Hell Would Be the Place of Greatest Pleasure
The sermon argues that true pleasure is found in holiness, while the pleasures of sin are deceptive and lead to eternal regret.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that unsanctified individuals find pleasure in unrighteousness and sin, which ultimately leads to their own destruction. He warns that the fleeting joys of sin are deceptive and result in eternal torment, contrasting them with the lasting pleasures found in holiness. Brooks argues that true satisfaction cannot be found in carnal delights, which only serve to distance the heart from God. He urges listeners to recognize the folly of trading eternal joy for temporary pleasures, asserting that real delight is found in spiritual rather than sensual pursuits. Ultimately, he concludes that if there were any genuine pleasure in sin, hell would not be a place of torment but rather of enjoyment.
Text
"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--for
those 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 laid
down 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 his
bitterest pains!
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the nature of pleasure in sin - The folly of pursuing carnal delights - The consequences of unsanctified pleasures
- II points: - The deceptive nature of sensual pleasures - Comparison of temporary pleasures to eternal joy - The impact of sin on the soul
- III points: - The reality of hell as a place of sin - The absence of true joy in sinful pursuits - The exchange of sinful delights for holy ones
- IV points: - Holiness as a path to true pleasure - The dangers of trivial pleasures - The ultimate outcome of pursuing righteousness
Key Quotes
“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--for those short-lived pleasures which are like the early dew which soon passes away!” — Thomas Brooks
“There can be no real joy in sensual pleasures.” — Thomas Brooks
“He who delights in sensual pleasures shall find at last--that his greatest pleasures will become his bitterest pains!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Seek fulfillment in spiritual pursuits rather than temporary, carnal pleasures.
- Recognize the fleeting nature of sinful delights and their potential consequences.
- Embrace holiness as the path to true and lasting joy.