Secret Meals Make Fat Bodies
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the transformative power of secret duties, particularly private prayer, in enriching the soul and fostering spiritual growth.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the profound impact of secret duties, particularly private prayer, on the spiritual richness of believers. He compares secret meals that nourish the body to secret prayers that enrich the soul, suggesting that true spiritual wealth comes from intimate communion with God in private. Brooks argues that the most significant graces and experiences are cultivated in the quietness of one's closet, away from the distractions of public life. He illustrates that just as gentle dew nurtures plants more effectively than heavy rain, secret prayer fosters deeper growth in grace and holiness than public displays of faith, which can often be tainted by pride and hypocrisy.
Text
Secret duties are the most soul-enriching duties. Look! as
secret meals make fat bodies--so secret duties make
fat souls. And as secret trades brings in great earthly riches,
so secret prayers makes many rich in spiritual blessings and
in heavenly riches. Private prayer is that secret key of heaven
which unlocks all the treasures of glory to the soul. The best
riches and the sweetest mercies, God usually gives to His
people--when they are in their closets upon their knees.
All the graces of the saints are enlivened, and nourished, and
strengthened by the sweet secret influences which their souls
fall under, when they are in their closet-communion with God.
Certainly there are none so rich in gracious experiences, as
those who are most exercised in closet duties.
As the tender dew which falls in the silent night makes the
grass and herbs and flowers to flourish and grow more
abundantly than great showers of rain which fall in the day;
so secret prayer will more abundantly cause the sweet herbs
of grace and holiness to grow and flourish in the soul, than all
those more open, public, and visible duties of religion, which
too, too often, are mingled and mixed with the sun and wind
of pride and hypocrisy.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Importance of secret duties - Comparison to physical nourishment - Spiritual enrichment through private prayer
- II points: - The role of closet-communion with God - Experiencing God's richest blessings - Enlivening of graces through secret influences
- III points: - Effectiveness of secret prayer - Comparison to public duties - Avoiding pride and hypocrisy in worship
Key Quotes
“Secret duties are the most soul-enriching duties.” — Thomas Brooks
“Private prayer is that secret key of heaven which unlocks all the treasures of glory to the soul.” — Thomas Brooks
“As the tender dew which falls in the silent night makes the grass and herbs and flowers to flourish.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Prioritize private prayer in your daily routine to deepen your relationship with God.
- Engage in secret duties to cultivate spiritual richness and avoid the pitfalls of public worship.
- Reflect on the importance of sincerity in your spiritual practices to enhance your faith journey.