The fool's bauble, the fool's fiddle!
(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)
"The wicked freely strut about, when what is vile is honored among men." Psalm 12:8
"Their souls delight in their abominations." Isaiah 66:3
"They love to indulge in evil pleasures." 2 Peter 2:13
Proverbs 10:23, "A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct."
Evil conduct is the fool's bauble, the fool's fiddle.
Fools take great delight and pleasure in doing evil.
Sin and wickedness are a sport or recreation to a fool.
It is a great pleasure and merriment to a fool-to do wickedness.
Proverbs 14:9, "Fools make a mock of sin." They make . . .
a jeer of sin-which they should fear more than Hell itself,
a sport of sin-which will prove a matter of damnation to them,
a pastime, a game of sin-which will them miserable to all eternity,
a mock of sin on earth-for which the devil will mock and flout them forever in Hell.
Justice will at last turn over such fools to Satan, who will be sure to return mock for mock, jeer for jeer, and flout for flout. Those who love such kind of pastime, shall have enough of it in Hell.
All unbelievers are such fools-for they delight and take pleasure in sin, which is the most corrupting and dangerous thing in the world. "And so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth, but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:12
Well, sirs! Sin is . . .
the poison of the soul,
the curse of the soul,
the disease of the soul,
the burden of the soul!
And if God in mercy does not prevent it-sin will prove the eternal bane of the soul.
Oh, then, how great is their folly, who delight in sin, and who make a sport of it!