,56 The NEW and. COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED gifts uuto your phildren, how much more ./hall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that afk him? . But, that they might not depend on the divine af- fiflance without the diligent exertion of their utmoíi endeavours, our Lord imme- diately adds, Enter ye in at the ftraight gate : for'oide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to derullion, and many there be which go in thereat; becaufe fraight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth to life, and few there be thatfind it. The illuflrious Preacher, before he con- cluded his difcourfe, proceeded to warn his hearers of falfe prophets and teachers, who would come with fair pretences; but as their lives and converfation were not anfwerable to theirprofeffion, nor honour- able to the caufe they efpoufed, they were to be defpifed and difregarded: Ye (hall know them by their fruits, faid the divine Teacher ; do mengather grapes of thorns, or figs of tholes? Evenfo everygood tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evilfruit. It is not the pretences to extraordinary piety and good- nefs ; it is not the molt flaming zeal, or the molt ardent devotion, that will com- penfate for a difregard to the divine tom-' mands, or a departure from the unvariablé rules ofrighteoufnefs and goodnefs. It is not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, faid the exalted Saviour ofmankind, flzall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will ofnzy'Father which is in hea- ven. And then he fums up the whole, with abeautiful andítriking fimile, intended to demonflrate the abfolute neceffity of fuch a regard to the words of CHRIST as influenced the mind and determined the condua in an univerfal and pending obè- dience: Therefore, faid he, zohofoever hear- eth thefe fayings ofmine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wife man, which built his houfe upon a rock ; and the rain de- fcended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat' upon that houf, and it fell not : for it was founded upon a reek. And every one that heareth theft fayings ofmine, and doeth them not, fhall be likened unto a foolifli man, which built his houfee upon the fand; and the rain defcended, aid the floodscame, and the winds blew, and beat upon that houfe, and it fell, and great was thefall of it. Thus ended our Lord's excellent and admirable fermon. Themul- titudes flood around him with the utmoft attention and furprife. The plain tokens . of divinity which attended his difcourfe, joined with his all-commanding eloquence, attraIed every eye, and affeaed every heart: but what furprifed them the more was, the difference of his do&rine from what they before had heard ; for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. eM-it-M1 `4,1n4) C H A PT) R
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