A man may be used as a servant in the church of God, and may receive
many gifts and much knowledge of the things of heaven, and yet at
last, himself be no more than a very bubble and nothing.
This our day doth indeed abound with gifts; many sparkling wits are
seen in every corner; men have the word and truths of Christ at
their fingers' ends. But alas, with many, yea a great many, there is
naught but wits and gifts: they are but words; all their religion
lieth in their tongues and heads; the power of what they say and
know is seen in others, not in themselves. These are like the lord
on whom the king of Israel leaned; they shall see the plenty, the
blessed plenty that God doth provide and will bestow upon his
church, but they shall not taste thereof.
Alas, great light, great parts, great works, and great confidence of
heaven, may be where there is no faith of God's elect, no love of
the Spirit, no repentance unto salvation, no sanctification of the
Spirit, and so, consequently, no saving grace.
THE FALSE MINISTER.
So Christian and Hopeful went on, and Ignorance followed. They went
then till they came to a place where they saw a way put itself into
their way, and seemed withal to lie as straight as the way which
they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for
both seemed straight before them; therefore, here they stood still
to consider.
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