A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

§. 10 The tenth cause, the not applying the Word preach∣ed.

The tenth cause, is the not applying of the Word preached or read vnto our selues, for our owne vse and benefit, but putting it off to o∣thers as though it concerned them and not vs, especially admonitions and reprehensions for sinne, and the threatnings of Gods Iudgements against those that continue in them without repentance. For so are men blinded with pride and selfe loue, that they can see no faults in themselues, or if they doe, yet they seeme so small and veniall, that they are scarce worth the reprouing; and so defectiue are they in cha∣ritie towards their Neighbours, that they can easily spie the least Motes in their eyes, and make of euery Moll-hill a huge Mountayne. And this maketh them to shift all rebukes for sinne, and denunciati∣ons of punishment from themselues vnto others, to whom they thinke they more fitly belong, and so blesse themselues and securely liue in sinne, as though they were free from all danger. Yea, though they be neuer so faultie in those Vices that are reproued, yet if in truth they can find out any that in the iudgement of the World, doe goe beyond them in those kinds; then can they heare them sharpely re∣buked without any sting of conscience, or sense of the smart of their owne sinnes, yea, with much pleasure and delight. And thus haue I often heard, after some powerfull Sermon against couetousnesse, a greedie Muck-worme, nothing moued for his owne auarice, because hee hath beene able to picke out of a whole Citie or Countrey some one, supposed to bee more wretched then himselfe, vnto whom hee hath applyed all that was spoken. And so when pride hath beene re∣buked,

or profanenesse, or worldlinesse, or any other sinne; I haue noted, that those who haue highly offended in these kinds, in the iudgement of all others, haue like innocents securely blessed them∣selues, applying nothing spoken to their owne vse, because they could point at others that haue exceeded them in faultinesse. As if the Cut∣purse should thinke himselfe safe and secure from danger of Law; be∣cause there are other greater Theeues, that breake Houses and rob by the high Way; or the common Whore-master, should thinke him∣selfe in no danger of Gods or Mans Lawes, because there are others that liue in Incest and filthy Sodomie; or the Man-slayer, should flat∣ter himselfe with a secure hope of escaping at the day of Assize, be∣cause there are some in the Iayle that haue committed parricide.