Chapter 7:15-23 A Tree and Its Fruit

7: 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Beware of false prophets - teachers of erroneous doctrines, who come professing a commission from God, but whose aim is not to bring the heavenly treasure to the people, but rather to rob them of their earthly good. 

In sheep's clothing - With outside religion and fair professions of love: 

Wolves - Not feeding, but destroying souls.

7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
The illustration of this comparison, of the fruit's being the discovery of the tree. You cannot always distinguish them by their bark and leaves, nor by the spreading of their boughs, but by their fruits ye shall know them. 

The fruit is according to the tree. Men may, in their professions, put a force upon their nature, and contradict their inward principles, but the stream and bent of their practices will agree with them. Christ insists upon this, the agreeableness between the fruit and the tree, which is such as that, if you know what the tree is, you may know what fruit to expect. Never look to gather grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles; it is not in their nature to produce such fruits.

7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

So every good tree - As the thorn can only produce thorns, not grapes; and the thistle, not figs, but prickles; so an unregenerate heart will produce fruits of degeneracy. 

A man cannot be a saint and a sinner at the same time. 

Let us remember, that as the good tree means a good heart, and the good fruit, a holy life.

7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit - A man that is unprincipled with the grace of God, has an experimental acquaintance with the Gospel of Christ, and is guided by the Spirit of God into all truth, as it is in Jesus, cannot knowingly deliver, maintain, and abide by any doctrine that is contrary to the glory of God's grace, and the person of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the fundamental doctrines of the Bible; or what is repugnant to the experiences of God's people, and prejudicial to their souls.
Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit - A corrupt preacher, one destitute of the truth of the Gospel, reprobate concerning the faith, who never had any experience of the doctrines of grace, and denies them in the theory of them, cannot, consistent with himself, and his own principles, deliver, or preach good doctrine; or that which tends to produce any good fruit, either in the experience or lives of men.

7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

How dreadful then is the condition of that teacher who hath brought no sinners to God!

7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

This is the conclusion of the whole, and a repetition of what is before said, the more to fix the rule of judgment upon their minds, and engage them to try men by their doctrines, and their doctrines by the standard of the Scriptures, and not believe every spirit; for with some care and diligence such persons may be detected, and the malignant influence of their ministry be prevented.

7:21 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.

It is an answer to that question, Psalm 15:1. Who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? - the church militant; and who shall dwell in thy holy hill? - the church triumphant.

7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?

We have prophesied - We have declared the mysteries of Thy kingdom, wrote books; preached excellent sermons: In Thy name done many wonderful works - So that even the working of miracles is no proof that a man has saving faith.

7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.

Then will I profess unto them - Publicly before men and angels, at the day of judgment.
I never knew you - which must be understood consistent with the omniscience of Christ; for as the omniscient God He knew their persons and their works, and that they were workers of iniquity; He knew what they had been doing all their days under the guise of religion; He knew the principles of all their actions, and the views they had in all they did; nothing is hid from Him.
Depart from Me - What a terrible word! What a dreadful separation!

Chapter 7:13-14 The Narrow and Wide Gates

7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

There are but two ways, right and wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven, and the way to hell; in the one of which we are all of us walking: no middle place hereafter, no middle way now: the distinction of the children of men into saints and sinners, godly and ungodly, will swallow up all to eternity.
That which allures multitudes into it, and keeps them in it; the gate is wide, and the way broad, and there are many travelers in that way.
First, You will have abundance of liberty in that way;.... You may go in at this gate with all your lusts about you; it gives no check to your appetites, to your passions: you may walk in the way of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; that gives room enough.
It is a broad way, for there is nothing to hedge in those that walk in it, but they wander endlessly; a broad way, for there are many paths in it; there is choice of sinful ways, contrary to each other, but all paths in this broad way.
Secondly, You will have abundance of company in that way: many there be that go in at this gate, and walk in this way.

7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Here is an account given us of the way of holiness.
First, That the gate is strait. This is a strait gate, hard to find, and hard to get through; like a passage between two rocks. There must be a new heart, and a new spirit, and old things must pass away.
Secondly, That the way is narrow. We are not in heaven as soon as we have got through the strait gate, nor in Canaan as soon as we have got through the Red Sea; no, we must go through a wilderness, must travel a narrow way, hedged in by the divine law, which is exceedingly broad, and that makes the way narrow; self must be denied.
Thirdly, The gate being so strait and the way so narrow, it is not strange that there are but few that find it, and choose it. Many pass it by, through carelessness; they will not be at the pains to find it; they are well as they are, and see no need to change their way. Others look upon it, but shun it; they like not to be so limited and restrained. Those that are going to heaven are but few, compared to those that are going to hell; a remnant, a little flock, like the grape-gleanings of the vintage; as the eight that were saved in the ark.