CONSIDERATION XX
The Folly of the Sinner
"The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." i Cor. iii. 19.
First Point.
THE Venerable John Avila would divide the world into two prisons, one for those who do not believe, the other for those who believe and yet live in sin far from God, to whom belonged the prison of fools. But the great misery and disgrace of those unhappy ones is, that they deem themselves to be wise and prudent, whilst they are the most stupid and foolish people in the world; and what is worst of all is, that the number of these is innumerable. Some are mad for the honours, others for the pleasures and the defilements of this world. And these, then, dare to call the saints fools, who despise the goods of this world, that they may gain eternal salvation, and the True Good, which is God. They call it foolishness to accept insults and to pardon injuries; foolishness to deprive themselves of the pleasures of the senses, and to embrace the mortifications; to renounce honours and riches, and to love solitude, and a life both humble and hidden. But they do not observe, that their wisdom is called foolishness by the Apostle, " The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." (i Cor. iii. 19.) Ah, one day they will truly confess their folly; but when? When there will be no further remedy, and they will say in despair, " We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour." (Wisd. v. 4.) Ah, wretched that we have been, we counted folly, the life of the
