Ah, how sadly would even these men look, and with what terror would
they walk up and down the world, if they did but know the lying and
blaspheming that proceedeth out of their mouth, even in their most
pretended sanctity!
THE PRAYERLESS.
I tell thee who never prayest, the ravens shall rise up in judgment
against thee; for they will, according to their kind, make signs and
a noise for something to refresh them when they want it; but thou
hast not the heart to ask for heaven, though thou must eternally
perish in hell if thou hast it not.
XX. FALSE PROFESSION.
As there are trees and herbs that are wholly right and noble, fit
indeed for the vineyard, so there are also their semblance, but
wild; not right, but ignoble. There is the grape, and the wild
grape; the vine, and the wild vine; the rose, and the canker-rose;
flowers, and wild flowers; the apple, and the wild apple, which we
call the crab. Now, fruit from these wild things, however they may
please the children to play with, yet the prudent and grave count
them of little or no value. There are also in the world a generation
of professors that, notwithstanding their profession, are wild by
nature; yea, such as were never cut out or off from the wild
olive-tree, nor ever yet planted into the good olive-tree.
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