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I. AS TO PRESENT ENJOYMENT. "What fruit had ye then?"

1. The "fruit" of particular principles is the conduct which they produce — the fruit of a particular course of conduct the consequences to which it leads. He appeals to themselves whether their new service was not even now happier, more honourable and more useful; whether its present fruit was not richer in its relish and more excellent in its nature. "What fruit!" — "Wild grapes," "dusters that were bitter"; "grapes of gall." Such were the fruits, if we understand the question as meaning what kind of fruit had ye?

2. But it may strongly convey, as such questions often do, their having had no fruit; in which case "fruit" signifies benefit. It is not a fair and just description of the service of sin to denominate it "the unfruitful works of darkness"? It is true, there are pleasures in sin. These are the allurements to its service. Yet, still, the question may be emphatically put — What fruit have they? Is there any real solid satisfaction worthy of a rational, immortal, accountable being?

(1) What fruit in prosperity — from the ungodly use of Divine bounties? It is true that the more thoroughly a man can divest himself of all the restraints of religious principle — the more insensible his conscience becomes — the more complete will be his enjoyment in the service of sin. But is it not fearful for a reasonable creature to call that a relish to prosperity which is the deepest curse with which humanity can load itself — the curse of moral insensibility? — How different, how much purer, richer, and worthier is the relish imparted to prosperity by the service of God! He enjoys this world best, who receives it from God, uses it for God, and enjoys God with it.

(2) And in adversity, what fruit of his service has the slave of sin when prosperity is withdrawn? Has his master any comfort for him then? any stay to his sinking heart, any balm for his wounded spirit? Alas! if, having served sin, he looks to sin for comfort! While prosperity continued, the poor slave was taxed to the uttermost for the pampering of the "lusts of the flesh," and when these have got all, the tyrant has nothing for his infatuated and abject drudge but the smile of bitter scorn, or the stingings of angry reproach. How different in adversity the condition of the servant of God! The Master whom he serves is "the God of all comfort." He has a sweeter smile for His faithful servants in their distresses than in their prosperity. He "sheds His love abroad in their hearts." He gives them "everlasting consolation and good hope." And in Himself they still retain "the portion of their inheritance and cup." When He covers their sky with clouds, He "paints a rainbow on the storm"; and the darker the cloud, the brighter are the tints of the symbol of reconciliation and peace. And has not "the fruit of affliction been to take away sin," the highest and richest of all profit? "Ye have your fruit unto holiness," which is fruit unto happiness.

II. AS TO SUBSEQUENT REFLECTION. Of service of sin all who ever come to see it aright are ashamed (Ezekiel 36:31, 32; Ezekiel 16:62, 63), a feeling which can never have place as to the service of God — except indeed the shame of having so imperfectly fulfilled its duties. They are ashamed of —

1. Their folly. There is no infatuation like that which prefers the service of sin to the service of God! It is the preference of degradation to honour; of the most miserable of slaveries to the most blessed of liberties; of earth to heaven; of time to eternity; of Satan to God!

2. Their ingratitude. When they think of God as the Source of every joy, and who "has not spared His own Son," and feel aright their obligations to Him, they look back with bitter self-reproach on the vileness of that ingratitude which their previous course involved. They blush for the baseness of having lived in rebellion against rich and unmerited kindness; and especially of having slighted His mercy.

III. IN THEIR ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCES. "Death" is the end of one: "life" of the other. The one closes in eternal confirmation in sin, alienation from God, a sense of His wrath, and consequent misery; the other in eternal confirmation in perfected holiness, spotless likeness to God, communion with Him, the enjoyment of His love, unmarred and uninterrupted by sin, and consequent happiness; happiness without alloy, without abatement, and without cessation. But while such are the ends, respectively, of the two services, there is one marked difference between them. The one is wages — a merited reward; the other a gift — a gratuitous bestowment (ver. 23).

(R. Wardlaw, D. D.)

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KJV: What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

WEB: What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.