In so far as anyone does not recognize and know what are sins, he does not see otherwise than that he is without sin. Because of the Word, he knows that he is a sinner, in evils from head to foot, yet he does not really know, because he does not see any sin in himself. Consequently he prays with a ringing voice as it were, he confesses with a ringing voice as it were, and yet inmostly in himself he believes that he is not a sinner. This belief is made evident in the other life; for then he says, "I am pure, I am clean, I am guiltless"; nevertheless, when he is examined, he is impure, unclean, indeed even carrion. It is as if the skin were outwardly clear and soft, [but] the inner parts from the heart itself were diseased; or as if a liquid were, on the surface, like water, but in its depths putrid from stagnation. In so far as anyone recognizes and knows what are sins, he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord, and repent of them. It is said that he can if he will, and he who believes in eternal life does will. But even so, he ought to think not about the things he does, but about those he wants to do, which, when he believes them allowable, he also does, or, if he does not do them, it is on account of the world. There is an internal effect and an external effect, or internal and external deed. The external effect or deed proceeds and has existence from the internal effect or deed, just as action from effort. Effort in a man is will; consequently, although he does not do a thing in body, yet if he makes it allowable, then the effort or will remains, and this, in spirit, is action itself. Therefore, recognizing and knowing what his sins are is recognizing and knowing his thoughts, and in them what he makes allowable, and then what he lusts after and favours in his thought. For example, if a man considers whether whoredom is a sin, and what a serious sin it is, whether hatred and acts of revenge are sins, whether thefts and the like, arrogance and pride, contempt also for others, and avarice, are sins; he must then remove any disguises he has cast over them, that is, any confirmations, and let him consult the Word, and he will see. Everyone sees that he who acknowledges that a sin is a sin [can see the sins in himself] but he who makes them allowable in thought, and, on account of the world, not allowable in the body, cannot see them. He is like a man turning a mirror upside down to see his face, or like one who wants to see his face putting a piece of linen gauze in front of it. Before repentance, good is spurious good. It is the same with charity, because good is of charity. For there is evil inwardly with the man, because it has not been opened, and therefore not healed; and genuine good cannot spring from evil. The fountain is impure. The good which springs from evil may, in its outward form, appear good; but within it, is the man, such as he is inwardly. All that the man does thence is an image of him. Before the angels he himself appears in his own image, indeed, outside himself; which I have seen a thousand times. On this account the good which anyone does with the body may appear good before those who see only the external; but within there lies hidden the will and intention, which may be that he wishes to be thought sincere and good, so that he may impose on others for the sake of honour and gain. In a word, it is good that is either merit-seeking, or hypocritical, or diabolical, which is in order to deceive, revenge, kill, etc.; but this good is taken away at death when he is let into his interior things, and it becomes openly evil.