“Know that it is not the knowing man, nor the talking man, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man.
“If you know these things, blessed and happy are you if you do them.” “Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father that is in heaven,” (John 13:17, Matt. 7:21).
Judas called Christ Lord, Lord, and yet betrayed Him, and is gone to his place.
Ah! how many Judases have we in these days, that kiss Christ, and yet betray Christ; that in their words profess Him, but in their works deny Him; that bow their knee to Him, and yet in their hearts despise Him; that call Him Jesus, and yet will not obey Him for their Lord.
Reader, If it be not strong upon thy heart to practise what thou readest, to what end dost thou read? To increase thy own condemnation?
If thy light and knowledge be not turned into practice, the more knowing man thou art, the more miserable man thou wilt be in the day of recompense; thy light and knowledge will more torment thee than all the devils in hell.
Thy knowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash thee, and that scorpion that will for ever bite thee, and that worm that will everlastingly gnaw thee; therefore read, and labour to know, that thou mayest do, or else thou art undone forever.
When Demosthenes was asked, what was the first part of an orator, what the second, what the third? he answered, Action; the same may I say.
If any should ask me, what is the first, the second, the third part of a Christian? I must answer, Action; as that man that reads that he may know, and that labours to know that he may do, will have two heavens—a heaven of joy, peace, and comfort on earth, and a heaven of glory and happiness after death.”
–Thomas Brooks, “A Word to the Reader,” Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume 1, Ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1666/2001), 1: 8-9.
