“Their being discouraged by their sins will cost them many a prayer, many a tear, and many a groan; and that because their discouragements under sin flow from ignorance and unbelief. It springs from their ignorance of the richness, freeness, fullness, and everlastingness of God’s love; and from their ignorance of the power, glory, sufficiency, and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of the worth, glory, fullness, largeness, and completeness of the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of that real, close, spiritual, glorious, and inseparable union that is between Christ and their precious souls.
Ah! Did precious souls know and believe the truth of these things as they should, they would not sit down dejected and overwhelmed under the sense and operation of sin. God never gave a believer a new heart that it should always lie a-bleeding, and that it should always be rent and torn in pieces with discouragements.”
- Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices
(HT: Subby Szterszky)
Our previous pastor referred to this as “morbid introspection.” What of Paul in 1 Thessalonians? Rejoice always…
Jon – actually, if you read the quote closely, I think you’ll find that Brooks is taking the same position here as your former pastor did!
I can’t tell you how much I needed to read this today. Thank you, and praise our Great God.
I have just started reading your blogs here! and I was SHOCKED when I saw that this was from Thomas Brooks. It is an AWESOME quote. The Lord has been showing me the need to repent in these areas. Thank you for sharing these encouraging nuggets of truth.
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