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Thomas Brooks
Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680). English Puritan preacher and author born in Glastonbury, Somerset. Likely educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he entered ministry during the English Civil War, possibly serving as a chaplain in the Parliamentary navy. By 1648, he preached in London, becoming rector of St. Margaret’s, New Fish Street, in 1652, where he ministered through the Great Plague and Great Fire of 1666. A nonconformist, he was ejected in 1662 under the Act of Uniformity but continued preaching privately. Brooks wrote over a dozen works, including Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (1652) and The Mute Christian Under the Rod, blending practical theology with vivid illustrations. Known for his warm, accessible style, he influenced Puritan spirituality, emphasizing repentance and divine sovereignty. Married twice—first to Martha Burgess in 1640, with whom he had four sons, then to Patience Cartwright—he faced personal loss but remained steadfast. His sermons drew crowds, and his books, reprinted centuries later, shaped Reformed thought. Brooks’ legacy endures through digital archives and reprints for modern readers.
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Sermon Summary
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the grave responsibility of leading others astray, as illustrated by Dives' plea for Lazarus to warn his brothers. Dives recognizes that his own torment in hell would be intensified by the knowledge that he contributed to the damnation of his siblings through his wicked example. The sermon warns that those who lead others into sin will face severe consequences, highlighting the urgency of living a righteous life to prevent others from falling into the same fate. Brooks calls for self-examination and accountability in our actions, urging believers to consider the impact of their lives on others.
Scriptures
He Would Be Double Damned
"Then I beg you—send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." Luke 16:27-28 Dives knew that if his brethren were damned—that he would be double damned, because he had largely contributed to the bringing of them to hell by his wicked example. Therefore he desires that they might be kept out of hell—not out of any love or goodwill to them—but because their coming there would have made his hell more hot, his torments more insufferable. The lowest, the darkest, the hottest place in hell, will be for those who have drawn others there by their example. "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck—than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." Luke 17:2
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Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680). English Puritan preacher and author born in Glastonbury, Somerset. Likely educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he entered ministry during the English Civil War, possibly serving as a chaplain in the Parliamentary navy. By 1648, he preached in London, becoming rector of St. Margaret’s, New Fish Street, in 1652, where he ministered through the Great Plague and Great Fire of 1666. A nonconformist, he was ejected in 1662 under the Act of Uniformity but continued preaching privately. Brooks wrote over a dozen works, including Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (1652) and The Mute Christian Under the Rod, blending practical theology with vivid illustrations. Known for his warm, accessible style, he influenced Puritan spirituality, emphasizing repentance and divine sovereignty. Married twice—first to Martha Burgess in 1640, with whom he had four sons, then to Patience Cartwright—he faced personal loss but remained steadfast. His sermons drew crowds, and his books, reprinted centuries later, shaped Reformed thought. Brooks’ legacy endures through digital archives and reprints for modern readers.