========================================================================
  AN IGNORANT, PROFANE, AND SOUL-FLATTERING CLERGY
  by Thomas Brooks
========================================================================

Summary: Ministers must live a heavenly life that reflects their
doctrine and preach the gospel sincerely, or risk leading people to
hell.

Topics: "Integrity in Ministry", "The Role of Preachers"
Scripture References: Ezekiel 34:2-3, Matthew 7:15-20, 1 Corinthians 9:16, Galatians 1:10, 1 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:2, Titus 1:7-9, Hebrews 13:17, James 3:1, 1 Peter 5:2-3

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas Brooks emphasizes that a preacher's life must reflect their
doctrine, asserting that an ignorant, profane, and soul-flattering
clergy is a grave danger to society. He warns that such clergy enrich
hell rather than uplift the gospel, sacrificing truth for personal gain.
Brooks calls for pastors to preach and live in a manner that embodies
the teachings of Jesus Christ, urging them to be sincere, powerful, and
exemplary in their ministry. He stresses that without genuine preaching,
the people will fall into wickedness and face spiritual peril.
Ultimately, he challenges ministers to either embody the spirit of
Christ or cease to claim the title of His ministers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A preacher's life should be a commentary upon his

doctrine; his practice should be the counterpart of his

sermons. Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned

with a heavenly life.

An ignorant, profane, and soul-flattering clergy, are

the greatest pest, plague, affliction and judgment, which

can befall a people! There is no rank nor order of men on

earth, who have so enriched hell, who have been such

benefactors to hell--as the ignorant and profane clergy!

How many are there in these days, who are more ready

and willing to make a sacrifice of the gospel--

for profit's sake,

and preferment's sake,

and honor's sake,

and lust's sake!

Where there is no serious, sincere, faithful, and powerful

preaching--there the people grow abominably wicked, and

will certainly perish, and go tumbling to hell.

Pastors! Either preach as the ministers of Jesus

Christ ought to preach--

plainly,

spiritually,

powerfully,

feelingly,

fervently,

frequently;

and live as the ministers of Jesus Christ ought to live--

heavenly,

graciously,

holily,

humbly,

righteously,

harmlessly,

exemplary

--or else lay down your names of being the ministers of

Jesus Christ. Do not any longer cheat upon yourselves,

nor upon the people--by making them believe that you

are ministers of Jesus Christ, when you have

nothing of the spirit of Christ,

nor of the anointings of Christ,

nor of the grace of Christ,

nor of the life of Christ in you.

========================================================================
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thomas-brooks/an-ignorant-profane-and-soul-flattering-clergy/
========================================================================