Nothing will grow where gold grows – Thomas Brooks

“Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.” Matthew 8:34

Many prefer the world before Christ; yes, the worst of the world before the best of Christ! The Gergesenes preferred their swine before a Savior; they had rather lose Christ than lose their hogs! They had rather that the devil should still possess their souls, than that Jesus should drown their pigs. They preferred their swine before their salvation, and presented a wretched petition for their own damnation.

Though there is no misery, no plague, no curse, no wrath, no hell, compared to Christ’s departure from a people yet men who are mad upon the world will desire this.

Some say that nothing will grow where gold grows. Certainly, where an inordinate love of the world grows, there nothing will grow that is good. A heart filled . . .
either with the love of the world,
or with the profits of the world,
or with the pleasures of the world,
or with the honors of the world,
or with the cares of the world,
or with the business of the world
is a heart incapacitated to receive any divine counsel or comfort from the word!