I saw then
in my dream, that Hopeful looked back, and saw Ignorance, whom they had
left behind, coming after. Look, said he to Christian, how far yonder youngster
loitereth behind.
Christian: Aye, aye, I see him: he careth not for our
company.
Hopeful: But I trow it would not have hurt him, had he kept
pace with us hitherto.
Christian: That is true; but I warrant you he thinketh
otherwise.
Hopeful: That I think he doth; but, however, let us tarry
for him. (So they did.)
Then Christian said to him, Come away, man; why do you stay
so behind?
Ignorance: I take my pleasure in walking alone, even more a
great deal than in company, unless I like it the better.
Then said Christian to Hopeful, (but softly,) Did I not tell
you he cared not for our company? But, however, said he, come up, and let us
talk away the time in this solitary place. Then, directing his speech to
Ignorance, he said, Come, how do you do? How stands it between God and your
soul now?
Ignorance: I hope, well; for I am always full of good
motions, that come into my mind to comfort me as I walk.
Christian: What good motions? Pray tell us.
Ignorance: Why, I think of God and heaven.
Christian: So do the devils and damned souls.
Ignorance: But I think of them, and desire them.
Christian: So do many that are never like to come there.
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing.”
Ignorance: But I think of them, and leave all for them.
Christian: That I doubt: for to leave all is a very hard
matter; yea, a harder matter than many are aware of. But why, or by what, art
thou persuaded that thou hast left all for God and heaven?
Ignorance: My heart tells me so.
Christian: The wise man says, “He that trusteth in his own
heart is a fool.”
Ignorance: That is spoken of an evil heart; but mine is a
good one.
Christian: But how dost thou prove that?
Ignorance: It comforts me in hopes of heaven.
Christian: That may be through its deceitfulness; for a
man’s heart may minister comfort to him in the hopes of that thing for which he
has yet no ground to hope.
Ignorance: But my heart and life agree together; and
therefore my hope is well-grounded.
Christian: Who told thee that thy heart and life agree
together?
Ignorance: My heart tells me so.
Christian: “Ask my fellow if I be a thief.” Thy heart tells
thee so! Except the word of God beareth witness in this matter, other testimony
is of no value.
Ignorance: 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?
Christian: 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.
Ignorance: Pray, what count you good thoughts, and a life
according to God’s commandments?
Christian: There are good thoughts of divers kinds; some
respecting ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some other things.
Ignorance: What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?
Christian: Such as agree with the word of God.
Ignorance: When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the
word of God?
Christian: 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.” 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.
Ignorance: I will never believe that my heart is thus bad.
Christian: 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 are both good, because agreeing thereto.
Ignorance: Make out your meaning.
Christian: Why, the word of God saith, that man’s ways are
crooked ways, not good but perverse; it saith, they are naturally out of the
good way, that they have not known it. Now, when a man thus thinketh of
his ways, I say, when he doth sensibly, and with heart-humiliation, thus think,
then hath he good thoughts of his own ways, because his thoughts now agree with
the judgment of the word of God.
