10. I cannot conclude, without addressing a few plain words, to those of whom we have now been speaking. O ye false prophets, O ye dry bones, hear ye for once the word of the Lord. How long will ye lie in the name of God? Saying God hath spoken: and God hath not spoken by you. How long will ye pervert the right ways of the Lord, putting darkness for light, and light for darkness? How long will ye teach the way of death, and call it the way of life? How long will ye deliver to Satan the souls, whom ye profess to bring unto God? 11. *_Wo unto you, ye blind leaders of the blind! For ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men. Ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in._ Them that would strive to enter in at the strait gate, ye call back into the broad way. Them that have scarce gone one step in the ways of God, you devilishly caution against _going too far_. Them that just begin to hunger and thirst after righteousness, you warn, not to be _righteous overmuch_. Thus you cause them to stumble at the very threshold; yea, to fall and rise no more. O wherefore do ye this? What profit is there in their blood, when they go down to the pit? Miserable profit to _you_. They _shall perish in their iniquity: but their blood will_ God _require at_ your _hands_! 12. Where are your eyes? Where is your understanding? Have ye deceived others, till you have deceived yourselves also? Who hath required this at your hands, to _teach_ a way which ye never _knew_? Are you _given up to_ so _strong a delusion_, that ye not only teach but _believe a lie_? And can you possibly believe, that God hath sent you? That ye are _his_ messengers? Nay; if the Lord had sent you, the _work of the Lord_ would _prosper in your hand_. As the Lord liveth, if ye were messengers of God, he would _confirm the word of his messengers_. But the work of the Lord doth not prosper in your hand: you bring no sinners to repentance. The Lord doth not confirm your word: for you save no souls from death. 13. How can you possibly evade the force of our Lord’s words? So full, so strong, so express? How can ye evade _knowing_ yourselves _by your fruits_? Evil fruits of evil trees! And how should it be otherwise! _Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?_ Take this to yourselves, ye to whom it belongs. *O ye barren trees, why cumber ye the ground? _Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit._ See ye not, that here is no exception? Take knowledge then, ye are not good trees: for ye do not bring forth good fruit. _But a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit._ And so have ye done from the beginning. Your speaking as from God has only confirmed them that heard you, in the tempers, if not works, of the devil. O take warning of him in whose name ye speak, before the sentence he hath pronounced take place. _Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire._