Cast out the beam first

7. It is to these more especially that our Lord says, Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, the infirmities, the mistakes, the imprudence, the weakness of the children of God; but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou considerest not the damnable impenitence, the satanic pride, the accursed self-will, the idolatrous love of the world, which are in thyself, and which make thy whole life an abomination to the Lord. Above all, with what supine carelessness and indifference art thou dancing over the mouth of hell? And how then, with what grace, with what decency or modesty, wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, the excess of zeal for God, the extreme self-denial, the too great disengagement from worldly cares and employments, the desire to be day and night in prayer, or hearing the words of eternal life? And behold a beam is in thine own eye! not a mote, like one of these. Thou hypocrite! Who pretendest to care for others and hast no care for thy own soul! Who makest a show of zeal for the cause of God, when in truth thou neither lovest nor fearest him! First cast out the beam out of thine own eye. Cast out the beam of impenitence. Know thyself. See and feel thyself a sinner. Feel, that thy inward parts are very wickedness, that thou art altogether corrupt and abominable, and that the wrath of God abideth on thee. Cast out the beam of pride. Abhor thyself. Sink down as in dust and ashes. Be more and more little and mean, and base and vile in thine own eyes. Cast out the beam of self-will. Learn what that meaneth, If any man will come after me, let him renounce himself. Deny thyself and take up thy cross daily. Let thy whole soul cry out, I came down from heaven (for so thou didst, thou never-dying spirit, whether thou knowest it or no) not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. Cast out the beam of love of the world. Love not the world, neither the things of the world. Be thou crucified unto the world, and the world crucified unto thee. Only use the world, but enjoy God. Seek all thy happiness in him. Above all, cast out the grand beam, that supine carelessness and indifference. Deeply consider, that one thing is needful, the one thing which thou hast scarce ever thought of. Know and feel, that thou art a poor, vile, guilty worm, quivering over the great gulph! What art thou? A sinner born to die: a leaf driven before the wind: a vapour ready to vanish away: just appearing, and then scattered into air, to be no more seen! See this, And then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. Then, if thou hast leisure from the concerns of thy own soul, thou shalt know how to correct thy brother also.