Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/85

Rh a further discovery of him. This man is for any company, and for any talk; as he talketh now with you, so will he talk when he is on the ale-bench; and the more drink he hath in his crown, the more of these things he hath in his mouth. Religion hath no place in his heart, or house, or conversation all he hath is in his tongue, and his religion is to make a noise therewith.

Faith. Say you so? Then am I in this man greatly deceived.

Chr. Deceived! you may be sure of it. Remember the proverb, "They say, and do not:" but the kingdom of God is not in Word, but in power. (Matt. xxiii. 3. 1 Cor. iv. 20.) He talketh of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of them. I have been in his family, and have observed him both at home and abroad; and I know what I say of him is the truth. His house is as empty of religion as the white of an egg is of savour. There is there neither prayer, nor sign of repentance for sin; yea, the brute, in his kind, serves God far better than he. He is the very stain, reproach, and shame of religion to all that know him (Rom. ii. 23, 24); it can hardly have a goodword in all that end of the town where he dwells; through him. Thus say the common people that know him, "A saint abroad, and a devil at home." His poor family finds it so; he is such a churl, such a railer and so unreasonable with his servants, that they neither knew how to do for or speak to him. Men that have dealings with him say, It is better to deal with a Turk than with him, for fairer dealings they shall have at their hands. This Talkative (if it be possible) will go beyond them; defraud, beguile, and overreach them. Besides, he brings up his sons to follow his steps; and if he ﬁnds in any of them a foolish timorousness (for so he calls the first appearance of a tender conscience), he calls them fools and blockheads, and by no means will employ them in much, or speak to their commendation