LESSON THIRTY-THIRD.

MATTHEW VII. 15-29.

BE-WARE of false proph-ets, which come to you in sheep's cloth-ing, but in-ward-ly they are rav-en-ing wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gath-er grapes of thorns, or figs of this-tles? even so ev-er-y good tree bring-eth forth good fruit; but a cor-rupt tree bringeth forth e-vil fruit. A good tree can-not bring forth e-vil fruit, neither can a cor-rupt tree bring forth good fruit. Ev-er-y tree which bring-eth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast in-to the fire. Where-fore, by their fruits ye shall know them. Not ev-er-y one that

saith un-to me, "Lord, Lord," shall en-ter in-to the king-dom of heaven. Ma-ny shall say un-to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not proph-e-si-ed in thy name? and in thy name have cast out dev-ils? and in thy name done ma-ny won-der-ful works?" And then will I pro-fess un-to them, "I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work in-i-quity." There-fore, who-so-ev-er heareth these say-ings of mine, and doeth them, I will li-ken him un-to a wise man, which built his house up-on a rock: and the rain de-scended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat up-on that house, and it fell not: for it was found-ed up-on a rock. And ev-er-y one that hear-eth these say-ings of mine, and do-eth them not, shall

be li-ken-ed un-to a fool-ish man, which built his house up-on the sand: and the rain de-scend-ed, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat up-on that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Je-sus had end-ed these say-ings, the peo-ple were as-ton-ish-ed at his doc-trine: for he taught them as one hav-ing au-thor-i-ty, and not as the Scribes.

QUESTIONS.

Of what does our Lord say we are to beware?

Of false prophets.

What is meant by false prophets?

Those who teach wrong doctrine, and pretend to be inspired by God.

What does our Lord mean by their coming in sheep's clothing, but being inwardly ravening wolves?

That they make great profession of religion, but do not practise what they profess.

How can we know them?

By their fruits.

What fruit does a good tree produce?
Good fruit.

What fruit is produced by a corrupt or

bad tree?

Evil fruit.

What becomes of a tree which does not bear good fruit?

It is cut down and burned.

What is here intended by good and corrupt trees, and good and bad fruit?

Good and bad men, good and evil works. What more does Christ say about mere profession?

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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.”

What does our Lord mean by this?

That our professing to be Christ's followers will not help us, unless we do that which he commands.

To whom does our Saviour liken those who obey his word ?

To a wise man who built his house on a rock.

Why?

Because, its foundation being good, the house stands firm.

To whom does he liken those that obey him not?

To a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

What was the consequence?

The floods came, and the winds blew, and the house fell.

Why?

Because it had no safe foundation.

Our Lord shows us in this part of his discourse, that our merely professing to be