The Fool—His Character,

The Fool—His Character, Affliction, and Deliverance</strong>

Preached at Providence Chapel, London,
on July 27, 1851, by J. C. Philpot

"Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhors all manner of food; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." Psalm 107:17-20

The dealings of God with the souls of his people are similar, yet diversified; similar in substance, diversified in particulars. "All your children shall be taught of the Lord;" "When he has come, he shall convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;" "This is life eternal, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent;" "He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you." These, and many other texts of a similar kind, point to the uniformity of God's teachings and dealings with the soul.

And yet, if we were to converse with God's people, one by one, we should find, that though in many points there was in their experience a great similarity, yet in others there would be a great diversity. The Apostle Paul, speaking of the gifts of the blessed Spirit (and in these gifts we may include also his graces) mentions this similarity and diversity. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Cor. 12:4-6, 11.)

Psalm 107 is an epitome of Christian experience; an abstract, as it were, of the gracious dealings of God with the soul. And did time and opportunity permit us to run through the leading points of that Psalm, we would find these two features stamped upon it—diversity of experience in each case; with similarity in four things—distress, cry, deliverance, praise.

In this epitome of Christian experience, Psalm 107, four characters stand prominently forth, which we may thus briefly characterize—
the Wanderer (verses 4-9),
the Rebel (verses 10-16),
the Fool (verses 17-22),
and the Mariner (verses 23-32).

I shall with God's blessing this morning, take up the character of the "FOOL," and, in looking at his experience as drawn by the pen of inspiration, I shall hope to consider,
First, his character.
Secondly, his affliction, with its cause and consequences.
Thirdly, his cry.
Fourthly, his deliverance.

I. The fool, his CHARACTER. We are forbidden to call one another "fools," but there is no Scripture against calling ourselves "fools." If I am not mistaken, there are those here (at least I know one) who have called themselves fools, and the worst of fools, a thousand times over, and sometimes many times a day. If, then, we have called ourselves "fools," you will not be offended if the blessed Spirit call you the same. It is only bearing his witness to what you have often borne against yourself.

"Fools," says our text, "because of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted."

What is a "fool?" naturally, I mean. He is one who has not the least regard for his own interest, whom everybody can dupe and deceive; who will barter gold and silver for sticks and stones; whom his best friends cannot manage, and whom his enemies can securely deride and ridicule. Such is a fool. And as there are fools naturally, so there are fools spiritually; and I may justly say, far greater fools spiritually, than the greatest fool that ever lived naturally.

But let us see, by a little closer examination, how far this portrait corresponds to what many a child of God feels himself to have been or to be.

Now you would not think that if the Lord had quickened a man's soul into spiritual life, planted his fear in the heart, and made him sensible of the nature of sin, and given him repentance and godly sorrow for it; taught him to feel how dreadful and detestable all evil is; brought him to the feet of Christ—revealed to him the love of the Savior, and manifested a sense of mercy and goodness to his soul; you would not think that after the Lord had done thus much for him, he could ever trifle with, or in any way indulge, or caress this monster,sin, which had been shown to him in so hideous a light. And yet this is what this fool does. He can trifle in his imagination with sin, though he has seen what a detestable thing it is; he can, in his wickedness, indulge that evil which caused the dear Lamb of God such acute sorrow, and has at times caused his own soul sorrow also.

Again. Is not God our only Friend? Where shall we find such another? If he be our Friend, need we be fearful about any foe? If he be our foe, of what value is any friend? But if you had a friend who had been heaping benefit after benefit upon you, and you did everything to offend, to grieve, to distress, to pour contempt upon him, and if possible to alienate all his regard and affection from you, would not this be the height of folly? Yet who can say he is not guilty of this folly before God? Who can say he has not thus provoked his best, his only Friend, that Friend without whose friendship all is misery, and wretchedness, and woe? Who dare say that he has not grieved, offended, slighted, and neglected this Friend that sticks closer than a brother?

And for what? for what? For some vain gratification; for some foolish lust; for some base desire; for something which is not worth having when we have gotten it; for something from which our eyes should be turned away, rather than looked upon; for something evil which ought to be detested and abhorred. And yet, who that knows himself, the workings of sin in his fallen nature, and what a depraved imagination can do—who is not sensible that all this he has done, and perhaps is doing, daily?

"Have you not procured this to yourself?" says the Lord to his sinning Israel. Who dares say he has not by his sins; his carnality, pride, covetousness, worldly-mindedness, unbelief, foolishness, and rebelliousness, procured to himself many things that have grieved and distressed his soul? I do not believe that there is one child of God exempt, who knows himself. If indeed we take no notice of the sin that dwells in us; if we pass all by as a thing of nothing, and pay no regard to our thoughts, desires, words, and actions; if we keep evil at arm's length, and take our stand on our own righteousness and holiness, we may refuse to believe that we are such vile sinners. But if we are compelled to look within, and painfully feel that sin is an indweller, a lodger, whom we are compelled to harbor; a serpent that will creep in and nestle in our heart, whether we will or not; a thief that will break through and steal, and whom no bolt nor bar can keep out; a traitor in the citadel who will work by force or fraud, and against whom no resolution of ours has any avail; if such be our inward experience and conviction, I believe there is not a man or woman here who will not confess "guilty, guilty; unclean, unclean!" 'Lord I am that fool!'

II. The fool, his AFFLICTION. I pass on to the affliction of the "fool." Does the Lord pass him by, and let him go on unchecked in his foolishness? "Folly," we read, "is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." (Prov. 22:15.)

A. The CAUSE of affliction is sin. "Fools," we read, "because of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities are afflicted." The Lord does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. We bring affliction upon ourselves; we procure suffering by our own transgressions, and by our own iniquities. But you will say, perhaps, these are very strong words—"transgression and iniquities." I grant their strength, but they are not one whit, according to my feelings, too strong. Must not the Psalmist, you will perhaps say, be speaking here of some very black and base transgressors, some 'out of the way' characters? Surely he was not fixing his eye upon any whose lives were consistent. He must have been dipping his brush into very black colors in order to depict some enormous backsliders. If the Lord should ever take the veil of unbelief and self-deception off your heart, and give you one little peep, one transient glimpse into the chambers of imagery, you will not find these words too strong. It is from lack of seeing what sin is, feeling its burden, knowing its guilt, and sorrowing under its misery, that men think only this, or the other 'outward thing' is "transgression" or "iniquity."

Thoughts, looks, words, desires, imaginations—are not all these evil? Are not these sinful? Are not these in the sight of God "transgressions and iniquities?" They are! The Lord tells us, "He who looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." "The thought of foolishness is sin." Iniquities and transgressions are internal as well as external. I know not your personal sins; but there is One in heaven that knows them wholly, and one on earth—his viceregent in the heart, that knows them partially. Let only that witness speak, let only CONSCIENCE open the pages of that long and black catalogue, let sin be seen and felt as sin, and I believe you will confess there are many "transgressions," many "iniquities;" more or less daily—daily transgressions; hourly—hourly iniquities, transacting in the chambers of imagery.

Now in order to show us these, the Lord has to afflict us. It is usually in the furnace of affliction that we come to see the depths of the fall, to learn the nature of sin, and to have some discovery of ourselves as sinners. Give a man health, strength, good spirits, and abundance of worldly prosperity, what a thick evil soon covers his heart! Sin is not seen as sin; carnality and self-indulgence are drunk down like water; one folly after another is played with, each opening a way for the next, and binding on a fresh cord, until the yoke of transgressions is wreathed round the neck.

Now what is to be done with this "fool?" Is he to be given up? No! "How shall I give you up Ephraim?" But he must be corrected in measure, and not left altogether unpunished. Hence the furnace.

When, then, the Lord puts the soul into the furnace of affliction, things before hidden, passed over in the whirl of business or the flurry of carnality, are discovered. Conscience first brings to light one sin, and then another, until the sum appears innumerable and the prospect indeed is dark and gloomy. For with the affliction comes a sense of God's displeasure; and the poor fool reflects with sadness and remorse on his folly in bartering a sense of God's approbation for something that has perished in the using.

B. But the CONSEQUENCE is twofold. 1. "Their soul abhors all manner of food;" 2. "they draw near unto the gates of death."

1. "All manner of food" their soul abhors. What food is this? Not merely food naturally, but also food spiritually; not only the food of the carnal mind, but the food of the spiritual mind—the things of the spirit, as well as of the flesh. The "fool" until he is afflicted and humbled, has gone out in desire after many foolish and hurtful lusts; has indulged in many things that would be hated and shunned under some trouble, or under warm impressions of grace; and while in this foolish course could eat "all manner of food." His natural meals were eaten with relish, through health and strength; and the carnal mind, not being held in due check, nor crucified, as it should have been, and denied, could and did much feed upon trash. But let the Lord afflict him, and put him in the furnace, and there begin to take away the dross, he begins to abhor "all manner of food." Nothing satisfies him now.

How pleased he was with his business; how his thoughts settled down on the shop or farm; his speculative mind could run in to various imaginary channels of advantage. Trade was to be increased in this direction, or profit gained in the other; and whatever check conscience might interpose, there was a secret power that overbore the opposition. But let the Lord afflict him in body or mind, and bring his soul down into trouble, what then is "all manner of food?" His shop is now a burden; his business a trouble; his farm or his employment only wearisome work. "All manner of food," which his carnal mind at one time so greedily fed upon, he now learns to abhor. There is no gratification to be found in anything. A dark pall of gloom and melancholy is drawn over the world. The things of time and sense fade out of his sight; and he sees that vanity and vexation of spirit, misery and sorrow, are stamped upon all earthly pursuits.

But not only does he abhor "all manner of food" in a natural sense, but even he abhors "all manner of food" in a spiritual sense; that is, his soul's disease makes him turn away from the very food that is its only remedy. Do you always love spiritual religion? Do you always delight in your Bible? Do you always come with eagerness to the throne of grace? Do you always love secret meditation and Christian conversation? And do you always relish spiritual-mindedness, and to have your affections placed on things above? Come, be honest with yourselves. No disinclination ever for the word of God? No unwillingness ever to hear the word of truth? No idle excuse made on account of the weather or the fatigue of business? No excuse not to go to a throne of grace? No disinclination to take up the cross? No aversion to the company of the spiritually-minded? No dislike to the solemn realities of the things of God?

What? Is the enmity of your carnal mind all covered up? Is the veil of self-deception so drawn over what you are as a fallen sinner that it never peeps forth? O, if you know yourselves, you will be convinced that the carnal mind is and ever will be enmity against God, and that the carnal mind manifests its enmity by its disinclination to spiritual things.

Here, then, is the "fool." When he is struck, as it were, with soul sickness, has to reap the bitter reward of his folly, and has to mourn over what he has been and is, and the state of things he has brought himself into, he not only abhors "all manner of food" naturally, but he finds his soul sunk into such carnality and death that it abhors all manner of spiritual food; that he has not that delight in the word of God, nor that inclination to a throne of grace, nor that love after spiritual things, nor that relish in heavenly employments which he had in times past when the candle of the Lord shone upon him, and by his light he walked through darkness.

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