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SERMON VI.

IN WHICH IS SET FORTH

THE

VARIOUS DELUSIONS OF SIN.

GALATIONS vi. 7.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

THE great Apostle St. Paul, in this text, has laid down the general and fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, which is, that every man shall finally be rewarded according to his actions in this life.

This is a maxim so agreeable to the natural reason of mankind, that it is universally made the foundation of all laws; it is the maintenance and support of government, and the pillar and ground-work of all religion. This doctrine, that every creature shall at the last awful day of judgment, be rewarded by the unerring and impartial judgment of the great Creator; this, I say, is undeniably proved by all the principles of reason, and expressly confirmed, not only by numberless passages in the old Testament, but we are frequently assured of it by our divine Legislator in the new. Yet so numerous, so various are the delusions of

sin, and such a mist of darkness do the sensual desires of mankind cast before their own eyes, that the Apostle thought it absolutely necessary to give his too easily deluded brethren this caution in my text, and frequently to repeat it, in other places, upon the like occasion. Be not deceived, says he, neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor cxtortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of heaven ; and then assures them, and us, that because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience; even upon the heathens, if they live in their debauched practices, contrary to the light of nature, and to the eternal laws of truth and reason.

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That prudent and considerate man, takes a survey of the world about him, cannot but be astonished and grieved at the madness and folly of the generality of his fellow creatures, who act, for the most part, like rational beings, except in that important concern of a life after this; which (with shame and grief be it spoken) is seldom thought of 'till they are ready to launch into it.

And whence can this proceed from? Why, from the many deceitful objects that they meet with in this theatre of vanity, which draw them from their duty, and prevent them from observing this great foundation of religion, that every man shall finally receive of God according to what he has done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil,

What the principle of these delusions are, shall make it the business of this discourse to enquire.

The first, then, that most obviously offers itself in the survey of mankind, is that general carelessness and inattention which most men do unfortunately labour under. Instead of considering the design of their creation, we find them in the pursuit of ambition and covetousness. The ambitions man spends his days in the quest of fame, and in aspiring to posts of honour; and in this he places his chief happiness. But could he be persuaded to suffer his reason to throw off the mask, which his fancy has put upon these things, he would then discover nothing but emptiness and vanity. He would then perceive, that there is no glory like that of a generous and honest mind; no applause like that of a man's conscience, when it displays itself in good and virtuous actions. And who would quit the inward joy and content of his soul for the perishing baubles of this transitory world? This would be to leave a lasting happiness to follow a phantom or dream.

But, notwithstanding all this, what difficulties do men chuse to undergo, only to be loaded with heavier sorrows; to be amazed with greater fears, and to bring upon themselves greater trouble and perplexity. In like manner, the covetous man, whose mind is continually bent upon accumulating wealth, and making a fortune, who is continually filling his bags with gold, and hoarding up his money, only brings upon himself so much the more

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