would agree with him at once; but if he pointed to a tree where
horse-chestnuts were growing, and called it a vine, you would laugh at
him; you know the difference between a sweet juicy grape, and a hard,
bitter, uneatable horse-chestnut. Yet you would not say that the grapes
made the vine, would you? No, they did not make it a vine, but they
proved it to be one. If a boy were to tie bunches of grapes to a
horse-chestnut tree, and tell you it was a vine, you would say no, it is
not a real vine--the fruit did not grow upon it.

In this way, I may say that I knew Jack to be a true child of God:
because the fruit of good works grew upon him. It was not in look only,
but really and indeed, that he was the character I have described; and
if you read carefully, very carefully, the fifteenth chapter of St.
John's Gospel, you will see what I mean. In that beautiful chapter, our
Lord Jesus Christ compares himself to a vine, his people to the
branches, and the good works that they do to the grapes; and he shows us
that if we do not really belong to him, and keep close to him, (which we
can only do by believing and praying,) then we are like the branches cut
off from the vine, which cannot possibly bring forth any grapes. You may
think little of this now; but you must think of it, whether you will or
no, when you come to die. Perhaps you say to yourself, "Ay, but when I
come to die, I will pray, and make my peace with God." Do not deceive
yourself with such a vain hope: there is a very terrible warning given
in the first chapter of Proverbs, which you must not forget. The Lord is
addressing such as mean to put off repenting and praying, and serving
him, to another time, when sickness or some other calamity shall
frighten them into calling on him for pardon and help. These are the
words: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my
hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and
would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will