The Hypocrites Ladder, Title page – Dedication
THE Hypocrites Ladder, OR LOOKING-GLASSE.
OR A Diſcourſe of the dangerous and deſtructive Nature of HYPOCRISIE, The Reigning and Provoking Sin of this AGE.
Wherein is ſhewed how far the Hypocrite, or Formal Profeſſor may go towards Heaven, yet utterly periſh, by Three Ladders of Sixty Steps of his aſcending.
TOGETHER WITH A Looking-Glaſs, clearly diſcovering that Lurking Sin of HYPOCRISIE.
As alſo another Glaſs to try Sincerity of Grace by.
By Jo. Sheffeild Miniſter of the Word at Swithins London.
Matth 8. 11, 12.
And I ſay unto you that many ſhall come from the Eaſt and Weſt, and ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob in the Kingdome of heaven; But the children of the Kingdome ſhall bee caſt out into utter darkneſs, &c.
Vt generationi huic a fermento Phariſaorum, quod eſt hypocrſis, ſi tamen hypocriſis dici debet, quae jam latere prae abundantia non valet, & proe imputentia non quaerit. Scrpit hodie putida rabies per omne Corpus Eccleſiae, & quo tatius, eo deſperatius, eoque periculofius, quo interius,
Bern. in Cant. Serm. 33.
LONDON, Printed by R. I. for Tho. Newberry, at his Shop at the Three Golden Lions in Cornhil, 1658.
TO THE Right Honourable the Lady ELIZABETH Counteſs Dowager of EXETER. And to the Honourable the Lady MARY ARMIN.
Right Honourable,
I Do with much confidence preſume to joyn your Ladiſhips two Great Names in the Dedication of this plain Treatiſe, as ſo well knowing how long, and how firmly you have been joyned in heart by the beſt hand, and in the beſt bonds of mutual Love to each others perſons, and mutual rejoycing in each others Graces and Vertues, and eſpecially in theſe two, viz.
1 The truth of love to God, and his people and wayes, which are in your Ladiſhips eſteem, the onelyonly excellent, and wherein is your whole delight.
2 The love of the Truths of God, which you have kept faſt in this houre of Tentation, which hath come upon all the earth to try the approved, Rev. 3. 10.as knowing from whom you have received them, and that they are able alone to make you wiſe unto ſalvation through faith which is in Chriſt Jeſus.
And truly theſe two Graces, TRUTH OF DIVINE LOVE, and LOVE OF DIVINE TRUTH, I reckon the two richeſt Jewels which can adorn a Ladies breaſt. They are the Evangelical Urim and Thummim.
Such were you both, I can ſpeak of my own knowledge for about this Thirty years, and ſuch you are ſtill: And as it was the higheſt glory of the Higheſt Elizabeth of this Land (the glory indeed of her Sexe) ſo it will bee your Ladiſhips to bee Semper Eaedem, while ſo many others have to their ſhame, left their firſt love, if not Rev. 2. 4.to their damnation forſaken their firſt 1 Tim. 5. 11.faith.
I have had the happineſs, together with many others, long to know your Ladiſhips pious & exemplary converſation, manner of life, faith, charity, humility, meekneſs, patience, conſtancy under ſundry and great trialls; In which regard I muſt ſay of your Ladiſhips, what was once ſaid of Timothy, I know none (or very few) like-minded.Phil. 2. 20.
Yet truly when I conſider, that as it is the nature of Hypocriſie (which takes up one part of this Diſcourſe) like Hagar preſently to ſwell, and lift up it ſelf upon the firſt Conception, though of a Bond ſon.Gen. 16. 4.
So of Sincerity (which makes up the other part of this Diſcourſe) like Elizabeth, to keep in, and hide her Luke 1. 24.ſelf after her conception of a reall God-ſon, a childe full of grace, and of the Holy Ghoſt, chuſing with Rebeckah, or with Moſes to put on a vail to hide that beauty and glory from the view of the world, which is beſt ſeen of him who ſees foreign, and looketh into the hidden man of the heart.
And further, when I conſider the common vanity, that I ſay not greater crime of this preſent age, as in Funeral Sermons, ſo in Dedicatory Epiſtles, to over-laſh or break out into exuberant and exceſſive (and often undue) praiſes of the perſons ſpoken of in the one, and ſpoken to in the other. I confeſs I was reſolved to chide my Pen, and to lay my hand upon my mouth, remembring that of the Poet, Haec amat obſcurum—
But when I call to minde again on the other ſide, that even the holy Apoſtles, in their Canonical Epiſtles have ſpent ſome good part of their holy lines in the ample commendations of thoſe eminent Saints to whom they wrote, as Paul in his to Philemon, and John in that of his to an Honourable Lady, and that other to a meaner Gaius, and that they went not behinde the door, as wee ſay, to whiſper, but as on the houſe top, did proclaim the Religious and pious practiſes of thoſe more choice Chriſtians to the imitation of others.
And further, when I conſider again in the ſight of God, that with like truth that may bee aſſerted of both your Ladiſhips, which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of Demetrius, a rare, and not ordinary Teſtimony. Demetrius hath good report of all men, 3 Joh. v. 12.and of the truth it ſelfe, and wee alſo beare Record, and wee know that our Record is true. Or what is recorded of 2 Chron. 31. 20, 21Hezekiah, Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought what was good, and right, and truth before the Lord his God; And in every work that hee began in the ſervice of the houſe of God, and in the Law and Commandements, hee did it with all his heart and proſpered. And in hope that like uſe might bee made of ſuch examples as of the Corinthian forwardneſs, which the holy Apoſtle therefore commended, That your zeal and forwardneſs might provoke others. I then reſolved, —Cupit haec (or decet haec) ſub luce videri.
What, and if the wiſe and ſober take offence to behold rotten wood, and baſe copper, covered over with gilt and paint; is there any juſt cauſe, that the envious world ſhould take offence to ſee the gold and chryſtal appearing in their native purity and ſplendor, which neither ignorance or malice can make any detraction from, nor Art, nor Eloquence make any addition unto?
The character and teſtimony given unto your Ladiſhips is that which thouſands will atteſt, Even every eye that hath ſeen you hath bleſſed, and every ear that hath heard you (as was ſaid of Job) hath born witneſs to you, and every mouth of ſuch as have had Job 29. 11.knowledge of you, will break out in the words of Solomons mother, Many Daughters, (many Ladies) have Prov. 31. 29.done vertuouſly, but you have excelled the moſt of them all.
What were your Ladiſhips when you lived there but the two Eyes or Breaſts of your Country? The two Pillars of two great and eminent Families? The two Staves of Bands and Beauty? Two Beacons ſet upon two Mountains? Or two Glaſſes for Ladies and Gentlewomen to dreſs by: Such as Tryphaena and Tryphoſa in the holy Kalender, who laboured much Rom. 16. 12.in the Lord. Of whom I fear that will bee ſaid when you are dead and gone, which was of thoſe rare Trees, and the Spices preſented by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, There came no more 1 King. 10. 10, 12.ſuch, nor were the like ſeen after.
It was a high word which Nazianzen ſpake ſometimes of Gorgonia, That whatſoever vertue was to bee found in other women, was to bee found alſo in Orat. in laud. Gorg.her; and whatſoever vertues were not to bee found in others, were yet to bee found in her: And I know not of whom it may bee more truly ſaid than of your Scipio quam genuit, Paulae ſudere parenrenres, Gracchorum ſoboles, Agamemnoni… Incli… proles—Romani prima Senat us Pauperiem Chriſti & Bethlemitica Rura ſecutae &c. in Epitaph. Paulae.Ladiſhips.
And what Jerome ſaid of Paula, that though ſhee was deſcended of the greateſt and moſt ancient and Illuſtrious Families both among the Greeks and Romans, as of Agamemnon, Scipio, and the Gracchi, yet did ſhee of her own accord quit her ſtately Pallaces, Dignities and attendance to exchange Rome, and the glory of the world for obſcure Bethlehem, preferring the poverty and contempt of Chriſt above all the riches, honours, and pleaſures of this world. Shee was, hee ſaid, Nobilis genere, ſed Nobilior ſanctitate. The like may bee ſaid of your Honourable Ladiſhips who have ſhewed like contempt of the vain and tranſitory ſplendor of this world, to the love of Chriſt, whoſe firſt birth made you noble in the eye of men, but your ſecond Birth made you Noble indeed, Noble in the eye of God. Since thou waſt precious in my ſight, thou haſt Iſa. 43. 4.been honourable, and I have loved thee, ſaith the Lord by Iſaiah.
I obſerve how the Holy Ghoſt in giving Titles of honour when comparing perſons with perſons, and Nobility with Nobility, gives the precedence to the Beraean, before the Theſſalonian. The Theſſalonian was the greater in Act. 17. 11.the worlds Heraldry (it was of old the Metropolis of Macedonia, famous for the victory of Philip over the Theſſalians, whence it had his name given it, and the richeſt City at this day, ſaith Ortelius in all Greece) but Beraea was the greater in Gods account. Theſſalonica bred the more honourable Citizen, Beraea the better Chriſtian, and therefore it is ſaid, Thoſe of Beraea were more noble than foreign, Dicuntur ingenio & integritate, Aret. in Act. 17.thoſe of Theſſalonica, in that they received the word of God, and ſearched the Scriptures daily whether theſe things were ſo.
Truly your firſt Birth (Ladies) was high, yet but of Theſſalonica, that which gave you a great name and place, as was ſaid to David, Like unto 2 Sam. 7. 9.the name of the great ones in the earth; But your ſecond Birth hath made you more noble, being like that of Beraea, and hath given you an eminent place among the Devout and Honourable women, whoſe names are regiſtred in the Book of Life, as being, foreign, not of a better bloud, but ſpirit, their ingenuity, and integrity, ſaith Aretius, made them reckoned more noble. Summa eſt probiores fuiſſe, magis ingenuos & pios. The ſhort, and the long of it is, ſaith hee, they were of more Ingenuity, Piety, and Integrity, therefore of more Nobility.
It is a great deal of Honour (Noble Ladies) yea Double Honour, that God hath put upon you above many others both of higher and lower ranks. You will, and muſt think your ſelves the more bound to honour him again with what ever is (yours, ſhall I ſay? Alas! What is that? Juſt nothing, but with what ever is) his own, your Honours, your Dignities, your Graces, Abilities, Subſtance and Eſtate. For the truth of it is, you can never ſo much honour God, as hee hath honoured you, nor is it Religion which receives from you (though much, yet not) ſo much Honour as you receive from it: It is not the Gold which did beautifie the Mat. 23. 17.Temple, but the Temple which did ſanctifie the gold, which made it greater.
Great Ladies! It was a ſad Prediction that of the Apoſtle that in the laſt dayes there ſhould bee a foul defection Tim. 4. 1.from the purity of the Goſpel by ſhameful Apoſtacy, and Hypocriſie. Our eyes have ſeen the like fulfilled upon our Nation beyond all our beleef and expectation, as was foretold Hazael, who with aſtoniſhment 2 King. 8. 13.replied, What is thy ſervant a Dog? that I ſhould do thus.
Wee have lived to ſee (which was part of Elies doom) an enemy in all the habitation of God, and in all the wealth which God gave Iſrael. A ſad See 1 Sam. 2. 32. with the marginal Note.hand-writing, or as others read it, The affliction of the Tabernacle, for all the wealth which God would have given Iſrael.
Wee have lived to ſee the honeſt and ſincere generation of our old Profeſſors worn out, and inſtead of the Golden ſhields wont to bee ſeen in the Temple in Solomons dayes, now 1 King. 14. 26, 27.Shields of Braſs. They mourned once when time was (the elder Iſraelites that remembred the former Temple) to ſee how much ſhort the ſecond Ezra 3. 12.Temple Fabrick, was of the glory of the former: And may not we much more, to ſee how much our Profeſſors fall ſhort of their late Fore-fathers? this is it indeed which (above any thing elſe at preſent through the good hand of God) makes the Prophets at this day propheſie in Sackcloath, to ſee what a great forſaking there is, as the Prophet Iſa. 6. 12.ſaith, in the midſt of the earth.
Wee have ſeen great Stars fallen, and much of wormwood fallen into our waters to imbitter them, and a Rev. 8. 10, 11.ſtrange multitude of multi-formed Locuſts creep abroad, though Rev. 9. 7, 8, 9, 10.with Crowns upon their heads (of ſpecious pretences) yet armed with ſharp ſtings in their Tayles.
It hath been the power of rich grace that hath upheld your Honours in your integrity, that you have ſtuck to the word of truth, and have kept your Garments from being defiled. And while others ſeek to adorn themſelves with Gold, and Pearl, and Powders, &c. that you have ſought to inrich your Noble Breaſts, with thoſe precious ſtones that were in the High Prieſts Breaſtplate, the very ſame that are the glory of the New Jeruſalem, Compare Ex. 28. 17, 18, 19, with. Rev. 21. 19.and to be like her whoſe Daughters you are, who was cloathed with the Sun, trampling the Moon under her feet, and having a Crown of Stars, of Scripture Doctrine and Graces upon your heads.Rev. 12. 11.
I ſhall only beſpeak your Ladiſhips care with the words of the Apoſtle in his Epiſtle, wherein hee mentioneth thoſe two Elect Ladies, that you Look to your ſelves, that yee loſe not what yee 2 Jo. v. 8.have wrought, but that yee may receive a full reward; which ſhort Epiſtle, I deſire I may recommend to your Ladiſhips, as a fair and rich Glaſs to be alwayes in your eye.
And if you ſhall pleaſe to caſt an eye alſo into theſe two Glaſſes mentioned in this following Diſcourſe, eſpecially the later, which is your own, all but the plainneſs and homelineſs of it; I hope, I may ſay, though it bee no fair, yet it is no falſe, nor Counterfeit-Glaſs: no nor yet the former neither, though it bee of purpoſe provided to ſhew the falſe and counterfeit face and vizard.
Now the Lord himſelf under whoſe ſhadow you have choſen to ſit (as was Ruth 2. 12.ſaid to Ruth) give unto your Ladiſhips a rich increaſe of his Grace and Spirit, and a full recompence of all labours of love and piety ſhewed to his name and ſervants, Giving you an inheritance among ſuch as are ſanctified.
And what was promiſed to the houſe of David, that it ſhould never want a light, or to the family of the Rechabites, that there ſhould never 2 Chron. 21. 7.want ſome of that Race to ſtand before him; ſo that it may pleaſe God Jer. 35. 19.ſucceſſively to bleſs thoſe great and noble families of which you were deſcended at firſt, and into which you were happily ingrafted. That the Cecills, and Egertons, and Talbots, and Armins, may never want Ladies of like Spirit and Grace to build up thoſe Honourable houſes, yea ſuch as with Leah and Rachel may build up the houſe of Ruth. 4. 11.Iſrael, that the Children, and Grandchildren born in thoſe Families, may with the inheritance of your Names and Honour, and States, and Bloud, bee Heirs alſo of the ſame life of Grace, which is your preſent greateſt Honour, and of the ſame grace of life, which is 1 Pet. 3. 7.your future Hope, Is, and ſhall bee Right Honourable Ladies,
The prayer of your Ladiſhips moſt humble ſervant, Jo. Sheffeild.