charms

The most powerful charm of Satan(Brooks, "The Golden Key to Open Hidden Treasures")Honors, riches, and pleasures are the three deities, which all people adore, and to whom they continually sacrifice their best thoughts and energies. These, for their unparalleled vanity, may well be called "the vanity of vanities!"Honors, riches, and pleasures are but . . . a mere shadow, a vapor, a feather in the cap, a breath, a froth, a dream, a nothing.They are without true substance. Like in a dream, you imagine they have substance--you grasp at them and awake--and they are nothing!And yet, they are the most powerful charm of Satan, whereby he lulls men to sleep in the paradise of fools; to cast them, after they die, into the bottomless pit of eternal woe!

Hell would be the place of greatest pleasure

Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)"They delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil." Proverbs 2:14 Unsanctified people . . . take pleasure in unrighteousness, rejoice to do evil, make a sport of sin, delight to dishonor God, damn their own immortal souls. Holiness only debars men from the sinful joys, delights, and pleasures of life. What a mercy it is, to be taken off from that carnal mirth which ends in mourning--and from those vain delights which end in unspeakable torments--and from that foolish jollity which leads to everlasting misery! Ah, what folly and madness it is, for men to run the hazard of losing the kingdom of heaven, and the eternal pleasures which are at God's right hand--forthose short-lived pleasures which are like the early dew which soon passes away! Ah, who would endure an ocean of torture--for a drop of sensual pleasure?All sensual pleasures . . . defile the soul, debase the soul, debauch the soul, take off the heart from God, deaden the heart towards God. Sensual pleasures and delights cannot satisfy the soul of man; they are but frothy and flashy. They only wet the mouth--they never warm the heart. Sensual pleasures seem substantial in the pursuit--but are mere clouds in the enjoyment. There is nothing in carnal delights, but imagination and expectation. For they can neither fill the heart,nor satisfy the heart.O sirs, there is no real pleasure in sin! All the pleasures of sin are counterfeit pleasures; they are but the shapes and shadows of pleasure. They are the seeds of future grief; they are but a pledge laiddown for sorrow or ruin. Certainly if there were the least real delight in sin--hell could never be hell. Yes, then it would follow that hell would be the place of greatest pleasure--for doubtless hell is the place of greatest sin. Oh, don't deceive your own souls! There can be no real joy in sensual pleasures. What real delight or pleasure can there be in fooling and staggering in an ale-house or tavern; in swaggering and swearing; in dicing and carding; in dancing, partying, and whoring; in pursuing after lying vanities? Surely none! As for those seeming pleasures which attend the ways of sin--ah, how soon do they vanish and leave a sting behind them! Look! all the pleasures which manhood takes a person off from--are babyish and toyish pleasures; such as from delighting in a rattle, a doll, a feather, a hobby-horse, a wooden sword, etc. Just so, all the pleasures and delights which holiness takes a man off from--they are babyish and foolish; yes, they are vile, dangerous, and devilish!Holiness is only an exchange . . . of sinful delights--for those which are holy; of carnal delights--for those which are spiritual; of earthly delights--for those which are heavenly.He who delights in sensual pleasures shall find at last--that his greatest pleasures will become hisbitterest pains!

You should follow in His steps

He who says he abides in Him, ought himself also to walk even as He walked." 1 John 2:6 Christians are to set all Christ's moral actions before them as a pattern for their imitation. In Christ's life, a Christian may behold the picture or lineaments of all virtues--and accordingly he ought to order his life in this world. To walk as Christ walked is to walk . . . humbly, holily, justly, meekly, lovingly, fruitfully, faithfully, uprightly.To walk as Christ walked is to . . . slight the world, despise the world, make a footstool of the world, to live above the world, and to triumph over the world as Christ did. To walk as Christ walked is . . . to love those who hate us, to pray for those who persecute us, to bless those who curse us, and to do good to those who do evil to us.To walk as Christ walked is to be patient, and silent, and submissive, and thankful, under the vilest reproaches, the heaviest afflictions, and the greatest sufferings."Leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

You have all your hearts can wish!

John Flavel "The Method of Grace")"My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 O say with a melting heart--I have a full Christ, and He is filled for me! I have . . . His pure and perfect righteousness to justify me, His holiness to sanctify me, His wisdom to guide me, His comforts to refresh me, His power to protect me, His all-sufficiency to supply me. O be cheerful, be thankful--you have all your hearts can wish! And yet be humble--it is all from free-grace to empty and unworthy creatures!

A whole Christ with a whole heart

A whole Christ with a whole heart(Thomas Brooks, "Touchstone of Sincerity")The terms upon which Christ is offered in the gospel are these: that we shall accept of a whole Christ with a whole heart. Now, mark--a whole Christ includes all His offices; and a whole heart includes all our faculties. Christ as mediator is prophet, priest, and king. Christ as a prophet instructs us. Christ as a priest redeems us and intercedes for us. Christ as a king sanctifies and rules us. A hypocrite may be willing to embrace Christ as a priest to save him from wrath, from the curse, from hell, from everlasting burning--but he is never sincerely willing to embrace Christ as a prophet to teach and instruct him, and as a king to rule and reign over him. Many hypocrites are willing to embrace a saving Christ--but they are not willing to embrace a ruling Christ, a commanding Christ. "But those enemies of Mine who did not want Me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of Me!'" Luke 19:27Hypocrites love to share with Christ in His happiness--but they don't love to share with Christ in His holiness. They are willing to be redeemed by Christ--but they are not cordially willing to submit to the laws and government of Christ. They are willing to be saved by His blood--but they are not willing to submit to His scepter. But a true Christian receives Christ in all His offices. He accepts Him, not only as a saving Jesus--but also as a Lord Jesus. He embraces Him, not only as a saving Christ--but also as a ruling Christ. He received Christ as a king upon His throne, as well as an atoning sacrifice upon His cross.A hypocrite is all for a saving Christ, for a sin-pardoning Christ, for a soul-saving Christ--but has no regard for a ruling Christ, a reigning Christ, a commanding Christ, a sanctifying Christ;and this at last will prove his damning sin.