RELIGION IS NOT A SOURCE OF EVIL TO THOSE WHO EM- BRACE IT.
Jer. xxv. 5, 6. Turn ye again now every one from his evil way,
and from the evil of your doings And I will do you
no hurt.
SIN is the greatest of all evils; because it is the source from which all evils flow. Nor can the mise- ries which it has introduced be ever remedied, but by a thorough turning unto God. This, Jeremiah tells
us, was the remedy prescribed by all the prophets a: and certainly it is the only one that can ever prove effectual.
The passage, from whence the text is taken, con- tains, in addition to the words which we have cited, a dehortation or dissuasion from idolatry ; together with an intimation that a continuance in that sin would accelerate their ruin, and insure their exclusion from the promised land : they would persist in it " to their hurth." On the contrary, if they would return to God, he would forbear to inflict upon them his threatened judgments, and " do them no hurt"
But we omit that which related to the temporal state of the Jews, in order that we may fix your at- tention more immediately upon that part of the sub- ject which is applicable to all persons in all ages of the world.
The text consists of, I. An exhortation —
As idolatry was at that time the national sin of the Jews, so every one has some evil way to which he is more particularly addicted. We cannot pretend to trace all the shades of difference that are found in different men : we will rather arrange the whole under three great and comprehensive classes ; to one or other of which, all, except true Christians, belong. We therefore say, Turn,
1. From profaneness —
[That this is a common sin amongst us, needs no proof: we cannot open our eyes or our ears, but we must be speedily
convinced of it
Let then as many of you as have entertained licentious principles, or indulged in vicious practices, " turn from the evil of your doings," yea, turn from it speedily, and with utter abhorrence.]
2. From worldliness —
[While the young and gay are rushing into vice, and pouring contempt upon every thing that is serious, a great part of mankind are immersed in worldly cares, and are as re- gardless of religion as their more dissipated brethren
3 ver. 4. with the text. b ver. 7.