SERM. ness, it will be the maddest presumption in the world, for any man to think that his sin only shall not find him out.

LIV.

The truth is, we are generally so far from being ignorant of this, that there is nothing more usual than for people, and those of the meanest capacities, to make this observation, that God, even in this world, does one time or other overtake sinners. The only mistake and misfortune we labour under is this, that while we do easily see the sins of other people in their punishment, we are not willing to believe that this will be our own case.

Now, this is a very fatal delusion, to acknowledge the justice of God, and His providence, in other men's punishments, and at the same time not to be awakened ourselves, and warned not to offend the righteous Judge of all the earth.

This, therefore, will oblige us to consider, what it is that so bewitches men to do those things which they have reason to believe they must dearly pay for one time or other.

Now, every man, who knowingly breaks the laws of God, must of necessity lie under some of these following errors or delusions:

First; that a man may avoid the punishment due to his sins, either by committing them in secret, or by his power, or wisdom, if they should happen to be known. Or, secondly; he may hope to repent, before the judgments of God shall overtake him. Or, thirdly; a man may fancy that it is not possible for him to avoid either the sin or the punishment that attends it. Or, fourthly; because some have escaped the judgments of God in this world, though their sins have been sufficiently provoking, there are many who hope that they may do so also. Lastly; there are but too many, who never think of a judgment to come, and if they can but escape in this life, they are not at all concerned for any after-reckoning.

These are, I think, the most common delusions by which men are led knowingly to sin against God, though they are plainly told, and generally find by sad experience, that their sin will find them out.

It will be necessary to bestow a few reflections upon each of these most fatal delusions.

And first; it is no new thing for people to hope to hide their sins, and by that means to escape the punishment that is due to them. "Hast thou seen" (saith God to Ezekiel) [chap. 8. 12.] "what these people do in the dark? For they say, the Lord seeth us not." And Job tells us, that the adulterer "waiteth chap. 24. for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me.'

15.

But alas! all this caution will not do. "The eyes of the [Prov. 15. Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." And both good and bad men have always found this true: "Thou didst this thing secretly," saith the Lord to David, 2 Sam. 12. "but I will punish thee before all Israel, and before the sun:" that is, that they may see thy crimes in the judgments executed upon thee.

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It will be sufficient to discover the folly of this delusion, by only repeating the words of the son of Sirach: "A man Ecclus. 23. 18, &c. that breaketh wedlock," or doeth any other wickedness, "saying thus in his heart, Who seeth me? What need I to fear? Such a man only feareth the eyes of men, and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun. This man shall be punished in the streets of the city; and where he suspecteth not, he shall be taken; that men may know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord."

After all, there is some modesty, though not much wisdom, in endeavouring to hide one's sins. But then there are people who are not concerned to be at this trouble, who are neither ashamed of their faults, nor afraid of the punishment they deserve. But what do they get by this? Why, they escape the censures of men, which are designed to reclaim them; and they fall into the hands of the living God, [Heb. 10. than which, the Scriptures say, nothing can be more dreadful. And indeed we have instances enough, and some of them of the greatest men on earth, who were made sensible of this truth, that God is able to controul those who despise all other power.

David and Nebuchadnezzar are two of those princes who felt this to their sorrow; and Joab, and his brother, were two of those subjects who were too great for the laws, and too hard for their prince's power to deal with them. But God met with them in a way worthy of their crimes.

31.]

SERM.
LIV.

[Matt. 27.

3, 4.]

17. 8.

And to instance but in one more :--Pray, who called Judas to an account for betraying the innocent blood? The government approved of what he had done, and paid him for it; and he might have lived longer to have enjoyed his reward, if his sin had not found him out, and driven him to destruction.

All considering people will learn from what has been said, what a foolish and dangerous thing it is to hope to escape by concealing their crimes, by standing in them, or by encouraging other people in their wickedness, as if no harm would follow.

I shall conclude this particular with the words of the Wise Wisd. 6. 6; Man: "Mercy may pardon the meanest," or the humble; "but mighty men," such as fear nothing, "shall be mightily tormented. For He who is Lord over all standeth in awe of no man's person;" and very often causeth, (as the same Wise Man expresseth it,) "that they who promised to drive away terrors and troubles from others, became sick themselves of fear."

But, secondly; There are many who know they do ill, but hope to repent, and be forgiven, before the judgments of God overtake them.

Those who thus delude themselves, and speak thus of repentance, know very little what repentance is, and hardly imagine what a bitter cup they are preparing for themselves, if ever they should repent, which is very uncertain.

Fear of punishment hanging over our heads may help us to counterfeit repentance, but does not always produce true repentance. Pharaoh himself, when he feared his destrucExod. 9. 27. tion to be at hand, cries out, "I have sinned; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But, after all, here was no true repentance.

It will be sufficient to shew the extreme folly of depending upon such repentance, while we continue in sin, by asking a few short questions.

Can you, do you suppose, repent when you please? Do not you take the ready way to provoke God to harden your heart, so that it will be impossible for you ever to repent? Will your repentance, are you sure, hinder the judgments of God from falling upon you? May not God, supposing you

shall repent, forgive you in the next world, and yet make you dearly pay for your presumption in this?

In short, whoever sins wilfully, in hopes that by repentance hereafter all shall be well with him, doth in effect resolve as follows: that some time or other he will be heartily sorry for what he is going to do; that he will wish he had never done it; that he will be ashamed and weep bitterly; that he will loath and abhor himself; that he will be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, for the evil that he is going to commit, &c.

But this is but one part of repentance: he must, moreover, (as the Apostle bids the faithful penitent,) "Go boldly Heb. 4. 16. to the throne of grace, that he may obtain mercy."

Now, if any man can hope, that he can with confidence hereafter go to the throne of grace, without a resolution of forsaking his sins at present, and quitting all occasions of them, he must hope without reason and without promise.

That repentance is a thing highly acceptable to God; that God of His great mercy will accept of our repentance instead of a perfect obedience; that God is long-suffering, giveth time and space for repentance, doth not hastily execute His judgments, is not willing that any should perish; these are all undoubted truths. But that He will be merciful where men are obstinate; that we should offend Him at present, in hopes of appeasing Him hereafter: God forbid that such thoughts should come into a christian's heart; God forbid that any christian should suffer such thoughts to lodge there!

But, thirdly; there is another delusion, which is not less common, or less dangerous: when people fancy that it is not possible for them to avoid either the sin, or the punishment that attends it.

This has been an old and wicked complaint against God. The son of Sirach justly reproves all that speak after this

12.

manner: Say not thou, He hath caused me to err, for He Ecclus. 15. hath no need of the sinful man." And yet wicked men are very apt to say this, and to excuse themselves; This was my lot, and I could not avoid it.

Now, thus far they are in the right; namely, God has ordained, that every sin shall have its due reward; that the wicked shall be taken in their own traps; that the drunkard

LIV.

SERM. and the glutton should come to poverty; that drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags; that riches got by vanity shall [Exod. 20. be diminished; that He will visit the sins of the fathers upon 5.] the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Him.

23; 1 Tim.

But to say, that God has ordained men to sin, when He [Ezek. 18. hath expressly declared, that He desireth not the death of a 2. 4; Rom. sinner; that He would have all men to be saved; that it is 1.28; Eph. purely because men will not retain God in their knowledge, that 4. 19.]

1 Cor. 11. 32.

God gives them over to a reprobate mind, to work all wickedness with greediness: after this, to excuse themselves, by pretending a necessity of sinning, will by no means lessen their sin or their punishment.

The next delusion we took notice of was this; that because some have escaped the judgments of God in this world, others are hereby encouraged not to fear them.

But if people would but consider, they would see, that since sin must be punished either in this life, or in the life to come, a sinner has no reason to rejoice, or to harden himself in wickedness, because God does not call him to an account here.

St. Paul reasons after another manner : "When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world," namely, to eternal punishments. So that whenever a man is sensible that he has offended God, if he would be thought a child of God, he ought to expect, and be thankful for, His fatherly chastisement.

Directly contrary to this is the way of wicked men if they are chastened, they repine; if no evil befalls them they are hardened. Unhappy men! whom neither prosperity can invite, nor adversity force, to fear God.

The last delusion is that of those who are resolved not to think of a judgment to come; and who, if they can but escape in this world, are not concerned for an after-reckoning. But will this secure us? Are we sure we shall not be accountable, because we have not thought of such an account? It is impossible to describe the folly of such a way of reasoning. Pray let us make the experiment in matters of less moment; let us try, for instance, whether by such an indifference as this is, we can keep ourselves from poverty or from death?