4. (III.) So far as anyone takes cognizance of sins and knows what they are, he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord, and repent of them. It is said, he can if he will; and he who believes in eternal life will. But still he must not think of the things he does, but of those that he wills to do, which, if he believes them allowable he then also does; or if he does not do them, it is on account of the world. There is an internal and an external effect, or an internal and an external work. The external effect or work comes forth and exists from the internal effect or work, as action from endeavor. Endeavor, in a man, is will. Therefore, though he does not do a thing in the body, if he holds it to be allowable, then the effort or will remains; and this is the act itself in the spirit. Therefore to take cognizance of his sins and know what they are, is to take cognizance of and know his thoughts, and to know from them what he holds to be allowable, as well as what he desires, and what things of his thought he favors. For example, if he thinks whether whoredom is a sin, and how grave a sin; whether hatred and revenge are sins; whether thefts, and the like, whether haughtiness and pride, contempt of others, and avarice are sins; and then the man must remove disguises, if he had cast any over them, that is, the things by which he had confirmed them, and must consult the Word and see.