Review: Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks

25 years ago I stumbled across the writings of the Puritan Thomas Brooks when I found five volumes of his works for sale at £2 each in a Christian bookshop. I soon discovered that I had purchased a gold mine of Biblical truth for a pittance. Thomas Brooks writes in a rich and warm way, which is full of the imagery and illustrations that made him a favourite of C. H. Spurgeon.
Spurgeon so liked his writings that (at the age of 21!) he collated and had published a selection of nearly 1,000 quotes and illustrations. This book is a re-print of that work and includes Spurgeon’s preface and memoir.

It is best read in small chunks, with pauses for meditation. The subjects covered are varied and the contents profound. I hope that it acts as an aperitif, encouraging readers to buy the main course: the 6 volume set is still available from the Banner of Truth.

Let us allow Thomas Brooks to speak for himself:

‘Christ is a pot of manna, a cruise of oil, a bottomless ocean of all comfort, content and satisfaction. He that has Him wants nothing. He that wants Him, enjoys nothing’
‘There is no way to avoid perishing by Christ’s iron rod, but by kissing his golden sceptre.’ 

‘God hears no more than the heart speaks; and if the heart be dumb, God will certainly be deaf.’

This review was first published on GoodBookReviews.org.uk. This site has been closed since March 2019.