SERMON II.

The Unfruitfulness and Mifery of Sin.

ROMANS, vi. 21.

What fruit had ye then in thofe things, whereof ye are now afbamed? for the end of those things is death.

ONE NE of the fureft means, by which Satan keeps men under his power, is by keeping them in ignorance of their state. Did they once fee, in what a vile, a shameful, a runious fervice they are engaged,, they would quickly leave it. Did they once fee, what fin really is, they would fpeedily flee from it. In this view the text for it fets fin before us in its true colours, and fhews us what it is, when stript of every covering.

is particularly useful

St. Paul is fpeaking to perfons, who hav ing once been the servants of fin, had now left that fervice, and were become the fer

vants of GoD and he puts to them this ferious queftion: "What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now afhamed? for the end of thofe things is death."

At the time when you lived in your former finful courfes, what real comfort, fatisfaction or happiness. did you find in them? Did they yield you any true profit? The manner in which the Apoftle puts the question, plainly fhews his meaning. He knew that they had found nothing of this, kind. They must be ready to own, that fin, far from having been profitable to them, had brought with it difappointment and vexation; had been. followed with. fhame and grief; and had expofed their fouls to the greatest danger.

In difcourfing on thefe words, I fhall fet before you the three things, which are hera ftated concerning fin..

I. That it yields no prefent fruit,
II. That it is followed by fhame..
III. That it ends in death..

I. Sin yields no prefent fruit; that is, nothing which deferves the name of fruit. It may furnish indeed fome fhort gratification, fome momentary, pleafure. But this is not fruit. It does not pay a man for the trouble and danger, into, which it brings

him. Nothing but peace with Gon, and an approving confcience, can really deferve the name of fruit: and fin, so far from producing these things, totally destroys them Sin indeed makes large promifes, tempts men with flattering offers, and tells them what great things it will do for them; in the fame manner as the devil tempted our LORD to worship him, by offering to him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. But as Satan then promised to give what was not in his power to bestow; fo it is with fin. It cannot fulfil its promifes, or make good its words. It only deceives, and disappoints those, who liften to its offers. They may amase themfelves with the expectation of great advantages. They may hope to reap much fruit.

But they are "fowing to the flefh," and must reap corruption."-Sinners do not find in fin even that prefent enjoyment, which they had hoped to find. Look at our first parent Eve; what fruit had she from her fin? She had fancied that there would be fome great and fingular pleasure in eating of the forbidden tree. She had perfuaded herself, that she should gain fome fpecial advantages by this act of difobe dience; that it would make her wife, and great, and happy, like Gop himself. But

were thefe expectations anfwered? did fhe find all the good, which the had hoped for from her fin? far otherwise, she found herfelf wretchedly deceived. She was become indeed wifer than fhe had been before; but the wisdom, which fhe had gained, was not fuch as to add to her comfort and enjoyment. She knew good from evil; for the had loft the good, and had found the evil. Instead of being happy, fhe was become miferable. Instead of being like GoD, fhe had loft his likeness; and was become like the devil, whofe counsel she had followed. Instead of being filled with peace, and joy, and hope in GOD, as she had before been; she was now torn with remorfe, and guilt, and terror. This was the fruit of her fin.

Take another example. Look at Judas, who fold his mafter. What fruit had he in his tranfgreffion? He doubtlefs thought that the thirty pieces of filver would add greatly to his happiness, and would yield him much prefent enjoyment. In the hope of the benefits which he fhould procure from his fin, he "ran greedily after the reward," and betrayed the innocent blood. Was his hope fulfilled? We know that it was not. No fooner was the fin com, mitted, than he faw it in its true light.

The advantages which he had promised to himself, all fled away. He was overwhelmed with horror and despair.

But we need not go fo far back for examples to our purpose. We may have recourfe to living inftances. My brethren, I would refer this matter to yourselves, and make you judges in the cafe before us. What fruit have you had in the ways of fin. To fuch of you, as being convinced of the evil of thefe ways, through grace have left them, and turned into other paths, to fuch I may confidently appeal. You, I feel affured, will readily confefs, that you found no fruit in the ways of fin; that fo long as you continued the fervants of fin, you were strangers to true enjoyment; and that real peace and happiness are only to be found in the fervice and the ways of God. But you are not the only witnesses to this truth. I would appeal to others alfo; to those who are ftill living in the ways of fin, and yielding themselves fervants to unrighteousness. I would ask them, whether they find true happiness in their finful courses? I would put the question in the text to their confciences, and fay to each of them, "What fruit hast thou even now in these things?"