; for as the body without the soul is but a dead
carcass, so saying, if it be alone, is but a dead carcass also.
The soul of religion is the practical part: "Pure religion
and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world." [James 1:27; see vv. 22-26] This
Talkative is not aware of; he thinks that hearing and saying will
make a good Christian, and thus he deceiveth his own soul. Hearing
is but as the sowing of the seed; talking is not sufficient to
prove that fruit is indeed in the heart and life; and let us assure
ourselves, that at the day of doom men shall be judged according
to their fruits. [Matt. 13, 25] It will not be said then, Did you
believe? but, Were you doers, or talkers only? and accordingly
shall they be judged. The end of the world is compared to our
harvest; and you know men at harvest regard nothing but fruit.
Not that anything can be accepted that is not of faith, but I speak
this to show you how insignificant the profession of Talkative will
be at that day.

{196} FAITH. This brings to my mind that of Moses, by which he
describeth the beast that is clean. [Lev. 11:3-7; Deut. 14:6-8]
He is such a one that parteth the hoof and cheweth the cud; not
that parteth the hoof only, or that cheweth the cud only. The
hare cheweth the cud, but yet is unclean, because he parteth not
the hoof. And this truly resembleth Talkative; he cheweth the cud,
he seeketh knowledge, he cheweth upon the word; but he divideth
not the hoof, he parteth not with the way of sinners; but, as the
hare, he retaineth the foot of a dog or bear, and therefore he is
unclean.

CHR. You have spoken, for aught I know, the true gospel sense
of those texts. And I will add another thing: Paul calleth some
men, yea, and those great talkers, too, sounding brass and tinkling
cymbals; that is, as he expounds them in another place, things
without life, giving sound. [1 Cor. 13:1-3; 14:7] Things without
life, that is, without the true faith and grace of the gospel;
and consequently, things that shall never be placed in the kingdom
of heaven among those that are the children of life; though their
sound, by their talk, be as if it were the tongue or voice of an
angel.

FAITH. Well, I was not so fond of his company at first, but I am
as sick of it now. What shall we do to be rid of him?

CHR. Take my advice, and do as I bid you, an