II. 1. But do they come now, in their own shape? By no means. If it were so, they could not destroy. You would take the alarm, and flee for your life. Therefore they put on a quite contrary appearance: (which was the second thing to be considered.) They come to you in sheeps cloathing, altho’ inwardly they are ravening wolves.
2. They come to you in sheeps cloathing; that is, with an appearance of harmlessness. They come in the most mild, inoffensive manner, without any mark or token of enmity. Who can imagine, that these quiet creatures, would do any hurt to any one? Perhaps they may not be so zealous and active in doing good, as one would wish they were. However, you see no reason to suspect, that they have even the desire to do any harm. But this is not all:
3. They come, secondly, with an appearance of usefulness. Indeed to this, to do good they are particularly called. They are set apart for this very thing. They are particularly commissioned, to watch over your soul and to train you up to eternal life. ’Tis their whole business, to go about doing good, and healing those that are oppressed of the devil. And you have been always accustomed to look upon them in this light, as messengers of God, sent to bring you a blessing.
4. They come, thirdly, with an appearance of religion. All they do, is for conscience sake! They assure you, it is out of mere zeal for God, that they are making God a liar. It is out of pure concern for religion, that they would destroy it, root and branch. All they speak, is only from a love of truth, and a fear lest it should suffer. And, it may be, from a regard for the church, and a desire to defend her from all her enemies.
5. Above all, they come with an appearance of love. They take all these pains, only for your good. They should not trouble themselves about you, but that they have a kindness for you. They will make large professions of their good-will, of their concern for the danger you are in, and of their earnest desire, to preserve you from error, from being intangled in new and mischievous doctrines. They should be very sorry to see one who means so well, hurried into any extreme, perplext with strange and unintelligible notions, or deluded into enthusiasm. Therefore it is, that they advise you, to keep still, in the plain middle way: and to beware of being righteous overmuch, lest you should destroy yourself.
III. 1. But how may we know, what they really are, notwithstanding their fair appearance? This was the third thing into which it was proposed to inquire.
Our blessed Lord saw how needful it was for all men to know false prophets, however disguised. He saw likewise, how unable most men were, to deduce a truth thro’ a long train of consequences. He therefore gives us a short and plain rule, easy to be understood by men of the meanest capacities, and easy to be applied upon all occasions. Ye shall know them by their fruits.
2. Upon all occasions you may easily apply this rule. In order to know whether any who speak in the name of God, are false or true prophets, it is easy to observe, first, What are the fruits of their doctrine, as to themselves? What effect has it had upon their lives? Are they holy and unblamable in all things? What effect has it had upon their hearts? Does it appear by the general tenor of their conversation that their tempers are holy, heavenly, divine? That the mind is in them which was in Christ Jesus? That they are meek, lowly, patient lovers of God and man, and zealous of good works?
3. You may easily observe, secondly, What are the fruits of their doctrine, as to those that hear them? In many, at least, tho’ not in all: for the apostles themselves did not convert all that heard them. Have these the mind that was in Christ? And do they walk as he also walked? And was it by hearing these men, that they began so to do? Were they inwardly and outwardly wicked, till they heard them? If so, it is a manifest proof, that those are true prophets, teachers sent of God. But if it is not so, if they do not effectually teach either themselves or others to love and serve God; it is a manifest proof, that they are false prophets; that God hath not sent them.
4. An hard saying this! How few can bear it? This our Lord was sensible of, and therefore condescends to prove it at large, by several clear and convincing arguments. Do men, says he, gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? ver. 16. Do you expect that these evil men should bring forth good fruit? As well might you expect that thorns should bring forth grapes, or that figs should grow upon thistles! Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit: but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. ver. 17. Every true prophet, every teacher whom I have sent, bringeth forth the good fruit of holiness. But a false prophet, a teacher whom I have not sent, brings forth only sin and wickedness. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. A true prophet, a teacher sent from God, does not bring forth good fruit, sometimes only, but always; not accidentally, but by a kind of necessity. In like manner, a false prophet, one whom God hath not sent, does not bring forth evil fruit, accidentally or sometimes only, but always and of necessity. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. ver. 19. Such infallibly will be the lot of those prophets, who bring not forth good fruit, who do not save souls from sin, who do not bring sinners to repentance. Wherefore let this stand as an eternal rule, By their fruits ye shall know them. ver. 20. They who in fact bring the proud, passionate, unmerciful lovers of the world, to be lowly, gentle lovers of God and man: they are true prophets, they are sent from God, who therefore confirms their word. On the other hand, they whose hearers, if unrighteous before, remain unrighteous still, or at least, void of any righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees: they are false prophets; they are not sent of God; therefore their word falls to the ground. And without a miracle of grace they and their hearers together, will fall into the bottomless pit.