arthly; things moral, or things evangelical; things sacred, or
things profane; things past, or things to come; things foreign, or
things at home; things more essential, or things circumstantial;
provided that all be done to our profit.
{189} FAITH. Now did Faithful begin to wonder; and stepping to
Christian, (for he walked all this while by himself), he said to
him, (but softly), What a brave companion have we got! Surely this
man will make a very excellent pilgrim.
CHR. At this Christian modestly smiled, and said, This man, with
whom you are so taken, will beguile, with that tongue of his, twenty
of them that know him not.
FAITH. Do you know him, then?
{190} CHR. Know him! Yes, better than he knows himself.
FAITH. Pray, what is he?
CHR. His name is Talkative; he dwelleth in our town. I wonder that
you should be a stranger to him, only I consider that our town is
large.
FAITH. Whose son is he? And whereabout does he dwell?
CHR. He is the son of one Say-well; he dwelt in Prating Row; and is
known of all that are acquainted with him, by the name of Talkative
in Prating Row; and notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is but a
sorry fellow.
{191} FAITH. Well, he seems to be a very pretty man.
CHR. That is, to them who have not thorough acquaintance with him;
for he is best abroad; near home, he is ugly enough. Your saying
that he is a pretty man, brings to my mind what I have observed in
the work of the painter, whose pictures show best at a distance,
but, very near, more unpleasing.
{192} FAITH. But I am ready to think you do but jest, because you
smiled.
CHR. God forbid that I should jest (although I smiled) in this
matter, or that I should accuse any falsely! I will give you
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 lieth in his tongue,
and his religion is, to make a noise therewith.
{193} 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." [Matt. 23:3] But the kingdom of God is not in
word, but in Power. [1 Cor 4:20] He talketh of prayer, of repentance,
of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of
them. I
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