A beautiful Harlot sitting in her Chariot

A beautiful harlot sitting in her chariot

(Thomas Brooks, "Apples of Gold" 1660)

"I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with 
pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved 
to be meaningless. "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And 
what does pleasure accomplish?" Ecclesiastes 2:1-2. 

Solomon's question bids a challenge to all the masters 
of mirth, to produce any one satisfactory fruit which it 
affords, if they could.

The hearts of young men usually are much given up 
to pleasure. Sensual pleasures are only seeming and 
apparent pleasures--but the pains which attend them 
are true and real. He who delights in sensual pleasures, 
shall find his greatest pleasures become his bitterest 
pains. Pleasures pass away as soon as they have 
wearied out the body, and leave it as a bunch of 
grapes whose juice has been pressed out.

Xerxes, being weary of all pleasures, promised rewards 
to the inventors of new pleasures, which being invented, 
he nevertheless remained unsatisfied. 

As a bee flies from flower to flower and is not satisfied, 
and as a sick man moves from one bed to another for 
ease, and finds none; so men given up to sensual pleasures 
go from one pleasure to another, but can find no contentment, 
no satisfaction in their pleasures. "Everything is so weary 
and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never 
satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content!" 
Ecclesiastes 1:8.

There is a curse of unsatisfiableness, which lies upon the 
creature. Honors cannot satisfy the ambitious man, nor riches 
the covetous man, nor pleasures the voluptuous man. Man 
cannot take off the weariness of one pleasure, by engaging in
another pleasure.

Pleasures seem solid in their pursuit; but are mere 
clouds in the enjoyment. 

Pleasure is a beautiful harlot sitting in her chariot--
The four wheels are pride, gluttony, lust and foolishness. 
The two horses are prosperity and abundance.
The two drivers are idleness and security.
Her attendants and followers are guilt, grief, shame, 
and often death and damnation!

Many great men, and many strong men, and many 
rich men, and many hopeful men, and many young 
men--have come to their damnation by her; but never 
any enjoyed full satisfaction and contentment in her.

Ah! Avoid this harlot--'pleasure', and come not near 
the door of her house!

Augustine, before his conversion, could not live without 
those pleasures which he much delighted in. But after 
his nature was changed, and his heart graciously turned 
to the Lord, he said, "Oh! how sweet it is--to be without 
those sweet delights!" 

And as for lawful pleasures, let me only say this--it is 
your wisdom only to touch them, to taste them, and to 
use them as you use medicines--to occasionally fortify 
yourselves against maladies.

There are no pleasures so delighting, so satisfying, so 
ravishing, so engaging, and so abiding--as those which
spring from union and communion with God--as those 
which flow from a from a humble and holy walking 
with God.

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