Second part of Sermon LV. for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity.
For as many as are led by the SPIRIT of GOD, they are the sons
of GOD.—ROM. viii. 14.(for the first part, on the Epistle.)
The Gospel for to-day is taken from our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount;
and it so far falls in with the subject of the Epistle, that the Sermon
on the Mount consists entirely of the duties and privileges which arise
from this new relation, into which, as Christians, we are brought unto
God as sons; it all refers throughout to this spirit of adoption, and this
new law, the law of love, which supersedes while it fulfils the old law.
Hence through this Sermon on the Mount our Lord speaks of God as our Father.
The prayer which He therein gives us is to “our Father Which” is “in Heaven.”
Ye are to do all things “to glorify your Father in Heaven;” “your Father
in Heaven seeth in secret; “your reward is with your Father in Heaven;”
“your Father in Heaven” feedeth the birds, and careth for you; ye must
“be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” And hence
all Christians throughout the same are spoken of as brethren.
But the particular advice taken from the Sermon on the Mount, given
in to-day’s Gospel, is the warning against false prophets. Our Lord
has often cautioned us on this subject; of “blind guides” that lead to
destruction; of “false prophets and false Christs” full of deceivableness,
which will form the chief danger of the latter days. And the Apostles
have carried on the same note of warning, speaking of Antichrists and seducers
that had already appeared in their own day; of heresies, which must needs
be for the probation of the elect; and of these greatly increasing as time
advances to the end, many “deceiving and being deceived.” And the
Book of the Revelation not only describes the seven Churches in those days
as severely tried by the counterpart of Balaam, and of Jezebel, and the
synagogue of Satan; but intimates, that from thence to the end of the world,
false religions, and delusive forms of corruption, will extend and be multiplied
till they are developed in one great apostasy or falling away from Christ.
If, again, from these prophetic intimations of Scripture we turn to
see what fulfilment of them is now taking place in the world around us,
the first point that arrests our attention is the great and numerous divisions
among those who are called Christians, and have the Bible in their hands.
The Christian world is full of parties and sects, one may say of different
religions; yet it is clear that one religion only can be true,—God is the
Author of union, not of division. Truth is one, error is manifold. One
faith only hath Christ once for all delivered unto the saints. But there
are many in the world. And now, though every one supposes himself to be
right, and his own form of religion the best, yet it is evident from this
very diversity that there must be many erroneous opinions,—ways by which
men are deluded, and delude themselves, respecting the way of salvation.
The warnings, therefore, which the Gospel for this day conveys, cannot
but be most seasonable for us, and the more so the less we are aware of
the necessity of them.
Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves. The word “beware” implies a subtle
danger which requires watchfulness, as does also the false semblance of
"sheep's clothing.” The false prophets of old wore “the rough garment to
deceive,” [Zech. xiii. 4.] but these put on the very likeness of Christ
Himself, Who, “as a sheep before his shearers was dumb;” or they
have “two horns, like a lamb with the dragon’s speech,” [Rev. xiii. 11.]
“seducing spirits,” it is said; it is the “strong delusion that believes
a lie,” and with “all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.”
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. Now here there are some difficulties occur to one in the application
of this rule. Is it intended that persons are to leave their own pastor,
who is set over them by the Church, because he leads not a good life? This
cannot be the intention; for in our Lord’s own time these “blind leaders
of the blind,” full of hypocrisy, were the Scribes and Pharisees; yet He
says of them, “the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat; all, therefore,
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do.” In like manner,
your appointed minister may be a bad man, even as Balaam or as Judas Iscariot;
yet that does not make it the less true that he may have received his appointment
and commission from Christ, which would be a matter of fact. The most godly
life cannot of course ever give a man a commission from Christ who has
it not; nor can a wicked life take away that authority, or destroy the
power of it, unless it be taken away by those who gave it and had the power
to do so. Our Lord’s warning, therefore, does not apply to this, but to
doctrine and teaching. Thus of these very persons who were to be obeyed
as being in Moses’ seat He says, “Beware of the leaven,” i. e. of
the hypocrisy, and false doctrine, “of the Scribes and Pharisees.”
Again; in some sense we ought not, and indeed cannot judge men, nor
pretend to say what they are in God’s sight; i. e. we must not judge
them censoriously or enviously; and, moreover, there is great difficulty
in judging correctly of men. Good men are hated by the world, and evil
spoken of, as was the case with our Lord Himself; whereas bad men may be
like whited sepulchres, beautiful without, but within full of uncleanness;
or in sheep's clothing pretending to all Christian holiness, but wolves
within. Besides which, good men labour to hide their good works from the
world,—how, therefore, are we to know men from their fruits?
The fact is, that notwithstanding all such objections, there will ever
shine forth from a sincere, good man, a clear and consistent light which
cannot be hid. If any one takes diligent care of his own heart, this cannot
butt be seen in his words and actions, for from the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh. His life is of itself an unmistakeable living language:
deeds are the very tongue of the heart. All this is what our Lord here
adds in this passage, “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”
which we may thus further venture to apply,— shall we look for the sweet
fruits of charity from the mere briers and thistles of party spirit and
controversy?
If, on the contrary, we know that any man denies himself daily,—that
he is meek and gentle under trying provocation,—that he is indifferent
to the things of the world, and sacrifices his worldly interest without
scruple to preserve his Christian principle,—then with him we may expect
to find the truth; but more particularly if he denies himself in that which
would naturally be his ruling passion or desire, for this we know cannot
be done without the especial grace of God.
They who live a life of active self-denial, charity, and purity, will
be ever brought to the knowledge of God,— to them He will reveal His mysteries;
for they cannot live such a life without the good Spirit of God; and the
Spirit of God, being truth and light, will enlighten their minds and lead
them unto all truth. And thus it is, as our Lord says, that they who do
the will of God shall know of the doctrine,--shall know whether He that
speaks be of God. Since, therefore, God imparts the knowledge of truth
to those that obey Him, our Lord teaches us to look to the lives of men,
to know whether it be the good Spirit of God that leads them, or their
own private spirit, actuated by prejudice, pride, or self-interest, and
swayed by the passing gales of the world.
Every tree, our Lord here adds on this subject, every tree
that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. The evil tree with its
evil fruit shall soon come to naught,—or rather, with its lack of good
fruit, as with an allusion to the parable of the unprofitable fig-tree.
The end of the tares is that they shall be burned; and of “the idol shepherd”
in Zechariah, who hath made the flock his prey, the judgment is that he
shall lose all power of good, and all spiritual wisdom: “his arm shall
be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” [Zech.
xi. 17.] Wait awhile, and whatever is not of God will come to naught.
“Let them alone,” said our Lord, with reference to false doctrine; “every
plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up;" and
of the blind Pharisees leading the blind, that “both shall fall into the
ditch.” And we may observe of heretical doctrines, that they prevail for
a time and then come to an end. "I went by, and lo, he was gone:" “I sought
him, but his place could nowhere be found.”
And then, as if in allusion to the hypocrisy of these false guides,
putting on the appearance of religion, and the danger of such false pretensions
to holiness, building on the sand, and not on the hidden rock of obedience,
our Lord makes that memorable, all-comprehensive declaration, 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 same
may be otherwise stated in the words of the Epistle, “As many as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” For these false prophets
which will lead astray are connected with disobedience, lawlessness, and
self-deceiving flatteries; in some way “strengthening the hands of the
wicked by promising him life;" "with their mouth showing much love,” while
“their heart goeth after their covetousness.”
In other words, St. John says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but
try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit
that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.” The
confession of Christ is therefore the test of truth, but that confession
must reach the heart and life. To this, then, we must further add this
our Lord’s last caution: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord
. . . but he that doeth the will of My Father.”
It is then, in short, this, that the Spirit of God, the free spirit
of adoption, and confession of “Christ come in the flesh,” is to us the
way of salvation; but further, that we may not be deceived, we are warned
that it must be the Spirit of God influencing our lives, and filling them
with filial love, that is to bear witness with our spirit; and that this
confession of Christ is to be accompanied with obedience, in order that
it may be genuine. It is this faith held in filial obedience which is to
keep us in the path of safety. It is by loving filial obedience that we
hold as it were the hand of God in the dark night of this world, being
assured, that as long as we do so He will guide us in the truth. It is
from losing His protection that men fall into the wiles of seducers; God
will “send on them a strong delusion,” because they have “pleasure in unrighteousness
:“ it was a “lying spirit” from God filled the mouths of the false prophets
which flattered Ahab to his destruction. [1 Kings xxii. 22.] It is
to Him, therefore, that we look; to Him “Whose never-failing providence
ordereth all things in Heaven and earth,” we pray in the Collect for this
week, that He will “put away from us all hurtful things, and give us those
things which be profitable for us.”
To apply the whole subject more closely to ourselves, in these days
when various religions abound, each claiming to itself the only true worship
of God ;—the first thing needed is more entire obedience to the plain duties
of the Gospel. It is very much as it was in the falling away of Judah,
when God says to them by His Prophet, “Amend your ways and your doings”…“trust
ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the
Lord, The temple of the Lord are these.” [Jer. vii. 3,4.] And in
our Lord’s own time the Jews would compass sea and land to make one proselyte,
although it were only to make him a child of hell. We cannot, therefore,
be too much on our guard against mere profession in religion, and party
spirit, that great enemy to love and truth; and instead of these, to cultivate
in ourselves active charities, humility, and obedience, and to seek for
them in others. This is laying the foundation, and will lead us to know
what is of God from counterfeits and delusive forms of false doctrine.
It was in speaking of the broad way which many travel, and of the narrow
way that leadeth unto life, which few find, that our Lord added this emphatic
advice, "Beware of false prophets,"—"by their fruits ye shall know them;"
as if it were implied, You will have many to prophesy smooth things, and
to flatter you, when large companies are going the way that leadeth to
destruction, but take ye heed and be on your guard; there is a way of safety
by which ye may escape from flattering prophecies which say, "Peace, peace,
when there is no peace;" it is by looking for such consistent fruits of
holiness as show the heart to be right with God. The Christian law is a
law written on the heart by the Spirit of Truth. “An highway shall be there.
. . it shall be called the way of holiness.. . the wayfaring men, though
fools, shall not err therein.” [Isa. xxxv. 8.] Cleverness is not
what we need, nor scholarship, but the simplicity of a wayfaring man,—of
one that travels right onward in the way of Christ.
It is "to the meek" and obedient that "mysteries are revealed.” [Ecclus.
iii. 19.] A good man, under God’s teaching, naturally looks to good
men; and where he sees great obedience and reverence, he values the words
and sayings of such a man; his foot “wears the steps of his door.” [Ecclus.
vi. 36.] It was thus that good men came to Christ Himself; they looked
to His works, and so came to know Him. And Christ frequently invited
them to look to them, saying, “The works that I do in My Father’s Name
they testify of Me.” “If I do not the works of My Father believe
Me not.” They were constrained to confess that such holiness and goodness
could only come from God. And when they were thus brought to Him by witnessing
His works, they believed His words also; they said, “Thou hast the words
of eternal life ;“ and then they came to see in Him the Son of God, God
over all blessed for evermore.
And now this is the strength of a good man, by which he is made wiser
and better,—that he is able to discern and distinguish false prophets from
true, which the world cannot. “The spiritual man judgeth all things, but
he himself is judged of none.” And when he comes to read of good men of
old who spent their lives in voluntary poverty and devotion, in frequent
watchings and fastings, then he feels that the words of such men cannot
but be of great weight and authority; and when he finds that they all from
the beginning speak with one and the same voice respecting the great doctrines
of our faith, and that sacred discipline with our Church would require,
then he feels among them as in a tower of strength. The spirit of their
holy lives stifi lives in their works, and the more any good man knows
of them, the more will he find his heart knit to them. Such fruits could
not be borne by a corrupt tree, and such cannot in the main be false prophets.
This, by the great mercy of God, is one of the chief protections of
good Christians in dark and evil days,— that there are holy men in the
Church from the beginning down to the present times. He knows from their
lives that they could not all have materially failed of the truth; and
he knows that in many points they all, as by the same spirit, condemn those
free opinions which now prevail in religion and politics, and agree with
one consent in maintaining those essential doctrines of the faith which
have been handed down to us. There is a ray about the path of the just;
and where they all speak the same thing, then they form together one consistent
light to guide those that sit in darkness, and with the dark fore-castings
of the coming night overtaking them.
To expect, indeed, truth to reside in the Church at large when it hath
become corrupt in practice, were to do dishonour to the holiness of God.
But in the early morning of the Church, before it had lost its first love,
when it was said, “Behold how these Christians love one another,” we may
expect God of a truth to be among them; and while we hold the things which
they then held in humility and holiness of life, we cannot be far from
the way of life. As the shadows of evening fall on our path, we cannot
be altogether in darkness, while we still see the beams of the sun are
bright on the eastern hills where first He arose.
