Be Not Deceived

You will find my text this evening in the sixth chapter of Galatians, the seventh and eighth verses: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.”

When Mr. Sankey was singing that hymn to-night about sowing the seed, I thought of a meeting we had in Chicago three years ago this month. There was a poor man came into that meeting discouraged, disheartened. He had run away from his friends in the hope that he might come to Chicago and die in the gutter. He had given up all hope of becoming a sober man. He was the son of a good man, he was the husband of a lovely wife; he was the father of two beautiful daughters. But he had become such a slave to strong drink that he had given up all hope. That night he came into the Tabernacle because it was cold and he wanted to get into a warm place. He went up into the gallery and got behind a post, and he said, as the people came in well dressed and looking so happy, he looked down upon them and gnashed his teeth, and cursed the day that he was born. At last Mr. Sankey struck up that hymn, “Sowing the Seed.” The man said he did not take any interest in the singing until he came to the third verse, and that was the verse that reached him. And when

Mr. Sankey was singing to-night I was in hopes it would reach some one else. Let me read you the verse that God used to rouse that man.

“Sowing the seed oi a lingering pain,
Sowing the seed of a madd«ned brain,
Sowing the seed of a tarnished name,
Sowing the seed of eternal shame!
O, what shall the harrest be?”

Three years have rolled away. One of the most efficient workers to-day in Chicago is that man. I have seen him move an audience as I think I never saw an audience moved. God reached very low when he picked him up. His wife and children are with him now — a happy home. I hope God will arouse ^>sie one here to-night I hope there will be soiae one aroused to-night by the Spirit of God. And I vant to say to you Christians that if you pray and are looking right up to God for power to-night there may be some one convicted. The sermorvis not going to convict anyone. It is the Spirit of God that convicts men of sin. Man has not the power to rouse men. He can speak to the outward ear, but God h s got to speak to the ear of the soul. God has got to make these dead souls live. What we want is the Holy Ghost power here to-night.

I remember the first time I ever preached from that text was in the city of Boston. I commenced, “Be not deceived,” and I pointed down in the audience and said, “Young man,” * be not deceived! ’ “and a man had been coming there for two weeks — he had just come, he said, out of curiosity. He had lost all hope. He was a poor prodigal turned out of his own home, and a wanderer in the city of Boston. But God had just used these words, “Be not deceived,” and he waked up to the fact that he had been deceived. From his childhood all along up he had been deceived, and that young man became a Christian, and when I was at Cooper Institute two weeks ago to-night, I found him clothed and in his right mind. He had been working for Jesus Christ all these months, and now he is a very efficient worker.

My friends, let us pray to-night that the text may do its work. The sermon is of very little account after all. It is the text we want. The sermon is just to drive the nail. And now, never mind the sermon, but pray God to carry the text down into the hearts of the people. Infidels and skeptics tell us the word is not true; but who can deny that text, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reat>.” We can see that all about us. A man is doubly bn;*d that cannot see that fulfilled every day. These grry-haired men know that; they have lived long enough to see men reaping to-day what they haye sown. “Be not deceived!” It is a decree of high heaven that a man must reap what he sows. These farmers, when they sow, expect to reap. A man learns a trade. He is learning that trade because he expects to reap, by and by a harvest. A man that is toiling hard to get a profession — you take some of these lawyers that have toiled for ten or fifteen years; they expect to reap by and by a harvest. They expect it. That is what they are sowing for. You take some of these medical men; they commence practice, and they have hard work for years to get a-going; and some people say, “Why don’t you give it up?” “Why,” they say, “I expect to reap by and by.” They are looking forward to the reaping time. They are just laying the foundation — sowing the seed, but they say, “I expect to reap by and by.”

Then there is another thing. A man expects to reap the same kind of seed that he sows. “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” If a man sows wheat he does not look for watermelons. If a man

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plants potatoes he does not look for grapes; he expects to dig potatoes. If he sows wheat he looks for wheat; he does not look for oats; he does not look for anything else but wheat He expects to reap the same kind of seed that he sows.

Well, now, that is true in the natural world, and, my friends, it is true in the spiritual world. A young man says in a flippant, fluent way, that he is just sowing his wild oats; he is a young man. He forgets that it is a decree of high heaven that he has got to reap those wild oats. It is no laughing matter. It is astonishing just to see men hold their heads up with a scorning look and say, “Oh, well, we are young men now, and you know we must have our time sowing our wild oats. We must have a little of the world and see a little of its pleasures;” but they seem to forget that if they sow to the wind they must reap the whirlwind.

And you will find that this runs all through life. You let me be a deceitful man arid let me deceive others, and I will be paid back in my own coin — others will deceive me. You let me teach my children to disobey God, and they will turn around and disobey me. Many a man aas got a broken heart because he taught his children to be disloyal to God, and they have turned around and been disloyal to him. God knows that, and He tells us to train our children to honor Him so they may honor us in our old age. I have a case in my mind now where a man reaped just the same kind of seed that he sowed. He was a wealthy man. He was what the world would call a prosperous man. He had a good bar, and right near him lived a widow with an only son, and that son was enticed into that place night after night, and at last he came home drunk. When the widow waked up to the fact that her only son was becoming a drunkard she went to that rum seller and begged hixr not to sell her boy any more liquor; and he told her to mind her own business, and he would mind his; that he would sell to whom he pleased; he had a license, and he would go on selling. And he did continue selling to that boy until at last he went down to a drunkard’s grave; and that gray-haired mother is now tottering upon the brink of the grave with a broken heart. But it was not five years before that rum seller’s only son, in a drunken spree, put a revolver to his head and blew out his own brains; and that father went down to his grave with a broken heart, He had to reap just what he sowed. If I sell anothei mam’s son rum and ruin him, some one will ruin my boy. That is a decree of heaven. You cannot get around it It is madness for a man to shut his eyes to these facts. You can close up the Bible and see this constantly carried out

I remember reading in history that in the days of Louis XI., he had a cruel, wicked bishop that was persecuting some of the saints of the Most High God; and the king wanted to know how he could make their punishment more cruel and bitter. “Well,” said the bishop, w make them a cage, and have it so short and narrow they cannot lie down, and so low they cannot stand straight, and they will have to be in a bent position all the while.” The king ordered the cage made, and the very first one that went into that cage was the bishop himself. He had DfTended the king before he got the cage finished; and for fourteen long years the king kept him in that cage.. He had to reap what he sowed.

Another thing: When a man sows he expects to reap more than he sows. You sow a handful of grain, and you will reap a busheL Some men think that it is pretty hard to have to reap more than they sow. But, then, you ought to think of that when you are sowing, That is a law of nature. You must reap more thaa you sow. Why, many a man has brought ruin upon himself and his whole family by one act — for just one night’s pleasure; and he has blasted his reputation, his character and the hopes of his friends — all gone. Sometimes a man has to reap when he sows; it comes quick; judgment follows right on after the act, as in the case of Judas, and of Cain. Sometimes, as I said last night, sentence is delayed, but it is surely coming. There is one thing a man can always count on, and that is that his sin will overtake him.

The Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” A man may laugh at that and say, “I will cover up my tracks so they cannot find me out. I will bury the deed so deep that it shall never have a resurrection.” Young man, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” You may sow it in darkness, and you may say that no eye has seen you; but God has seen you. His eyes go to and fro through the earth. He knows what the sons of men are doing, and you cannot deceive him. I will venture to say there is not a man or woman in this audience to-night but has been deceived. You know what it is to be deceived. You have been deceived by some of your neighbors. You have been deceived and u taken in,” as you call it, by some stranger that has come along. You know what it is to be deceived. There is not a man or woman in this audience but what has been deceived. You have been deceived by some bosom friend — by some brother or first cousin, perhaps. But more than that, you have been deceived by your own heart. I will venture to say we have been deceived more by our own treacherous hearts than anything else.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Therefore, if a man is guided by his own dark mind and dark heart, he will be led astray. What we want is not to be deceived by our own heart God does not deceive us, and He does not want us to attempt to deceive him. “Be not deceived. God is not mocked.” When man sing it is known. God knows it. It is blindness and folly for him to think it will never come to light. It may be twenty years afterwards, but sin will overtake him as it did Jacob. Look at those sons of Jacob, when Joseph was taken and thrown into prison. “We do remember our fault this day, how our loved brother Joseph pleaded.” Twenty long years had rolled away and their sin had overtaken them in a strange land. Be sure that your sin, young man, will find you out. It may be this very day you took out of your employer’still twenty-five cents. Perhaps last week you took fifty cents and went to the theater with it. But you say, “I will put it back some time.” That is the way these defaulters begin. That is the way men that become forgers begin. Men don’t go to a precipice and jump down. They come down step by step. It is these little things — twenty-five cents or a dollar. You say, “I can replace that any time; that don’t amount to anything.” Ah, my friends, “Be not deceived.” A man that steals twenty-five cents is just as much a thief as one that steals $5,000. He has made his conscience guilty. He is not the man he was before he took it He is laying a bad foundation, and if he attempts to build on that foundation the structure will fall.

When we were in New York City a man came up from the boat to the Hippodrome. He was out of money, had no friends, and was a perfect stranger. He was a fine looking young man, and I said to him, “How is this? How is it you come over here, a perfect stranger; without money and without friends?” The poor fellow took me off to one side and told me the story. He said he had held a high position in England, but one night hcwaB out gambling with his employer’s money; he was the confidential man and carried the money that belonged to his employers; these men that were gambling with him got him drunk, and he gambled away all his employer’s money, and the only thing for him to do was to go to prison or escape — flee to this country, I talked with him and found he had left a beautiful wife and a beautiful family of children, I said, “How is it, do they know where you are?” “No,” says he, “they don’t” I said, “was not that pretty hard?” The poor man wrung his hands and says, “I am broken-hearted; not only my own character gone, but brought ruin upon my wife and children.” Ah, just one night’s pleasure, one night in that gambling den, and he was stripped of all. There was a stain and he could not wipe it out God in mercy may forgive him, but at the same time a man has got to reap what he sows. I can imagine I hear some one say, “I would like to hear you explain that — if Jesus Christ forgives, how is it a-man has got to reap what he sows?”

You know the Bible tells us the penalty of sin is death — the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Now Christ will meet that penalty because He will save my soul; but, at the same time, if God forgives me, I have to reap what I sow; for instance, I send a man out to sow wheat and he gets mad at me and sows thistles. When the reaping time comes I ask him, “Do you know anything about these thistles? “and he says,” Mr. Moody, I got mad at you that day when you sent me out to sow wheat and I sowed thistles; I am very sorry, will you forgive me?” I will forgive you, but I tell you when you reap that wheat you will have to reap thistles too. God may forgive a man, but at the same time he has got to reap what he sows. One act may make me reap all the rest of my days with sorrow, with shame. God may forgive me, yet I have to reap. I think I can make that still plainer. When we were preaching in the Tabernacle in Chicago one night, a young man came into the inquiry room, a fine looking young man. The minister tried to talk to him, but he did not seem to open up. The minister said to me, “I wish you would come and see this young man.” I went down and sat down by his side. The poor fellow trembled. He was greatly agitated. I could not talk with him as much as I would like to, so I said, “I wish you would come to-morrow at I o’clock at the close of the noon meeting.” At i o’clock that young man was there. He was from Ohio, not far from Cleveland. He went on and told me his history. He told me he was a telegraph operator. The boys in the express office where they officed and himself used to meet nights and play cards. One night they suggested diey would break into the express office out of fun. He said at last they broke into the express office. He was arrested, tried and acquitted. When they found him innocent they took him right up in their arms and carried him out in the street and just cheered and cheered. He said it went like a hot iron into his soul. He said he was guilty, and for seven months he had not known what peace was. Now, says he, “I would like to know if I can become a Christian without giving myself up to the law and confessing my guilt.” I said, “I never like to advise a man to do what I would not do myself, and I don’t know what I would do if I was in that situation. But it is always safe to ask God. Let us get down and pray about this matter.” We got down and I prayed, and the minister that was with us prayed, and then we asked this young man to pray. He said, “No, sir.” Said I, “Why not?” “I know what that means; if I pray I have to give myself up to the law.” Said I, “My friead, it 13 always safe to do what God wants you to do.

31 6 B£ KOT DECHIVKT>.

You had better ask Him for guidance.” At last the young man opened his lips in prayer. After prayer he said, “Well, gentlemen, I thank you for the interest you have taken in me. My duty is very plain. I will submit to the law. I am going down to Ohio to give myself up.” He took the train that afternoon. When he got about fifty miles out of the city he sent me back a dispatch that he had set his face to do right, and God revealed Himself to him and the Lord blessed him on the train. And he came down home. I wish I had the letter he wrote me. I think I never wept so much over a letter as I did over that. He had a Christian mother clown here, not far from Cleveland, and father, and there were eight brothers and sisters. When he got home they were all glad to see him. They had not seen him for seven months. He said that evening, after they had ail got in the house and quiet, he just told them how God had met him, and how he was then coming home to confess his guilt. His father aijd mother and family thought him innocent up to that night; but he said: “I stole that money, and I am a perjured man; I am on my way now to give myself up to the law.” He says to his father: “I know I have brought disgrace upon you. I have done wrong. I want you to forgive me.” The old man says, “Yes, I will forgive you.” He says to his mother: “Can you forgive me, can you forgive your boy?” The mother says: “Yes, I will forgive you, my son,” and the brothers and sisters all said they would forgive him. Then he got down and prayed — the first prayer he had made, except the one he had made there in Chicago. The next morning he left that home of weeping and gave himself up to the law* He was tried at Akron and sent to the penitentiary. His mother was taken down some time after with typhoid fever and the boy could not go to see the mother. Tell me that h« MA not have to reap what he sowed. Tell mo that the reaping was not fearful! That godly, praying mothet dying in his own State and he could not go and see her Though God in His infinite mercy had forgiven him yet the boy had to reap what he sowed, He had sowed the wind and he was reaping the whirlwind. Don’t make light of sin. Sin is a fearful thing. It makes life so dark. At last the father was taken down with typhoid fever and it was thought he was dying, and some Cleveland men went to the Governor of the State and the first pardon your present Governor granted was for that young man. When he got out he telegraphed me that he had got his release and went home to nurse his father, and, as he supposed, to see him die. But the father recovered. Then a brother was taken down. He watched over that brother and the brother died. At last this young man was taken down and when he was given up to die, he asked that the Christians of that town should come to his bedside to pray with him; and he lifted up his voice in prayer, and in a little while he passed away and he is in the world of light to-night. The poor boy has had to reap. Do you think he ever forgave himself? God forgave him, but he did forgive himself. It is a fearful thing to sow wild oats. You may laugh at it now, but the reaping time is coming by and by, and there will be no laughing when the reaping time comes. Cain would like to have changed places with Abel when the reaping time came. Do you think Ahab would not like to take Elijah’s place? If a man goes on sowing he has got to reap. If he don’t reap here he has got to reap hereafter, because it is a decree of high heaven, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that he shall also reap.”

O, friends, I beg of you to-night be wise and turn from sin; hate it with a perfect hatred; ask God this night to forgive you and help you to do right, because he wants you to do right