Brooks on the Means of Grace

Take heed of resting upon closet duties, take heed of trusting in closet duties. Noah’s dove made use of her wings, but she did not trust in her wings, but in the ark. . . . There are many that go a round of duties. . . . and rest upon them when they have done, using the means as mediators, and so fall short of Christ and heaven at once. Closet duties rested in will as eternally undo a man as the greatest and foulest enormities; open wickedness slays her thousands, but a secret resting upon duties slays her ten thousands... Open profaneness is the broad dirty road that leads to hell, but closet duties rested in is a sure way though cleaner way, to hell. - Thomas Brooks

Brooks on Prayer

God looks not at the elegancy of your prayers, to see how neat they are; nor yet at the geometry of your prayers, to see how long they are; nor yet at the arithmetic of your prayers, to see how many they are; nor yet at the music of your prayers, nor yet at the sweetness of your voice, nor yet at the logic of your prayers; but at the sincerity of your prayers, how hearty they are. There is no prayer acknowledged, approved, accepted, recorded, or rewarded by God, but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly. The true mother would not have the child divided. God loves a broken and a contrite heart, so He loathes a divided heart. God neither loves halting nor halving. - Thomas Brooks