"You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13
Riches are the great god of the world, and are rather a
hindrance, than a help to heaven and happiness. Gold
and silver, which are but the yellow and white guts
and garbage of the earth, is fitly called by the prophet,
"thick clay," which will sooner break a man's back than
satisfy his heart! Oh, what folly and madness is it for a
man to be still a-loading of himself with the clay of this
world!
The horse is loaded with rich treasure all the
day long—yet when night comes he is turned into the
dark stinking stable, with an empty belly, and with
his back full of galls, sores, and bruises.
Just so, though vain muckworms are loaded with the
treasures of this world during the day of their life—
yet when the night of death comes, then they shall
be turned into a dark stinking hell, with consciences
full of guilt and galls, and with souls full of sores and
bruises; and then what good will all their treasures
do them?
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and
a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love
of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people,
eager for money, have wandered from the faith and
pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Tim. 6:9-10
Be the first to react on this!
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.