Law."

"For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in

this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

CXXX.

THE STRAIT GATE. FALSE PROPHETS

:

St. Matthew vii. 13-20.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Our Lord nowhere represents religion as an easy thing. He had been speaking of earnestness in prayer, which implies exertion; of acting contrary to our natural bent, which implies difficulty. Here He bids us choose the narrow gate of entrance, which lets us into a restricted way, but leads to life and all that life implies, rather than the wide gate which admits us indeed into a broad path, but leads to destruction. The one is easy at the first and all the way, as the other is difficult from first to last. This requires to be searched for and found, that needs no search. Many enter at that, few find this. It is the old choice between duty and pleasure,

1 Compressed. See Abp. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, v. Second Series.

2 There is no contradiction here to

Prov. xiii. 15. It is easy as regards entrance and continuance, har 1 only in its results. Acts ix. 5.

2

between God and Mammon, between up-hill and down-hill, between life and death. But-our Lord adds this caution -be not misled by self-appointed guides, who may beset you in an unknown country, by false teachers however ascetic they may seem. They will not really lead you into it. These are pretenders, not physicians of the soul. They are, after all, false prophets, though they come to you in the garb of the true, though "they wear a rough garment to deceive." They have nothing of the sheep about them but the skin. Indeed so far from having anything indicated by the sheep, they are nothing short of ravening wolves. Like beasts of prey they come, not for companionship, but for what they can get, even though it be the loss of life of those to whom they come. This is their nature, what they are within, whatever may be their appearance or profession. Then, varying the figure, He gives us a repeated note whereby we may detect them. It is as in trees. The tree is known by its fruit, the man by his works. Grapes are not found on thorns, or figs on thistles. The true Teacher, like the good tree, brings forth the fruit of good works, "the fruit of the Spirit" the false prophet, as a depraved, degenerate, decaying tree, brings forth evil fruit, "the works of the flesh."7 Each, so long as its nature is unchanged, will do no otherwise. It is according to the nature of each. Our Lord,

8

1 See the Choice of Hercules in the 2nd Book of the Memorabilia, ch. i 21-33, and the lines from Hesiod quoted in 20. It is referred to by Cicero, De Off. i. 32. See Deut. xi. 26-28; xxx. 15-19.

2 St. Matt. iii. 4. The Hebrew word for Elijah's mantle in 2 Ki. iii. 8, is rendered by the LXX. by a word which stands for a sheep-skin.

3 Zech. xiii. 4.

So. later on, our Lord forewarns them, St. Matt. xxiv. 24, 25. And again in His allegory in St. John x. So too St. Paul in Acts xx. 29, 30. 52 Cor. xi. 13-15.

"O what may man within him hide, Though Angel on the outward side!" -Measure for Measure, III. ii.

6

Gal. v. 19-23. The Apostle (compare v. 14 of that chap. with v. 12 above) would seem to be having this passage in his mind. Compare also St. James iii. 12.

8 Abp. Trench (Expos. of Sermon on the Mount, p. 311) remarks that a Pelagian "theory of human nature is at the bottom of all our modern schemes of education, which proceed on the plan of cultivating the old stock, rather than engrafting on a new."

9 Compare again Gal. v. 17. Bp. Sanderson (Ser. ix. Ad Aulam) under

employing the very language His Forerunner had used before Him,' adds a solemn sentence as to the doom not merely of the corrupt, but of every barren and unprofitable tree. As these are fit only for fuel, so is it, so shall it be, with those who, as a dry tree, have no fruit of good works to show. They are good for nothing, fitted for destruction."

CXXXI.

SAYING AND DOING.

St. Matthew vii. 21.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The difference between the good tree and the corrupt, and the necessity of bringing forth the fruit of good works, is further set forth by this contrast between the sayers and the doers. "The Kingdom of Heaven," which sometimes means no more than the Church militant here on earth, is put in this place for the same Church hereafter triumphant in Heaven. Into that perfect and select society none but the doer shall be admitted at the last. Observe the contrast between the many sayers and the single doer. Every one can say, and almost every one does say, Lord, Lord; that is, makes some sort of religious profession; but there are times

stands it not of the fruits of their lives so much as of their doctrines. "When we are to try the doctrines, we should duly examine them, whether they be according unto godliness, yes or no.... Shows of sanctity and purity, pretensions of reformation and religion, is the wool that the wolf wrappeth about him when he meaneth to do most mischief with least suspicion." Having in

view the puritanical preachers of his time, he adds: "It can be no heavenly doctrine that . . . tendeth to make men unjust in their dealings, uncharitable in their censures, undutiful to their superiors, or any other way superstitious, licentious, or profane." See Rom. xvi. 17, 18.

1 St. Matt. iii. 10. See also St. John xv. 2, 6. 2 v. 13.

of trial when it seems as if it were a case between one and many, an Athanasius against the world. "Lord, Lord: " you see it is doubled; denoting the apparent earnestness, the actual frequency, of a disobedient profession. "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord," He asks again," and do not the things. which I say?" "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth." And so, to stir us up to active charity, earnest acts, not empty expressions, that we be not content with good words and careless of good works, the solemn saying is put among the Sentences of the Offertory; that we may be like that widow woman spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles, of whom it has been recorded by the Holy Ghost, "Now this woman was full of good works, and almsdeeds which she did." "Tabitha was no great talker."" Religious talk is ever a most inadequate test of a religious life. Good works, as we have seen above, are spoken of as "fruit," while mere words may be likened to the leaves of a tree, which often disappoint; as that fig tree to which the Lord came, seeking fruit, and finding leaves only. Men may call themselves His followers, but unless they do really take up their cross and follow Him, let them not look for admission into the promised joys of Heaven. Their life must be conformable to the doctrine, their practice correspond to their profession; they must, in a word, bring forth the fruits of faith, the fruits of good living, if they would enter into the life of the world to come. Too many act as though the contrary would be the case. Judging from their conduct, one would think it must be enough to say, Lord, Lord. For they seem regardless of God's will, intent on nothing but their own. And though they say those words the Lord taught us, "Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven," they contradict it daily, hourly, in their wilful, self-willed lives. "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him." Christians live like heathens, and without their excuse. But we cannot plead that we did not know that God forbade these sins, that He commanded those duties.

St. Luke vi. 46.

See also St. Matt. xv. 7-9.

2 Henry.

CXXXII.

THE SAME SUBJECT-continued.

St. Matthew vii. 22, 23.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profes unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The doom of the false professor, and notably of the false prophet or teacher, is further brought out. And now to the end of His Divine Sermon the Lord dwells upon this awe-ful truth, that it is not the bare teaching or profession of Christ's religion that shall carry any man to heaven, but only the practice of it. It is still not words, but works; doing, not saying; a holy life, not mere pious talk; good deeds, not the repetition of religious phrases which have become hollow, and (whatever once they were) have now lost their heart and become vague or unmeaning; in a word, "the fruit of good living," those tempers which our Lord enjoins in the Beatitudes with which this Sermon on the Mount begins, and which He thus enforces in the warnings with which it concludes. This is laid down over and over again in these closing sentences of our Lord's Sermon. Not the mere calling Him Lord, or claiming Him as our Master, will suffice unless we can show by our lives that we are indeed His servants, the doers of the Father's will. Into what select society even on earth would any man be admitted unless he could show his title? Not every one is allowed to enter even into earthly courts, but those only who can prove their claim. No one, to take a homely instance, is allowed. to enjoy the benefits of any Provident Club or Friendly Society till he can show that he is beyond all doubt a member, and so entitled to the same. There are some foreign countries beyond the seas in whose ports no one is allowed to set foot unless he can produce his passport, as it