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and not among the many, if we would attain eternal life.

247 Q. Why does our Lord speak of finding" the strait gate," but only of going in at "the wide one."

A. Because the former must be diligently sought before it can be found; whereas men

naturally direct their steps to the latter without the trouble of seeking it.

248 Q. Who are the false prophets of whom Jesus warns his disciples to beware?

A. Those corrupt teachers who direct their hearers to a broad way, or to any other than that which Christ has here marked out as the way to eternal life.

249 Q. Why are they said to "come in sheep's clothing?"

Because they make a fair profession of attachment to Christ as their shepherd, and of brotherly love to his people.

250 Q. But to what does Jesus compare them? A. To" ravening wolves?"

251 Q. Wherein do they resemble wolves?

A. Because, as they preach in order to feed themselves, and not the church; so, the tendency of their doctrine is to scatter the flock of Christ, and to beguile and destroy souls.

252 Q.

How are these false teachers to be known? A. "By their fruits;" i. e. by their own spirit and conduct, as well as by the effect which their doctrine produces on their disciples. 253 Q. And may true prophets be known by the same test?

A. Yes:-Our Lord compares them to "good trees, which bring forth good fruit, and cannot bring forth that which is evil."

254 Q. Is it possible for those who preach corrupt doctrine, thereby to convert sinners from "darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God?"

A. No:-It is as impossible for them so to produce such fruits of their ministry, as for men to gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles."

255 Q.

A.

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What must become of those false teachers, who, instead of saving souls from death, deceive the hearts of the simple?

Like corrupt trees, which are "cut down and cast into the fire," they will be cut off from among the living, and condemned to "lie down with everlasting burnings."

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257 Q. Will every professor of Christ's religion be admitted into the kingdom of heaven?

A.

258 Q.

A.

259 Q.

No:-For Jesus hath said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Who then will be saved?

Those only who do the will of God.
Is it not to be feared that multitudes who

expect to be saved because they have been baptized, and have called Christ their Lord, will be terribly disappointed in the day of judgment? A. Yes:-They certainly will. For Jesus tells us, that " many will say to him in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works;" but he will say to them, "I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

260 Q. What is here meant by prophesying in the name of Christ?

A. Preaching the Gospel; or explaining the
Scriptures, so as to speak unto men to edifi-

cation.

261 Q. And is there, then, any danger of a man's being a cast-away, even after he has preached the Gospel to others and edified the church?

A. Yes:-St. Paul declares this would have been his case, "unless he had kept his body under, and brought it into subjection;" that is, unless, by watchfulness, prayer, and selfdenial, he had been careful to "crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts.”

262 Q. And is it possible for a man to "cast out devils, and to do many wonderful works" in

the name of Jesus, and yet perish everlastingly?

A. Yes:-Judas was among the Apostles to whom Jesus gave power against unclean spi

rits, to cast them out; yet he admitted the devil into his own heart, and died in his sins. 263 Q. Does St. Paul speak decidedly, likewise, on this subject?

A. Yes:-He says that a man may

264 Q.

"have

faith so as to be able to remove mountains, and yet be nothing" in the sight of God, be-cause he is destitute of Love.

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But in what sense will Jesus Christ say to the false teachers and professors of his reli-gion, "I never knew you?"

A. The expression means, "I never approved
of
you; I never knew you in the same sense
in which I know and approve of them who
are my sincere and upright people."

265 Q.

Does David use the same term according to the same signification?

A. Yes:- -In Psalm 1- -verse 6-he says, "The Lord knoweth (that is, he approveth) the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

266 Q. Whither must the wicked go, when Jesus shall say unto them, " Depart from me?" A. They must go away" into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels."

267 Q. To whom doth Jesus compare the person "who heareth his sayings and doeth them?" A. To" a wise man, who built his house upon a rock."

268 Q. What advantage had this "wise man who built his house upon a rock?"

A.

"When the rains descended, and the floods

came, and the winds blew, and beat upon his house, it fell not.”

269 Q. And what advantage have they who obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

A. They shall not be hurt by all the temptations and troubles which they may meet with in this world, and they have, moreover, a good foundation against the time to come, so that they shall not be ashamed before Christ at his coming.

270 Q. But to whom doth Jesus compare the person "who heareth his sayings but doeth them not?"

A. To "

a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand."

271 Q. What became of this foolish man's house, when "the rains descended, and the floods

A.

came, and the winds blew, and beat upon it?"

"It fell, and great was the fall of it." 272 Q. What may we learn from this?

A. That they, who have nothing more than the profession of religion, will fall away in the time of temptation, and that in the day of judgment all their hopes will terminate in shame and disappointment.

273 Q. What effect should these concluding words of our Lord's Sermon have upon our minds?

A. They should lead us seriously to examine
whether we are deceiving ourselves by mere-
ly calling Christ "Lord, Lord," and "hear-
ing his sayings;" or whether we are
"mak-

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