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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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Thomas Brooks emphasizes the dangers of luxury as a sin that is particularly prevalent in society, warning that it is a God-dishonoring and soul-damning behavior that can lead individuals away from salvation. He cites biblical examples, such as the rich man in Luke, to illustrate that those who indulge in luxury are often far from true repentance and faith in Christ. Brooks argues that luxurious living is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus and suggests that such individuals may not genuinely be Christians. He highlights the rarity of reformation among the luxurious, contrasting their lifestyle with the call to holiness and self-denial. Ultimately, he warns that a life of luxury leads to spiritual ruin and separation from God.
Scriptures
From Belly to Cards or Dice
"Those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces." Luke 7:25 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day." Luke 16:19 "The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment," Luke 16:22-23 Luxury is one of the great darling sins of our age and day! It is a very God-dishonoring sin, and a God-provoking sin, and a soul-damning sin! It shuts them out from all the glory of heaven—and tumbles them down to the lowest hell! Look! no luxurious person shall enter into heaven. Of all sorts of sinners—the luxurious sinner is most rarely reformed. The adulterer may become chaste, the thief may become an honest man, the swearer may obtain a sanctified tongue; but how rare is it to see a luxurious person repent, break off his sins, close with Christ, and walk to heaven! Of such professors who live and wallow in luxury and intemperance, if we compare Christ's laws and their lives together, I think we may confidently conclude, that they are not Christians. Panormitan, a heathen, having read the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Matthew, and comparing those rules of Christ with the loose and luxurious lives of professing Christians; concluded that those people were not Christians. Chrysostom preferred brute beasts before luxurious people; for the beast goes from belly to labor; when the luxurious person goes from belly to bed, or from belly to cards or dice, if not to something worse! "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter." James 5:5
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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.