Young Ignorance comes up again.

Their Talk.

Ignorance's
Hope and the
Ground of it.

I faw in my Dream, that Hopeful looked back and faw Ignorance, whom they had left behind, coming after: Look, faid he to Chriftian, how far yonder Youngster loitereth behind?

Chr. Ay, ay, I fee him; he careth not for our Company.

Hope. But I trow it would not have hurt him, had he kept Pace with us hitherto.

Chr. That is true, but I will warrant you he thinketh otherwife.

Hope. That I think he doth; but however, let us tarry for him. So they did.]

Then Chriftian faid to him, Come away, Man, why do you ftay fo behind?

Ignor. I take my Pleafure in walking alone, even more a great deal than in Company, unless I like it better.

Then faid Chriftian to Hopeful, (but foftly) Did I not tell you he cared not for our Company? But however, faid he, come up, and let us talk away the Time in this folitary Place. Then directing his Speech to Ignorance, he faid, Come, how do you? How ftands it between GoD and your Soul now?

Ignor. I hope well, for I am always full of good Motions, that come into my Mind, to comfort me as I walk.

Chr. What good Motions? Pray tell us.
Ignor. Why, I think of God and Hea

ven.

Chr. So do the Devils and damned Souls.

Ignor. But I think of them, and defire them.

Ckr.

Chr. So do many that are never like to

come there. The Soul of the Sluggard Prov. 28. 29. defires, and hath nothing.

Ignor. But I think of them, and leave

all for them.

Chr. 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 perfuaded that thou hait left all for GOD and Heaven.

Ignor. My Heart tells me fo.

Chr. The wife Man fays, He that trufts bis own Heart, is a Fool.

Ignor. This is fpoken of an evil Heart, but mine is a good One.

Chr. But how doft thou prove that ? Ignor. It comforts me in Hopes of Heaven.

Chr. That may be through it's Deceitfulness; for a Mans' Heart may minister Comfort to him in the Hopes of that Thing for which he has yet no Ground to hope.

Ignor. But my Heart and Life agree together, and therefore my Hope is well grounded.

Chr. Who told thee that thy Heart and Life agree together.

Ignor. My Heart tells me fo.

Chr. Afk my Fellow, if I be a Thief? Thy Heart tells thee fo! Except the Word of GOD beareth Witnefs in this Matter, other Teftimony is of no Value.

Ignor. But is it not a good Heart that has good Thoughts? And is not that a good Life, that is according to God's Commandments?

Chr.

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 fo.

Ignor. Pray, what count you good Thoughts, and a Life according to God's Commandments ?

Chr. There are good Thoughts of divers Kinds; fome refpecting ourselves, fome GOD, fome CHRIST, and fome other Things.

What are good Ignor. What be good Thoughts respecting ourselves?

Thoughts.

Rom. 3.

Gen. 6. 8.

Chr. Such as agree with the Word of GOD.

Ignor. When do our Thoughts of ourfelves agree with the Word of GOD?

Chr. When we pass the fame Judgment upon ourselves which the Word paffes. To explain myself: The Word of GOD faith of Perfons in a Natural Condition, There is none Righteous, there is none that doth Good. It faith alfo, That every Imagination of the Heart of a Man is only Evil, and that continually. And again, The Imagination of Man's Heart is Evil from bis Youth. Now then, when we think thus of ourselves, having Senfe thereof, then are our Thoughts good ones, because according to the Word of God.

Ignor. I will never believe that my Heart is thus bad.

Chr. Therefore thou never hadft one good Thought concerning thyself in thy Life. But let me go on. As the Word

paffeth

paffeth a Judgment upon our Heart, so it paffeth 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.

Ignor. Make out your Meaning.

Chr. Why, the Word of God faith

That Man's Ways are crooked Ways, Pfal. 125. 5. not good, but perverfe: It faith, They Prov. 2. 15. are naturally out of the good Way, that Rom. 3. they have not known it. Now when a Man thus thinketh of his Ways, I fay, when he doth fenfibly, and with Hearthumiliation thus think, then hath he good Thoughts of his own Ways, because his Thoughts now agree with the Judgment of the Word of God.

Ignor. What are good Thoughts concerning GOD?

Chr. Even (as I have faid concerning ourselves) when our Thoughts of God do agree with what the Word faith of him; and that is, when we think of his Being and Attributes as the Word hath taught; of which I cannot now difcourfe at large: But to speak of Him in reference to us, than we have right Thoughts of God when we think that he knows us better than we know ourfelves, and can fee Sin in us when and where we can see none in ourselves: When we think He knows our inmoft Thoughts, and that our Heart, with all its Depths, is always open unto his Eyes: Alfo when we think that all our Righteousness stinks in his Noftrils, and that therefore he

cannot

The Faith of
Ignorance.

cannot abide to fee us ftand before him in any Confidence, even of all our beft Performances.

Ignor. Do you think that I am fuch a Fool as to think GOD can fee no farther than I? Or, that I would come to GOD in the best of my Performances?

t

Chr. Why, how doft thou think in this Matter?

Ignor. Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Chrift for Juftification.

Chr. How! Think thou must believe in Chrift, when thou feeft not the Need of him! Thou neither feeft thy Original nor Actual Infirmities, but haft fuch an Opinion of thyfelf and of what thou doft, as plainly renders thee to be one that did never fee a Neceflity. of Chrift's Perfenal Righteousness to juftify thee before GOD. How then doft thou fay, I believe in Chrift?

Ignor. I believe well enough for all that.

1

Chr. How doft thou believe?

Ignor. I believe that Chrift died for Sinners, and that I fhall be justified before God from the Curfe, through his gracious Acceptance of my Obedience to his Law. Or thus, Chrift makes my Duties, that are Religious, acceptable to his Father by virtue of Merits, and fo fhall I be justified:

Chr. Let me give an Answer to this Confeffion of thy Faith.

1. Thou believeft with a Fantastical Faith for this Faith is no where described in the Ward. :

2. Thou