Ignor. But is it not a good heart that hath good thoughts and is not that a good life that is according to God's commandments?
Chr. Yes, that is a good heart that hath good thoughts, and that is a good life that is according to God's commandments; but it is one thing indeed to have these, and another thing only to think so.
Ignor. Pray, what count you good thoughts, and a life according to God's commandments?
Chr. There are good thoughts of divers kinds—some respecting ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some other things.
Chr. What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?
Chr. Such as agree with the word of God.
Ignor. When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the word of God?
'Chr. When we pass the same judgment upon ourselves which the word passes. To explain myself: the word of God saith of persons in a natural condition, "There is none righteous, there is none that doeth good." It saith also, that "every imagination of the heart of man is only evil, and that continually." (Gen. vi. And again, "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." Now, then, when we think thus of ourselves, having sense thereof, then are our thoughts good ones, because according to the word of God.
Ignor. I will never believe that my heart is thus had.
Chr. Therefore thou never hadst one good thought concerning thyself in thy life.—But let me go on. As the word passeth a judgment upon our hearts, so it passeth a judgment upon our ways; and when the thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with the judgment which the word giveth of both, then both are good, because agreeing thereto.
Ignor. Make out your meaning.
Chr. Why, the word of God saith that man's ways are
