A man may be visibly holy—who is not inwardly holy.
A man may have an outward dress of holiness upon him
—who has not the spirit and vitality of holiness in him.
They say of Halifax nuts, that they are all shells—with
no kernels. Just so, there are many who make a glorious
show before men—who are abominable in the sight of
God, who are gold in man's eyes—but dirt in God's sight.
"In the same way, on the outside you appear to people
as righteous; but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy
and wickedness." Matthew 23:28
They were outwardly religious—but inwardly wicked; they
had the semblance of sanctity—but inwardly very full of
impurity; they were fair professors—but foul sinners; they
were gracious without—but impious within. Look! as those
are the worst of vices which are covered over with the show
of virtue; so they are the worst of sinners, who cover over
their inward filthiness with the disguises of outward holiness.
The Egyptian temples were fair on the outside—but foul and
filthy within. Such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's
days—and such are many professors in our days.
God will at last hate that man to hell, yes, cast him into the
hottest place in hell—who has a form of godliness upon him;
but nothing of the reality and power of holiness in him.
"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape
being condemned to hell?" Matthew 23:33
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Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680)
Much of what is known about Thomas Brooks has been ascertained from his writings. Born, likely to well-to-do parents, in 1608, Brooks entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1625, where he was preceded by such men as Thomas Hooker, John Cotton, and Thomas Shepard. He was licensed as a preacher of the Gospel by 1640. Before that date, he appears to have spent a number of years at sea, probably as a chaplain with the fleet.After the conclusion of the First English Civil War, Thomas Brooks became minister at Thomas Apostle's, London, and was sufficiently renowned to be chosen as preacher before the House of Commons on December 26, 1648. His sermon was afterwards published under the title, 'God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright', the text being Psalm 44:18: 'Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way'. Three or four years afterwards, he transferred to St. Margaret's, Fish-street Hill, London. In 1662, he fell victim to the notorious Act of Uniformity, but he appears to have remained in his parish and to have preached as opportunity arose. Treatises continued to flow from his pen.[3]
Thomas Brooks was a nonconformist preacher. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He soon became an advocate of the Congregational way and served as a chaplain in the Civil War. In 1648 he accepted the rectory of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London, but only after making his Congregational principles clear to the vestry.
On several occasions he preached before Parliament. He was ejected in 1660 and remained in London as a Nonconformist preacher. Government spies reported that he preached at Tower Wharf and in Moorfields. During the Great Plague and Great Fire he worked in London, and in 1672 was granted a license to preach in Lime Street. He wrote over a dozen books, most of which are devotional in character. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.