Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
The history of sundry fools
Here are four pictures, and you may find your likeness in one of the four; but, be not so unwise as to condemn yourself if you are not seen in the other three. “I never went to sea,” says one, “this cannot picture me.” “I never traversed a Sahara,” says another, “this cannot picture me.” “I never was in prison in the dark,” says a third, “this cannot picture me.” But it is possible that you have been a fool, and therefore the sick fool may picture you. When you find yourself in one of the pictures, you may conclude that, as the four are but variations of the same subject, all the four in some degree belong to you.
I. The miserable people.
1. They were fools. We call those fools who have a great want of knowledge of things which it is necessary to know. Where other men find their way, they are lost. Where other men know what to do upon very simple matters, they are quite bewildered and cannot tell how to act. He, too, is a fool who, when he does know, does not make right use of his knowledge. He is a greater fool than the former one. He understands that the only way to be saved is to believe in Christ; but he does not believe. He knows that men must repent of sin if they would find mercy; but he does not repent of sin. He knows that life is uncertain, and yet he is risking his soul upon the chances of his continuing to live. We call him a fool who hurts himself without any profit--without any justifying cause. We count the ox foolish that goes willingly to the shambles; but there are multitudes of men and women who take delight in sin; and, though every cup around them be poisoned, yet they drink of it as though it were nectar. Verily, sinners are fools! We are great fools when we think that we can find pleasure in sin, or profit in rebellion. We are great fools when we displease our God,--when our best Friend, on whom our eternal future depends, is despised, neglected, and even rejected and hated by us.
2. They were not only fools, but sinners. The text says that “fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.” They began with one transgression; they went on to multiplied iniquities. There was first in their heart a transgression against God; afterwards, there were found in their lives many iniquities, both towards God and towards man. Sin multiplies itself very rapidly. It grows from one to a countless multitude. What form has your sin taken? Think of it in your own heart. But, whatever form it has taken, God is able to forgive you. “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”
3. These people had a third mischief about them: they were afflicted. Their affliction was the result of their folly and their transgression.
4. They had fallen into a soul-sickness (verse 18).
5. They were almost dead.
II. The merciful Lord.
1. He sent the affliction. Your sicknesses, your poverty, and your misery--oh, I bless God for them! The heavenly Father has sent this rumbling wagger to bring you home to Himself. Oh that you would but come to yourself! Oh that you would but come to Him!
2. They began to pray; and here we see the Lord again; for no one seeks after God till God has put the prayer into his heart, and breathed a new lifo into his spirit.
3. Then, as soon as ever he did pray, the Lord heard the prayer. “He sent His word, and healed them,” etc. So all that God has to do, in order to save us, is to send us His Word. He has done that by sending His dear Son, who is the incarnate Word. He sends us the Word in the shape of the Holy Scriptures; He sends us the Word in the preaching of His servants; but what we want most of all is to have that Word sent home by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord does not operate upon the symptoms, but upon the person; He does not deliver us from this sin, and that sin, and the other sin; but He takes away the old heart, out of which the sin comes, and gives a new heart, out of which there come repentance, and faith, and a change of life. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
A rescue from death, with a return of praise
In these words you have--
1. The cause of this visitation, and of all the grievance he speaks of: “transgression and iniquity.”
2. The kind of this visitation: “sickness.”
3. The extremity, in two branches: “Their soul abhorreth, all manner of meat”; and secondly, “They draw near to the gates of death.”
4. The carriage of the affected and sick parties: “They cry unto the Lord in their distress.”
5. The remedy of the universal and great Physician: “He saves them out of their distress.”
6. The manner of this remedy: “He sent his word and healed them”; His operative and commanding word, so as it works with His command.
7. The fee that this high Commander asks for; all the tribute or reward that He expects is praise and thanksgiving. “Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for His goodness,” etc.
I. The quality of the persons here described. Why are wicked men fools? and God’s children, so far as they yield to their lusts?
1. For lack of discerning in all the carriage and passages of their lives.
2. A fool is led with his humour and his lust, even as the beast.
3. He is a fool that will play with edged tools, that makes a sport of sin.
4. He is a fool that knows not or forgets his end.
5. He is a fool that hurts and wounds himself.
II. The cause. “Because of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities.” “Transgression” especially hath reference to rebellion against God and His ordinances in the first table. “Iniquity” hath reference to the breach of the second table, against men; and both these have their rise from folly. For want of wisdom causeth rebellion against God, and iniquity against men. All breaches of God’s will come from spiritual folly. Why doth He begin with transgressions against the first table, and then iniquities, the breach of the second? Because all breaches of the second table issue from the breach of the first.
III. The extremity.
1. “Fools for their transgressions are afflicted.” We by our sins put a rod into God’s hand--“a rod for the fool’s back” (Proverbs 26:8); and when we will be fools, we must needs endure the scourge and rod in one kind or other. Those that will sin must look for a rod.
2. “Their soul abhors all manner of meat.” This the great Physician of heaven and earth sets down as a symptom of a sick state, when one cannot relish and digest meat. Experience seals this truth, and proves it to be true.
3. “They draw near the gates of death.” Death is a great commander, a great tyrant; and hath gates to sit in, as judges and magistrates used to “sit in the gates.”
(1) “They draw near to the gates of death”; that is, they were “near to death”; as he that draws near the gates of a city is near the city, because the gates enter into the city.
(2) Gates are applied to death for authority. They were almost in death’s jurisdiction. Death is a great tyrant. He rules over all the men in the world, over kings and potentates, and over mean men; and the greatest men fear death most.
(3) The power of death. It is the executioner of God’s justice.
IV. Their carriage in their extremity. “They cried to God in their trouble.” This is the carriage of man in extreme ills, if he have any fear of God in him, to pray; and then prayers are cries. They are darted out of the heart, as it were, to heaven. Extremity of afflictions doth force prayers: “In their affliction they will seek Me early.” When all second causes fail, then we go to God. Nature therefore is against atheism.
V. The remedy.
1. “He saved them out of their distress.” God is a physician, good at all manner of sicknesses. Other physicians can cure, but they must have means. Other physicians cannot cure all manner of diseases, nor in all places, but God can cure all. “He saved them out of their distress.” Other physicians cannot be always present, but God is so to every one of His patients. He is a compassionate, tender, present Physician.
2. “He sent His word and healed them.” What word? His secret command, His will.
VI. The duty.
1. The persons who must praise God: “Oh that men would praise the Lord.”
2. The duty they are to perform: “to praise God,” to “sacrifice to God,” to “declare His works”--one main duty expressed by three terms.
3. For what they should praise Him: “for His goodness.” It is the spring of all, for all particular actions do come from His nature. Why is He gracious, and merciful, and longsuffering? Because He is good. This is the primitive attribute. And then another thing for which we must praise Him: “for His wondrous works for the children of men.”
4. The manner how this should be done: “with rejoicing and singing,” as the word signifies, “declare His works with rejoicing.” “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), much more a cheerful thanksgiver, for cheerfulness is the very nature of thanksgiving.
VII. Helps and means to perform this duty the better.
1. Consider our own unworthiness.
2. Dwell not on second causes.
3. Consider the necessity and use of the favour we pray for.
4. Again, if we would praise God, let us every day keep a diary of His favours and blessings: what good He doth us privately, what positive blessings He bestows upon us, and what dangers He frees us from, and continues and renews His mercy every day; and publicly what benefit we have by the state we live in. (R. Sibbes.)