THE MORE SENSIBLE FOOL. 
Text: Luke 16:19-—Now there was 
a certain rich man, and he was clothed in 
purple and fine linen, faring sumptuous- 
ly every day. 
These were the words from which 
Rev. Theodore Lyman Frost preached 
Sunday evening at the First Baptist 
church, in Manchester. He said in 
part: 
““The biggest fool is not the imbecile. 
Those with the greatest brain capacity 
and the highest mental endowments may 
act more foolishly than an idiot. Last 
Sunday evening we saw how the wisest 
man in the world played the fool. ‘This 
evening another type of fool will inter- 
est us, one not so foolish in many re- 
spects as Solomon, but one who may 
well be styled a fool. 
A. THE ANCIENT MORE SENSIBLE FOOL. 
‘“The one whom shall select for 
our picture of the more sensible fool is 
the rich man in the parable of Dives and 
Lazarus. Here we have the type of a 
so-called ‘good moral man.’ Dives is 
not one of those vulgar, low, riotous 
kind of men who sometimes have great 
riches. He is not one of those ‘get rich 
quick’ kind of well-to-do people so of- 
ten characterized by their vulgarity of 
display and courseness of taste. He 
dees not belong to what we call ‘the 
codfish aristocracy.’ He is a refined, 
rich man of the world. His house is 
beautiful. There is nothing in it that 
would jar on the most refined taste. 
Nothing is lacking which will add to 
comfort or enjoyment. Thoughts of 
death are kept far off. The friends who 
throng to the rich man’s table and who 
adorn his reception rooms all conspire to 
make him happy. Honor after honor is 
heaped upon him. How could any one 
so refined, so wealthy, so prominent in 
society keep from being honored? 
HIs FOLLY. 
‘* Godliness was the first element in 
his folly. God had no part in his life. 
What religion he had consisted simply 
in forms. 
‘* The second element was prayerless- 
ness. He felt no need of God in his 
life. He had all he wanted and did not 
see the need of prayer. “The only sup- 
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plication he is recorded to have uttered 
was in hell. 
‘* Another element in his folly was 
worldliness. All his interests were cen- 
tered in the things of time. The pre- 
sent life was good enough for him. 
What need he care forthe future? The 
future could care for itself. 
““He was also inhuman. Do you 
mean to say that such a rich refined man 
was inhuman? Yes, for he could allow 
a beggar to lie neglected at the gate to 
his palatial residence. 
HIS FATE. 
“* Misery was his fate, eternal anguish 
his portion. The brilliant clothing of earth 
gave place to the clothing of flame. In- 
stead of the delightful occupations which 
made time slide by so pleasantly, he was 
consumed by the pangs of conscience, 
and the undying memory of an _ill-spent 
life.’’ 
B. THE MODERN MORE SENSIBLE FOOL. 
Mr. Frost drew three pictures: One 
of a clean, moral educated man who 
keeps from thinking of anything that 1s 
unlovely or disagreeable; another of a 
comfortably well-to-do man with a fine 
home, wife and children, but whose sole 
interest is in his home and his family; 
another picture of a refined woman 
whose religion is but a form and who 
never thinks of death or eternity. Speak 
ing of the folly of this fool Mr. Frost 
said: 
‘* Tow aim is a crime, but the more 
sensible fool does not believe this, or at 
least does not practioe it. God alone 
can satisfy, and godlikeness is the only 
aim worthy of an immortal soul. 
“This type of fool has wrong ideas 
of morality. A man does wrong when 
he wrongs his family. He is equally 
bad when he wrongs God. Some think 
that sin isa necessity in the Universe, 
but sin is not a necessity. Some of this 
tpye think sin is good in the making. If 
it is, the good seems to be making pretty 
slowly. 
** Another element in this fool’s folly 
is inhumanity. A few crumbs given to 
a beggar at the door will not show a heart 
of compassion. Giving away old cloth- 
ing which is so shabby that a tramp would 
not want to wear it does not make one 
humane or generous. Men need more 
than bread crumbs or old clothing. Men 
need brotherly love, yea more than this, 
the love Christ can give them. It is 
your duty to give men Christ. 
C. CONSEQUENCES. 
** There is no starry diadem of eter- 
nal life for the fool. Instead there is 
the fiery clothing of ame. No fellow- 
ship with the saints in glory awaits the 
fool. There will be no communion and 
companionship with the King of Kings 
and Lords of Lords for the fool. In 
hell the lost soul is associated with the 
lost, and the cries and wails of lost souls 
is constantly ringing in the ears. 
A cap and bells are not worth the 
price men are willing to pay for them. 
Better to miss earthly happiness and suc- 
cess, yes better never to have lived than to 
have lived and missed Christ. What will 
you do with Christ tonight? Can you 
deprive your life of its greatest joy and 
greatest blessing by depriving it of 
Jesus?”’ 
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