All Belly-Gods Shall at Last Be Found in the Belly of Hell!
The sermon warns against the dangers of intemperance and the consequences of serving one's own belly, emphasizing the importance of temperance and a relationship with God.
Thomas Brooks warns against the dangers of intemperance, emphasizing that those who make their stomach their god are destined for destruction. He illustrates how indulgence in food and drink can lead to spiritual ruin, separating individuals from Christ and ultimately leading them to hell. Brooks uses the example of Dives, who lived luxuriously but faced eternal consequences, to highlight the futility of seeking pleasure in earthly desires. He urges listeners to recognize the peril of allowing their appetites to dictate their lives, as this leads to a life devoid of true happiness and salvation. The sermon serves as a stark reminder that all who worship their bellies will find themselves in the depths of hell.
Text
"Their destiny is destruction, their god is their
stomach." Philippians 3:18-19
Intemperance robs men of everlasting happiness and
blessedness. It shuts them out from all the glory of
heaven, and tumbles them down to the lowest hell,
as you may see in that great instance of luxurious
Dives, who was "dressed in purple and fine linen
and lived in luxury every day." The intemperate
man's table proves a snare to his soul.
Intemperant people eat and drink away their Christ;
they eat and drink away their souls; they eat and
drink away their own salvation! Those who serve their
own bellies, serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, and shall
never reign with Him in heaven. Certainly that man
who makes his belly his god, shall be forever
separated from God.
All belly-gods shall at last be found in the belly
of hell! The intemperate person has his heaven here;
his hell is to come. Now he has his sweet cups, his
merry cups, his pleasant cups. Oh, but there is a cup
of shame and sorrow to come! "Upon the wicked he
shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible
tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." Psalm
11:6. The intemperate person has been a gulf to devour
many mercies, and therefore he shall at last be cast into
a gulf of endless miseries.
How many make their belly their god, and their kitchen
their altar; whose whole felicity lay in eating and drinking,
whose bodies were as sponges, and whose throats were
as open sepulchers to take in all precious liquors, and
whose bellies were as graves to bury God's creatures in!
Augustine well observes that God has not given to man:
claws to tear in pieces--like bears and leopards; nor
horns to push--like bulls and rams; nor
a sting to prick--like wasps, and bees, and serpents; nor
a bill to strike--like eagles and ostriches; nor
a wide mouth to devour--like dogs and lions;
but a little mouth, to show that man should be
very temperate both in his eating and drinking.
How applicable these things are to the luxurious people
who lived within the walls of London before it was turned
into ashes--I shall leave the wise in heart to judge.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Dangers of Intemperance
- A. It robs men of everlasting happiness and blessedness
- B. It shuts them out from all the glory of heaven
- C. It tumbles them down to the lowest hell
- II. The Consequences of Serving the Belly
- A. It leads to eternal separation from God
- B. It results in a cup of shame and sorrow
- C. It leads to a gulf of endless miseries
- III. The Importance of Temptance
- A. God has given man a little mouth to show temperance
- B. Man should be very temperate in eating and drinking
Key Quotes
“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach.” — Thomas Brooks
“All belly-gods shall at last be found in the belly of hell!” — Thomas Brooks
“God has not given to man: claws to tear in pieces--like bears and leopards; nor horns to push--like bulls and rams; nor a sting to prick--like wasps, and bees, and serpents; nor a bill to strike--like eagles and ostriches; nor a wide mouth to devour--like dogs and lions; but a little mouth, to show that man should be very temperate both in his eating and drinking.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should be mindful of our eating and drinking habits, as they can lead to intemperance and eternal separation from God.
- Temperance is essential in our lives, as it shows our respect for God's creatures and our desire to please Him.
- We should not make our belly our god, but rather prioritize our relationship with God and seek to live a life of temperance.