I will start with the disclaimer that this interview is a fraud. John Reeve is a fantastic resource on Thomas Brooks and doing a ‘4QW’ with him is about the best we could possibly do to find an expert on Brooks. However, John Reeve has been dead for about 300 years. The only thing I know about him is that he preached the sermon at Thomas Brooks’ funeral and that it is excerpted in the memoir at the beginning of the complete works of Thomas Brooks. If you are thinking that I am finally running out of interviewees and need to get back at it, you are right. All I have done is insert ‘questions’ that Reeve appears to ‘answer’. All these quotes are taken from the final pages of Grossart’s memoir (I-xxxv)
1) What was Thomas Brooks like to be around? Was he the colder or more cheerful type of personality?
He was certainly a person of a very sweet nature and temper: so affable, and courteous, and cheerful, that he gained upon all that conversed with him; and if any taxed him with any pride or moroseness…in his carriage, it must be only such as did not know him. He had so winning a way with him, he might bid himself welcome into whatsoever house he entered. Pride and moroseness are bad qualities for a man of his employ, and make men afraid of the ways of God, for fear they should never enjoy a good day after.”
2) So did that make him something of a push-over?
He was…a person of very great gravity: and could carry a majesty in his face when there was occasion, and make the least guilt tremble in his presence with his very countenance. I never knew a man better loved, nor more dreaded. God had given him such a spirit with power, that his very frowns were darts, and his reproofs sharper than swords. He would not contemn familiarity, but hated that familiarity that bred contempt.
3) His health was bad toward the end of his life, how did he handle that?
Notwithstanding the many weaknesses and infirmities, which for a long time have been continually, without ceasing as it were, trying their skill to pull down his frail body to the dust, and at least effected it, yet I never heard an impatient word drop[ from him. When I came to visit him, and asked him, ‘How do you Sir?’ he answered, ‘Pretty well: I bless God I am well, I am contented with the will of my Father: my Father’s will and mine is but one will.’ It made me often thing of that Isaiah 33:24, ‘the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.’ Sense of pardon took away sense of sickness.
4) So what was he like as a pastor? Can you give us 3-4 qualities of his ministry?
1. An experienced minister. From the heart to the heart; from the conscience to the conscience. He had a body of Divinity in his head, and the power of it upon his heart.
2. A laborious minister: as his works in press and pulpit are undeniable witness of. To preach so often, and print so much, and yet not satisfied till he could imprint also his works upon the hearts of his people; which is the best way of printing that I know, and the greatest task of a minister of Christ.
3. He was a minister who delighted in his work. It was his meat and rink to labour in that great work, insomuch that under his weakness he would be often preaching of little sermons – as he called them – to those that came to visit him, even when by reason of his distemper they were very hardly able to understand them.
4. He was a very successful minister: the instrument in the hand of God for the conversion of many souls about this City and elsewhere.
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I hope this gives you a fuller picture of Thomas Brooks and I hope that whoever preaches my funeral can say some of this about me. Remember to read Joel Beeke’s chapter on Brooks from “Meet The Puritans” that he allowed me to post here for a fuller picture.
Me and Brooks 