A guide to go to GodA guide to goe to God

This point affordeth two useful directions.¹ One is in regard of sins past to judge our selves for them, and upon our selves to lay the whole blame: and not to think it a sufficient excuse to lay the blame upon any other. Many will say when they are taken in some notorious sin, The Devil owed me a spite, and now hath paid me it, thinking thereby to extenuate their sin;² which conceit Eve had, when she said, The Serpent beguiled me. And if any man have been any occasion of their sin,³ they will lay the blame upon them, as Adam did upon Eve. But had they been resolute in their own will, nor Satan, nor any of his instruments could have made them to sin. They who thus think to shift off sin, do bring the greater load upon their own souls. For this keeps them from that degree of humiliation and contrition^a which would move God to pity them. When men in truth lay load on themselves,⁵ God is ready to ease them. For to such as Labour and are heavy loaden Christ saith, Come unto me, I will give you rest. But on such as by the shifting of sin think to ease themselves, God will lay load. What^f loads of woe did Christ lay upon the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees, who put off all burdens from themselves? What a load was laid on^t Saul, that by mincing his sin sought to ease himself? and^u what ease was given to David, that laid the burden of sin upon himself?⁹ Now whether it be safest so to shift off sin, as to provoke God to lay the burden of it on us, or so to burden our selves as to move God to ease us, judge you. Is there not now more need of true confession, then false justification.