FOLLY.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.—Psalm xiv. 1.
I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.—Psalm lxxxv. 8.
The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.—Proverbs, xiv. 24.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.—Proverbs, xxvi. 4.
Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.—Matthew, v. 22.
The rout is folly’s circle which she draws
With magic wand. So potent is the spell,
That none decoy’d into that fatal ring,
Unless by Heaven’s peculiar grace, escape.
There we grow early grey, but never wise;
There form connections, but acquire no friend;
Solicit pleasure, hopeless of success;
Waste youth in occupations only fit
For second childhood; and devote old age
To sports, which only childhood could excuse.
Cowper.
Many there are who wear the cap and bells,
And tread the maze of folly;
And some who dwell apart in hermit cells
With moping melancholy.
Many there are who toil, and moil, and scrape,
For gold they cannot keep;
And many who from toil and care escape,
Wrapped in a drunken sleep.
Some of their brothers in their anger cry—
Thou fool! nor heed the sin;
And some their God and Saviour would deny
Human applause to win.
All this is foolishness, but worst of all
The last mad folly,
Building betwixt the soul and heaven a wall,
Spreading o’er nature’s face a gloomy pall
Of hopeless melancholy.
Egone.