Note, 1. Sinners put a most fatal cheat upon themselves: The wicked works a deceitful work, builds himself a house upon the sand, which will deceive him when the storm comes, promises himself that by his sin which he will never gain; nay, it is cutting his throat when it smiles upon him. Sin deceived me, and by it slew me. 2. Saints lay up the best securities for themselves: He that sows righteousness, that is good, and makes it his business to do good, with an eye to a future recompence, he shall have a sure reward; it is made as sure to him as eternal truth can make it. If the seedness fail not, the harvest shall not, Gal 6:8.

The wicked worketh a deceitful work,.... Such a wicked man as before described; that neither enjoys the good things of life he has, nor suffers others to enjoy them; and all to accumulate riches, which are deceitful and perishing; and who abstains from meats, which God has created for use, under a pretence of religion, and so deceives his own soul; and indeed every sin which a wicked man commits is a deceitful work; it promises him that pleasure, or profit, or liberty, which it does not give him, and in the issue is the ruin of him; and so all false doctrines, propagated by deceitful workers, are deceitful works, by which they deceive the simple, and at last themselves; they "obtain a deceitful reward of their work", as Gussetius (w) renders it;

but to him that soweth righteousness; does acts of beneficence and liberality; see Co2 9:9; and all other good works, or works of righteousness,

shall be a sure reward; according to what a man sows, and the manner in which he sows, so shall he reap, Co2 9:6; or, "a reward of truth"; instead of being given up to believe a lie, he shall receive the love of the truth, and abide in it, which will bring him to eternal glory and happiness; he being chosen to it through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, Th2 2:10; and, instead of a deceitful reward, shall have a true, real, solid, and substantial one.

(w) Ebr. Comment. p. 692.

a deceitful work--or, "wages," which fail to satisfy, or flee away (Pro 10:2; Pro 23:5).

sure reward--or, "gain," as from trading (Hos 10:12; Gal 6:8-9).