(45) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."

(70) Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."

(2) Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth. Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole, steal no more; but rather let him labour, working that which is good" (and to work is to labour in seeking the truth; for it is accompanied with rational well-doing), "that ye may have to give to him that has need," both of worldly wealth and of divine wisdom. For he wishes both that the word be taught, and that the money be put into the bank, accurately tested, to accumulate interest. Whence he adds, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth," - that is "corrupt communication" which proceeds out of conceit, - "but that which is good for the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers." And the word of the good God must needs be good. And how is it possible that he who saves shall not be good?

(120) Even a good man sees evil days, as long as his good deed has not ripened; but when his good deed has ripened, then does the good man see happy days.

(118) If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it: happiness is the outcome of good.

(25) Therefore, ye Fathers and Mothers, be honest and live in the Fear of God, that the Treader upon the Serpent may also be in your Fruit. For Christ says, A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit, and an evil Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit. And although this indeed is meant of the Mind that is i brought up; which has its own Understanding [or Meaning] thus, that no false Mind brings forth good Fruit, nor no good Mind evil Fruit; yet it is effectually necessary for the Children, [that the Parents be honest and virtuous,] because the Child is generated from the Essences of the Parents.

(116) If a man would hasten towards the good, he should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.

(2) Although he also shall be punished as for a voluntary action, if one transfer the affection to the truth. For, in reality, he that cannot contain the generative word is to be punished; for this is an irrational passion of the soul approaching garrulity. "The faithful man chooses to conceal things in his spirit." Things, then, that depend on choice are subjects for judgment. "For the Lord searcheth the hearts and reins." "And he that looketh so as to lust" is judged. Wherefore it is said, "Thou shalt not lust." And "this people honoureth Me with their lips," it is said, "but their heart is far from Me." For God has respect to the very thought, since Lot's wife, who had merely voluntarily turned towards worldly wickedness, He left a senseless mass, rendering her a pillar of salt, and fixed her so that she advanced no further, not as a stupid and useless image, but to season and salt him who has the power of spiritual perception.

(22) As also all Words (both the evil and the good) which were here spoken by a human Tongue, they continue standing in the Shadow and figured Similitude, and the good reach Paradise in the Holy Ghost; and the false [evil] and wicked Ones reach the Abyss of Hell. And therefore it is that Christ said, Man must give an Account of every idle [or unprofitable] Word; and when the Harvest comes, then all shall be separated. For the Scripture saith also, That every one's Works shall follow them, and all shall be tried by the Fire of Nature; and all false [or evil] Works, Words, and Deeds, shall remain in the Fire of Nature (which shall be the Hell;) at which, when the Devils hear it, they tremble and quake.

(394) Know who God is, and know who is the one who thinks in you; a good man is the good work of God.

(5) And those cares He indicated in the parable of the fourfold seed, when He said that "the seed of the word which fell unto the thorns" and hedges was choked by them, and could not bring forth fruit. It is therefore necessary to learn how to make use of every occurrence, so as by a good life, according to knowledge, to be trained for the state of eternal life. For it said, "I saw the wicked exalted and towering as the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed," says the Scripture, "and, lo, he was not; and I sought him, and his place was not found. Keep innocence, and look on uprightness: for there is a remnant to the man of peace." Such will he be who believes unfeignedly with his whole heart, and is tranquil in his whole soul. "For the different people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from the Lord." "They bless with their mouth, but they curse in their heart." "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant."

(82) Here, O man, consider thyself well, and mind what manner of seed thou sowest into the earth, the very same will spring up, and bear blossoms and fruit for ever, either in the love or in the wrath.

(41) Yet I do not say this, as if every man were holy as he cometh from his mother's womb, but as the tree is, so is its fruit. Yet if a mother bears or bringeth forth a child of the devil, the fault is not God's, but the parents' wickedness.

(25) For every quality bears its own fruit: as in the corrupted murderous den or dark valley and dungeon of the earth there spring up all manner of earthly trees, plants, flowers and fruits.