A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. 10 The tenth cause, the not applying the Word preached.

The tenth cause, is the not applying of the Word preached or read unto our selves, for our own use and benefit, but putting it off to others as though it concerned them and not us, especially admonitions and reprehensions for sin, and the threatenings of Gods Judgements against those that continue in them without repentance. For so are men blinded with pride and self love, that they can see no faults in themselves, or if they do, yet they seem so small and venial, that they are scarce worth the reproving; and so defective are they in charity towards their Neighbours, that they can easily spy the least Motes in their eyes, and make of every Moll-hill a huge Mountain. And this maketh them to shift all rebukes for sin, and denunciations of punishment from themselves unto others, to whom they think they more fitly belong, and so bless themselves and securely live in sin, as though they were free from all danger. Yea, though they be never so faulty in those Vices that are reproved, yet if in truth they can find out any that in the judgement of the World, do go beyond them in those kinds; then can they hear them sharply rebuked without any sting of conscience, or sense of the smart of their own sins, yea, with much pleasure and delight. And thus have I often heard, after some powerful Sermon against covetousness, a greedy Muck-worm, nothing moved for his own avarice, because he hath been able to pick out of a whole City or Country some one, supposed to be more wretched then himself, unto whom he hath applied all that was spoken. And so when pride hath been rebuked, ⟨p. 16⟩or profaneness, or worldliness, or any other sin; I have noted, that those who have highly offended in these kinds, in the judgement of all others, have like innocents securely blessed themselves, applying nothing spoken to their own use, because they could point at others that have exceeded them in faultiness. As if the Cutpurse should think himself safe and secure from danger of Law; because there are other greater Thieves, that break Houses and rob by the high Way; or the common Whore-master, should think himself in no danger of Gods or Mans Laws, because there are others that live in Incest and filthy Sodomy;