Hell’s greatest enrichers! – Thomas Brooks

“The prophets who lead my people astray.” Micah 3:5

Satan labors by false teachers, who are his emissaries to deceive, delude, and forever undo the precious souls of men! They seduce them, and carry them out of the right way into by-paths and blind thickets of error and wickedness where they are lost forever!

As strumpets paint their faces, and deck and perfume their beds, the better to allure and deceive simple souls; so false teachers will put a great deal of paint and garnish upon their most dangerous principles and blasphemies, that they may the better deceive and delude poor ignorant souls. They know sugared-poison goes down sweetly. They wrap up their pernicious, soul-killing pills in gold! “Peace, peace! they say, when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 6:14

Beware of false prophets, for they come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves!” These lick and suck the blood of souls! These kiss and kill! They cry, ‘Peace, peace!’ until souls fall into everlasting flames!

False teachers handle holy things with wit and trifling, rather than with fear and reverence. They are soul-murderers! They are like evil surgeons, who skin over the wound but never heal it. False teachers are hell’s greatest enrichers! Such smooth teachers are sweet soul-poisoners! This age is full of such teachers such monsters!

They eye your goods more than your good; and mind more the serving of themselves than the saving of your souls. So they may have your substance they care not though Satan has your souls! That they may the better pick your purse they will hold forth such principles as are very indulgent to the flesh.

These are Satan’s great benefactors, and such as divine justice will hang up in hell as the greatest malefactors!