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THE FOLLY OF WORLDLY MEN
IT is generally supposed that wisdom pertains chiefly, if not exclusively, to those who are proficients in arts and science: but learning and wisdom are by no means necessarily connected with each other: they may exist separately, each in a high degree: and, in fact, there is nothing more common than to behold persons of the most extensive erudition acting the part of fools in God’s sight, whilst persons destitute of all human acquirements are “walking wisely before him in a perfect way.” Wisdom, properly viewed, is a conformity of the mind and will to the mind and will of God; and it exists precisely in proportion as this conformity exists: the resemblance is wisdom, the deviation folly. Hence we see why David, at the commencement of this psalm, calls, in so solemn a manner, persons of every age and quality to attend to his instructions; and professes to teach them lessons of the profoundest wisdom, when there is not any thing recondite, or any thing uncommon, in the whole psalm. The truths contained in this divine ode are level with every capacity, and therefore might seem to be improperly ushered in with so pompous an introduction: but they are at the root of all practical religion; and they draw a broad line of distinction between those who are wise, and those who are unwise, in the estimation of their God.
The whole subject of the psalm will come properly before us, whilst we consider,
I. The way of worldly men—
It may naturally be expected, that “they who are of the world, should speak of the world,” and seek it as their most desired portion: and they are described as doing so in the psalm before us.
They are altogether engrossed with earthly things—
[Worldly distinction is the one object of their ambition. For this end chiefly both wealth and honour are pursued [Note: ver. 18.]. Having attained these things in a considerable degree, they bless themselves, as possessing somewhat wherein they may trust [Note: ver. 6.], somewhat that will make them happy for a long time to come, and somewhat that shall transmit their names to posterity as worthy of admiration [Note: ver. 11.] — — —]
But “this their way is their folly”—
[Wealth and honour are far from affording the satisfaction that is expected from them: they will not ward off sickness and death, either from ourselves or others [Note: ver. 7–10.]: nor can they follow us into the eternal world [Note: ver. 17.]. The moment we die, as very speedily we all must [Note: ver. 12, 14.], nothing of them remains to us but the fearful responsibility attached to the possession of them. Instead of “profiting us in the day of wrath,” they will rather augment our final condemnation, if they have not been improved for God as talents committed to us. In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus we behold the bitter consequences of living only to the flesh: the man who has his good things in this life, will want in the eternal world a drop of water to cool his tongue: “he will never see light,” but be consigned over to the everlasting regions of darkness and despair [Note: ver. 19.]. We wonder not therefore, that the man, who, because he had gotten much, thought of nothing but his temporal enjoyments, “Soul, take thine ease,” is by God himself derided as a fool: “Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee.”]
Yet, such is the influence of example, that, notwithstanding the folly of such conduct is visible to all, the same is pursued by every succeeding generation—
[No one who considers for a moment the issue of such conduct to those who have gone before them, can doubt the folly of it: for, whatever rank or station men held in this life, or whatever may be said of them now they are gone, what remains to them of their wealth or honour, or what enjoyment have they of their posthumous fame? If we extol them ever so high, they feel no satisfaction; and if we condemn them ever so harsly, they are unconscious of either shame or pain: they are interested in nothing but in the quality of their actions as approved or condemned by their Judge. This we all know; yet no sooner have we a prospect of wealth and honour ourselves, than our desires are as ardent, our expectations as sanguine, and our dependence as unqualified, as that of any who have gone before us. The conviction of their folly only floats in our imagination, but never descends as a, principle into our hearts. We see and blame their folly; yet approve in practice what in theory we condemn.]
As contrasted with this, let us consider,
II. The way which true wisdom prescribes—
In verse 15, the Psalmist gives us that precise view of the subject which he had before characterized as replete with wisdom: “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall receive me;” that is, Whilst worldly men have no prospects beyond the grave, I look forward to a happy eternity, which shall be the portion of all who truly serve God. Hence then we see what way true wisdom prescribes: it teaches us,
1. To regard this world in its connexion with eternity—
[View this world as the whole state of man’s existence; and they speak well, who say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” But this world is a mere passage to a better; it is an inn, at which we sojourn for a night, in our way to a better country. A person tarrying only for a few hours is not greatly elated, if his accommodations be good; nor greatly depressed, if they be bad. He considers, in either case, that it is not his home; that his comfort or discomfort is very transient; and that it will be time enough to look for unmixed enjoyments, when he shall have reached his Father’s house. Moreover, this world must be considered as a state of preparation for a better; every thing that is done here being an occasion of increased happiness or augmented misery to all eternity. In this view of the world, every pain and every pleasure acquires a new aspect. The things that are so highly prized by ungodly men lose their value; and every thing is esteemed good or bad, according as it quickens or retards us in our Christian course. Hence true wisdom says, “Love not the world [Note: Joh_2:15-16.],” “neither be of it [Note: Joh_17:14; Joh_17:16.];” but “be crucified to it, and let it be as one crucified to you [Note: Gal_6:14.].”]
2. To follow the footsteps of the saints of old—
[There are those who have gone before us, whose ways were not folly, though they might be esteemed foolish by those who were themselves blinded by Satan. “Abraham went out from his kindred and his country, not knowing whither he went [Note: Heb_11:8.]:” Moses refused all the wealth and honour that Egypt could afford, that he might participate in the lot of God’s persecuted and despised people [Note: Heb_11:24-26.]: many saints “took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance [Note: Heb_10:34.]:” Matthew left his lucrative employment to follow Christ [Note: Mat_9:9.]: Paul suffered the loss of all things for Christ [Note: Php_3:8.]; and after having engaged in the Christian course, attended to nothing but his progress in it, straining every nerve to win and secure the prize [Note: Php_3:13-14.]. All of these would be thought by the world to carry religion to a very culpable excess: but they acted with consummate wisdom, each in the part he took: they all “chose the good part, which could not be taken away from them.” Let any one who reflects on the present state of these eminent saints, say, whether “their way was folly?” If it was not; if, on the contrary, it accorded with the dictates of true wisdom, then let all not only “approve their sayings,” but imitate their doings also, and “be followers of them, as they were of Christ.”]
Advice—
1. Guard against the influence of bad example—
[There is nothing urged with greater confidence to deter young persons from a religious course, or to draw them back again to the world, than example. They are told from time to time what such and such persons do; and can this be wrong? But whoever they are who are proposed to us for examples, we have only one question to ask; Did they regulate their conduct according to the revealed will of God? and was it the one labour of their lives to walk as Christ walked? If this was not the case, it signifies not who they were, or what they did: “their way was their folly;” and instead of taking them as examples to follow, we should rather regard them as monuments to warn us against impending ruin. If the number and respectability of the persons be urged, let us remember that to “walk according to the course of this world, is to walk according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” “Christ died to deliver us from this present evil world:” we must therefore leave the broad road that leadeth to destruction, and walk in “the narrow way that leadeth unto life.” True it is, that “if we do well unto ourselves (in advancing our own temporal interests), men will speak good of us [Note: ver. 18.]:” but it is of little consequence what men speak or think: nothing will be of any lasting benefit to us, but the approbation of our God [Note: 1Co_4:3-4.].]
2. Cleave to Him who alone is able to redeem our souls—
[If man cannot redeem his brother from temporal death, much less can he the soul from spiritual and eternal death: the price required for that is more than all the creatures in earth or heaven are able to pay [Note: ver. 7–9.]. But Christ has paid the mighty ransom: with his own “precious blood,” he has redeemed us from sin and Satan, from death and hell. Seek him then, and you are richer than ten thousand worlds could make you. In him you have “durable riches, and righteousness.” Go to him, and he will give you “gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich.” After him your desires cannot be too ardent; your expectations from him cannot be too enlarged; your dependence on him cannot be too entire and confident. On that side you need not fear excess. And if the world deride your way as folly, regard it not: they will soon alter their sentiments: the moment they enter into the eternal world, they will know infallibly who were wise and who were fools: and when they meet you at the judgment-seat of Christ, they will say, “We fools counted their life madness:” their reproaches then will be turned upon themselves, and their one subject of lamentation will be, that they “approved the sayings” of a blind ungodly world, instead of the infallible sayings of their God. This is the way to “walk not as fools, but as wise:” and, so walking, you shall surely ere long have the plaudit of your Judge, “Well done, good and faithful servants! enter ye into the joy of your Lord.”]