answers,

Objection 5. We would labour after this holiness, without

which there is no happiness, &c. But if we should, then

we must resolve to be poor, and mean, and beggarly in the

world, we must resolve then to fare hard, and lie hard,

and labour hard, and live low in the world, for we shall

never raise an estate to ourselves by holiness and strict-

ness, we shall never grow rich and great in the world

by godliness; nay, by driving this trade of holiness, we

shall lose our trades, our customers, and those estates we

have, and quickly bring a noble to ninepence, &c.,

Six answers,

Objection 6. Should we pursue after holiness, it would be a

disgrace, a disparagement, and dishonour to us who are

high, and great, and rich, and honourable in the earth.

We are gentlemen, we are well-bred and high-born, and

holiness seems to be too poor and too low a thing for such

as we are to look after, &c.,

Five answers,

Objection 7. Should we pursue after holiness, we shall be sure

to be reviled, slandered, and reproached on all hands;

every one will hoot and hiss at us, we shall become a scorn

and a byword to all that live in the family with us, and to

all our neighbours round about us, every one will scorn

us, and hate us, and we shall be their table-talk, and

their song, and the butt at which they will shoot in all

their meetings and discourses, &c.,

Five answers,

(4.) To shew forth the reality and power of holiness:

[1.] Eight proofs of little holiness,

[2.] Seventeen 'provocations' to increased

holiness, .

249

249-261

261

261-300

300

300-307

307

307-317

317

317-323

323-340

340-374

[3.] Five arguments for degrees of glory, . 374-379