Prayer Meeting 14/5/2024

The Gift And Beauty Of Holiness - Part 1

(Thomas Brooks)

Watch the Sermon HERE.

Well, it has felt like an age since we were in our puritan devotional teachings. We had our meeting at the new church. David Campbell was with us also sharing on the life of Eric Liddell. So, it’s good that we like Liddell ‘put our heeds back and run’ again with the puritans.

Tonight again I’m going to be sharing some of Thomas Brooks’ work. We shared at the end of last year the teaching of Brooks on Satan’s devices. We also shared in the in the past Brooks on ‘the privy key to prayer’.

I won’t say too much on his life, as we have shared before. He was Born 1608 -1680 and studied at Cambridge; Emmanuel college. This was also Jeremiah Burroughs’ college: they were friends I believe. I know Brooks was one of those who completed Burroughs’ works on Hosea.

He was one of Charles Spurgeon’s favourites. Spurgeon even wrote a book on Brooks’ quotes. The book is called ‘Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks’. Spurgeon writes this about Brooks:

Had Brooks been a worldly man, his writings would have been most valuable; but since he was an eminent Christian, they are doubly so. He had the eagle eye of faith, as well as the eagle wing of imagination. He saw similes, metaphors, and allegories everywhere; but they were all consecrated to his master’s service.

Tonight, and over the next few prayer meetings, I am going to share from Brooks works called ‘the necessity, excellency, rarity, and beauty of holiness’. Brooks uses one main verse for this subject: Hebrews 12:14.

Before we go into it, let me read our puritan prayer this evening. Okay, let’s get the old faithful out: ‘The Valley Of Vision’. Page 304 in the wonderful bonded leather and page 168 of the equally wonderful paperback. If you have the calf’s leather, then I believe it’s the same page as the black, less good quality leather. This prayer is entitled happiness, and the author is anonymous, as its ‘The Valley Of Vision’.

Oh LORD, help me never to expect any happiness from the world, but only in thee. Let me not think that I shall be more happy by living to myself, for I can only be happy if employed for thee, and if I desire to live in this world only to do and suffer what thou dost allot me. Teach me that if I do not live a life that satisfies thee, I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself. Help me to desire the spirit and temper of angels who willingly come down to this lower world to perform thy will, though their desires are heavenly, and not set in the least upon earthy things; then I shall be of that temper I ought to have. Help me not to think of living to thee in my own strength, but always to look to and rely on thee for assistance. Teach me that there is no greater truth than this, that I can do nothing of myself. Lord, this is the life that no unconverted man can live, yet it is an end that every godly soul presses after; Let it be then my concern to devote myself and all to thee. Make me more fruitful and more spiritual, for barrenness is my daily affliction and load. How precious is time, and how painful to see it fly with little done to good purpose! I need thy help: Oh may my soul sensibly depend upon thee for all sanctification, and every accomplishment of thy purposes for me, for the world, and for thy kingdom. 

Okay, Hebrew 12:14 – Brooks’ main text:

Hebrews 12:14

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

In this one verse alone Brooks covers a whole volume of a six volume work. A whole book on this verse. 400 pages. Brooks says this about preaching on this verse:

If I were in every way advantaged to preach a sermon to the whole world, I would choose to preach on this text, before any other in the bible.

At over 400 pages, I’m not going to get very far, but I hope over the weeks we get a taste of it, and go on and read it for ourselves.

Like Brooks does, he gives a lot of questions and then answers. I’m going to simply dip in at a section each time. Rather than go from start to finish, or beginning to end.

In one of Brooks’ sections on why holiness is the only true way to happiness he shares a section on ‘exhortation’: Παρακαλέω Para – kaleo - to call to one side, to instruct, to plead with.

In this teaching Brooks has numbered points, and points with numbered points within his points, and points of points within them. Among his points he shares on examination, meaning examining our lives to see if we are indeed Holy, and living up to it. On this he shares 16 marks of holiness. ‘Signs’, is maybe a word you’re more familiar with.

As we are in self-examination and Holy examination it would be a good place to go. But not the only place (be good to get some respite). Here is a few then, on examining ourselves in regard to holiness. Again, I’m only sharing a few in no particular order.

1. Holiness is taken up with much admiration of God.

A good sign that someone loves God is they talk a lot about God and His Word. A sign of holiness is in the affection in which we talk about Christ. Anyone can, they usually either do sparingly, or nonchalantly.

2. Real holiness sets the highest price and the greatest value and esteem upon those that are Holy.

In other words they love their brothers and sisters above anyone. They are Psalm 1 in action, ‘they walk not in the counsel of the ungodly.’

If you are more comfortable around sinners than saints, it’s a sign of lack of holiness. I.e. salvation. Saints care less about what the world cares about.

Okay…

3. Real holiness hates ungodliness and wickedness.

The underdog celebrater is often the most unholy of people. They think toleration is godly. Only because of their own unholiness.

Brooks says:

A Holy man knows that all sin strikes at the holiness and glory of God, and therefore his heart rages against it.

Last point on this:

4. True holiness will keep reaching for holiness.

Brooks pens:

A man that is truly Holy can never be Holy enough.

He adds:

He hears, he prays, he mourns, he sets no boundaries to his holiness.

In other words he is not satisfied with his lack of holiness, that he thinks he has enough.

Okay I said I didn’t want to camp there…

In Brooks’ exhortation section he shares 15 motives on why we need holiness and its blessing. He then in the same section shares 16 counsels. We will share only from the 15 motives. And like the previous I’ve picked out only four.

So don’t fear, I have simply picked some points tonight that I found helpful and challenging , and very encouraging. And that I think you will also find likewise.

The first two are more to the unsaved, but it should, to the saved, make us so grateful and have way more gratitude than we have at times.

1. Consider the necessity of holiness.

Brooks says:

It is impossible that you will ever be happy without holiness.

Isn’t that the truth? We can have moments of enjoyment, and moments of fun, and so-called joy. But truly they are fleeting. Nothing brings us deep happiness, until we were saved.

We still have trials yes. But nothing compares in life to that of our Holy calling from the Lord.

Brooks says:

There are many, many thousands now in heaven, but not one unholy one among them all.

There are, as Brooks writes, ‘no goats among sheep’.

He adds:

There is not one Cain among the Abels, not one Esau among the Jacobs, not one Judas among the apostles….heaven (he says) is only for Holy men.

How true is it that? So many want fame and riches, and pleasures, but not holiness.

Oh how many make things a necessity that are not a necessity, yet they, in their lack of holiness will never as much as taste or smell heaven.

Brooks says:

No holiness here, no holiness thereafter.

Again, this is for the sinner not saved, but also for us who are, it reminds us of all the Lord did. We are in a section of 1^st Corinthians on remembering, and examining.

2. The great designs and undertakings of Jesus Christ to make lost man Holy.

Brooks writes:

Satan had knit many sinful knots in our souls, but Christ came to untie those knots. Christ took our ‘knots’, as it were, so we could wear His Crown of holiness.

Christ’s whole call and ministry was truly to make men Holy. And in our holiness we are most effective. Isn’t that the case? Oh how effective is our holiness when we walk in it.

Hence why another point of Brooks is, and we will call it point 3:

3. Consider that real holiness is the excellency of all of man’s excellencies.

Brooks says:

Nothing pleases the eye nor wins hearts like holiness.

Brooks adds:

A spark, a ray, a beam of holiness, will certainly have an influence upon the spirit of men, either to restrain them, or change them, or allay them, or sweeten them, or win them, one way or another to better them.

Oh how true, but oh at times how little do we actually consider what we indeed carry within us? And the devil is hell-bent on distracting us and making us forget, by igniting our flesh. Which is the opposite of holiness.

How many missed opportunities have we squandered, due to not doing and not walking in holiness when indeed its ours to walk in?

Is there any greater blessing on us feeble sinners than that we walk in righteousness? Yet we retaliate, we fight not the good fight, but an ugly fight at times do we not?

Brooks says:

Holy men, or Holy a Holy man is a public blessing.

Now I don’t know about you, but I found that sobering. For the fact, I don’t think I realise or exercise that enough. Where I’m actually a public blessing, bringing peace, and joy, and balance and love and grace wherever I go.

Yet when I do, it literally can change a whole atmosphere in a room, or street, or shop.

Imagine how different things could be if we realised that our holiness is a public blessing. To bring hope and light to the world and worlds we enter. Oh how self-consumed we are at times?

In Calvin’s day in Geneva, his holiness, and then the whole church’s holiness, transformed a city. It was like heaven on earth at times.

During world war one the allied troops in the trenches heard the German soldiers singing hymns and Christmas carols, and lighting fir trees on Christmas eve 1914. This led to a truce, for a time, where the allies and the Germans exchanged gifts and even some played football together. It for me was a Holy truce brought about by moments of holiness.

J.C .Ryle in his book ‘Holiness’, in his chapter called ‘Holiness’ penned:

A Holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness. He will endeavour to set his affections entirely on the things above… …he will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven.

It’s true when Brooks writes:

Holiness will render you most beautiful and amiable.

He adds:

The redness of the rose, the whiteness of the lily, and all the beauties of the sun, moon and stars, are but deformities to that beauty.

Point 4…

4. Holiness will give you a hiding place, a shelter and refuge in stormy tempestuous times.

Brooks says:

Holiness is the most sovereign antidote in the world against all troubles of this life.

Think of how protected you feel when you are walking in integrity and in grace. Think how that actually feels. It is like a shelter, a cover, a shield.

I don’t think anyone more than David sought that refuge. He sings it throughout the Psalms. Literally flick and dip…

Psalm 31:1-4

In you, o Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in your righteousness. Bow down your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defence to save me. For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for you are my strength.

Of course Psalm 91 would be the most likely to share:

Psalm 91:1-4

He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, “he is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him I will trust.” Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge; his truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Oh to be secure and trust, and to live Holy in the midst of storms.

How blessed are we to be called his Holy people. Let us live it brothers and sisters.

Amen.