You fools--when will you be wise?

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(James Smith, "Important Questions!" 1858)

"You fools--when will you be wise?" Psalm 94:8

The Scripture stigmatizes the lost sinner as a fool. He may be rich, he may be learned, he may fill an honorable station in the world--but so long as he neglects the one thing needful--he is called a fool.

Wisdom consists in fixing upon a worthy end--and pursuing it in the most prudent and judicious way.

A wise man . . .
thinks of his immortal soul--and seeks its salvation above everything else.
thinks of the wrath of God--and endeavors by all means to escape it.
thinks of a crown of glory--and sets his heart upon obtaining it.
sees that glorifying God is his highest honor, and secures his greatest happiness--and therefore he makes that the grand end of his life.

But the multitude, alas! the multitude overlook, or despise, or treat these things with contempt! They live . . .
as if self-gratification were the end of their creation,
as if earth were their eternal dwelling-place, and
as if glorifying God were no business of theirs!

If we were to judge them by their conduct, we would be ready to conclude . . .
that they had no souls to be saved or lost,
that there was no Hell to escape,
that there was no Heaven to obtain,
that there was no crown of glory to be won,
that there was no crown of shame to be avoided.
Surely the Scriptures are right in designating such men fools--for fools, the greatest fools, they must be!

Should the eye of a worldly man or woman light upon this page--God asks you the question, "When will you be wise?"
When will you begin to seek the kingdom of God, and His righteousness?
When will you come to Jesus, and be saved from wrath by Him?
When will you begin to lay up for yourself treasure in heaven?
When will you prepare for death, judgment, and eternity?

"If only they were wise and would understand this, and discern what their end will be!" Deuteronomy 32:29

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