Now these
can bring forth nothing but wild olive-berries; they cannot bring
forth fruit unto God. Such are all those that have lightly taken up
a profession, and crept into the vineyard without a new birth and
the blessing of regeneration.
The porch [Footnote: This passage is from "The House of the Forest
of Lebanon," which Bunyan regarded as a type of the church in her
persecuted state.] is but the entrance of the house, whither many go
that yet step not into the house, but make their retreat from
thence; but it is because they are non-residents: they only come to
see; or else, if they pretended more, it was not from the heart.
"They went out from us," said John, "but they were not of us; for if
they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but
they went out that it might be made manifest that they were not all
of us."
And forasmuch as this porch was fifty cubits long, men may take many
a step straightforward therein, and be but in the porch yet; even as
we have seen men go as one would think till they are out of view, in
the porch of this church in the wilderness; but presently you have
them without the door again.
True, this porch was made of pillars; and so to every one, at first
entrance, it seemed the power of the place.
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