A plain and familiar exposition of the eleventh and twelfth chapters of the Proverbs…A plaine and familiar exposition of the eleuenth and twelfth chapters of the Prouerbes…

Doct. The worse any man is, or doth, the less he seeth his evil. They that commit the most sins, have hope that they stand guilty of fewest: they that fall into the greatest transgressions, imagine that their faults be the smallest: they that sink into the deepest dangers, do dream of greatest safety: they that have longest continued ⟨p. 155⟩in rebellion against God, of all others, for the most part, are slowest to repentance. These are they which are spoken of when it is said, there is a generation that are pure in their own conceit, and yet are ¹not washed from their filthiness. Observe it in all sorts of sinners, and it will be found that the greatest offenders are furthest from all remorse for their offences: Papists and Idolaters do think they merit at Gods hand, and deserve heaven for their idolatry and superstition. Persecutors and tyrants, as our Saviour saith, ²will think they do God service, when they kill Christians, and Ministers, and Apostles. If men of smaller infirmities be admonished of things amiss in them, it is not very hard to bring many of them to a sight of their offences, insomuch as they will acknowledge themselves to be faulty, & thank him that reproveth them; but when notorious adulterers, or drunkards, or blasphemers be rebuked, what distemper, what rage, what fury do they break out into? as though a most grievous indignity were offered unto them; as though most innocent men were unjustly defamed.

Doct. The worse any man is, or doth, the lesse he seeth his euill. They that commit the most sinnes, haue hope that they stand guiltie of fewest: they that fall into the greatest transgressions, imagine that their faults be the smallest: they yt sinke into the deepest dangers, doe dreame of greatest safetie: they that haue longest continued ⟨p. 155⟩in rebellion against God, of al others, for the most part, are slowest to repentance. These are they which are spoken of when it is said, there is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite, and yet are ¹not washed from their filthinesse. Obserue it in all sorts of sinners, and it will be found that the greatest offenders are furthest from all remorse for their offences: Papists and Idolaters doe thinke they merit at Gods hand, and deserue heauen for their idolatrie and superstition. Persecutors and tyrants, as our Sauiour saith,