The Hypocrites Ladder, To the insincerely professing reader – Table of contents
To the Unſincere Profeſſor, reſting in the form of Godlineſs, foreign, the Spirit of Power, of Love, of a Sound Minde, with Repentance.
I Remember that Learned Perkins, that faithfull Servant of Jeſus Chriſt, did once direct one of his books to the ignorant and ſimple people, and our bleſſed Saviour, one of his Epiſtles to the Church at Sardis, a people, who had only a name to live, but Revel. 3. 1.were really dead, and whoſe works were not perfect before God; the Servant to inſtruct the one, and the Maſter to awaken the other.
And therefore, though many other godly and painful Writers, have directed their writings to the peruſal of the godly and Chriſtian Readers, I have choſe, to recommend this following diſcourſe, to thee, to ſhew thee firſt thy ſelf, and thy own unſafe condition, then to provoke thee to conſider thy waies, and amend them.
I muſt ſay of this diſcourſe, as St. Paul ſaid once of the Law; The Law is not 1 Tim. 1. 9, 10.made for the righteous man, but for the lawleſs and diſobedient, for the ungodly, and for ſinners, for unholy, and prophane, &c. So this diſcourſe is not made for the godly, and humble, and ſincere; they have an Ʋnction that teacheth them, and a Monitor that remembereth them; that wee need not ſay to ſuch, know the Lord; therefore I write not to them, but to the lawleſs and liveleſs, to the graceleſs and Chriſtleſs Profeſſor. And to thee I may ſpeak in the words of Ahijah the Prophet, 1 King. 14. 6.to the wife of Jeroboam, diſguiſing her ſelf, I am ſent to thee with heavy tidings.
To theſe our Mourning Mother ſaith, in the words of Jepthe to his Daughter, Alas my Childe, Thou haſt brought mee Judg. 11. 35.very low; thou art one of thoſe that troubleth mee; or more ſharply in the words of Saul to his Son, and with more truth, Thou art the ſhame of thy Mothers nakedneſſe.1 Sam. 20. 30.
I am eaſily ſenſible, that the Church hath been of latter dayes, more fruitful in the number of Profeſſors, than formerly, (as Iſrael, when of a ſuddain the mixt multitude poured in among them) But as I have read of ſome women that have brought forth numerous, or rather monſtrous Births, as a Counteſs of Hauſbergh, that at one birth was delivered of three hundred ſixty five, as Lud. Ʋives, and others report. Another Lady, Daughter to the Earl of Holland, as many: And another in Cracovia, delivered of thirty ſix children, yet none of theſe came to maturity, or ever lived to encreaſe the world: So have wee had numbers of Profeſſors added, yet not to the encreaſe of the Church, of whom wee may take up that which is ſaid, Eſ. 9. 3. Thou haſt multiplied the Nation, and not encreaſed the joy.
I know alſo, that many of our now Profeſſors, are in ſhew more glorious, in forms (if not ſome above all forms) far more tranſcendent, in ſelf-opinions and admirations, more exalted; wee have many Abſaloms, who think, if they were in place, and they might bee hearkened to, they could better wield (may I not ſay wilde?) Kingdomes, and they could better mould and moddle (may I not ſay moulder?) Churches, than ever yet they were, ſince the Apoſtles dayes; when they have nothing but craft and guile, if not blood and Treaſon in their Vows and Sacrifices. Once I heard the Chriſtian world groaned, and admired it was ſo ſuddenly become Arrian; now a Prophane world may wonder, that it ſhould ſo ſoon become Chriſtian; and with like words, to the Churches wonder, Eſ. 49. 21. Who hath begotten mee theſe? who hath brought up theſe? Behold, I was left alone, theſe, where had they been?
Wee have now ſuch as ſay as the Prophet ſaith, In the pride and ſtoutneſs of their hearts, the bricks (of Popery and Prelacy) are fallen down, but wee will Eſ. 9. 10.build with hewen ſtones, and the low Sycomore trees are fallen down (of Presbytery, &c.) but wee will build with Cedars.
Wee have them that ſay of their members, or Teachers, as the Aſſyrian of his Princes, Are not my Princes altogether Eſ. 10. 8, 9.Kings? Or as the Corinthian Profeſſors, who ſaid they were rich and full, Reigned as Kings, without Paul, and ſuch like 1 Cor. 4. 8.Miniſters; and theſe ſay, is not Calnoh as Carchemiſh? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Samaria as Damaſcus? So now, is not Rome as Sodome? Prelacy as Gomo…rah! Presbytery as Babylon? Independency alſo as Egypt? But our Land Goſhen, our Pepuza Jeruſalem, our Church Capernaum, and our members Sion.
Wee read Jer. 24. 1. that the Prophet Jeremiah ſaw in a Viſion, two Baskets of Figs before the Temple, the firſt very good, the latter ſtark naught, repreſenting the Profeſſors of the firſt and ſecond Edition, or tranſplantation. Wee have ſeen the like: The former, the Lord promiſed to own and acknowledge; the latter hee rejected; wee may cry out with the Prophet, Micah 7. 1. Woe is mee, I am, as when they have gathered the Summer fruits, as the Grape gleanings of the Vintage; there is no cluſter to eat, my ſoul deſireth the firſt ripe fruit; the goodman is periſhed out of the earth, and none i… upright amongſt them; the beſt of them is a bryar, the moſt upright, ſharper than a thorn hedge, &c.
When John the Baptiſt, in his dayes, ſaw a many Phariſees and Sadduces come Mat. 3. 7.flocking to his Baptiſme, hee wondered more than joyed at the ſight, looking upon them ſtill as a Generation of Vipers, and ſaid, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Were hee now alive, hee would wonder as much to ſee ſo many Phariſees and Sadduces fly as faſt from his Baptiſme, and would cry after them, O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned you (in that way) to fly from wrath to come: Let there bee ſome better fruits of repentance; for as neither Circumciſion, nor uncircumciſion, availeth any thing, ſo nor Baptiſme, nor Anti-baptiſme, not this or that Profeſſion will ſtand, before the Fan, and the fire, but ſincerity, and the New Creature; it is not being of the Stock of Abraham, will free from the ſtroke of the Axe, but the good fruit, when there ſhall bee a general conflagration, it is onelyonly the hanging out of this red line of ſincerity will ſave us, as Rahab once, and gain us the benefit of the Articles of Peace, and Covenant of Grace.
Thoſe are ſad and ſmart ſayings of the Goſpel, they that are laſt, ſhall bee firſt; Ma. 20, 16.and the firſt, laſt. Many are called, few choſen; and though the number of the children of Iſrael bee as the Sand of the Sea, yet a Remnant only ſhall bee ſaved.Rom. 9 27.
It concernes thee therefore Reader, to bee ſerious, and to ſeek to produce a better Pedigree and Title, than Profeſſion, Baptiſme, Poſſeſſion, Succeſſion, Church-fellowſhip, yea, or viſible Saintſhip. How far may the hypocrite go? Who can count the number of this Beaſt, or rightly diſcern this plague of Leproſie? It may have brightneſs and whiteneſs, and no black or blew ſpots at all appearing, yet bee the infection.Lev. 13. 2, 3.
I have for thy ſake endeavoured the beſt I could, to ſhew how far the hypocrite may go.
Hee may advance ſixty ſteps, as I have ſhewed, and go up three long ladders towards heaven, yet fall as Lucifer; I therefore ſhoot a warning Arrow beyond thee, as Jonathan did to David, to haſten 1 Sam. 20. 38.thee to get further.
I have alſo, to prevent thy danger, endeavoured to make diſcovery, wherein it is, the miſcarrying Profeſſor is found defective; and that I ſhew partly whence it is, as to his ſtate, Chap. 4. as to his duties, Chap. 5. and as to his graces, Chap. 6. 7, 8, 9.
I have alſo ſet thee two glaſſes to look into; the former mentioned, Chap. 16. I wiſh it, as Daniel did the Dream, to thine Dan. 4. 19.Enemies, not to thee, unleſs to undreſs by. The other Glaſſe, Chap. 17. I dare cornmend to thee upon my life, that is for thee to dreſs by; and I put it into thy hand upon my word (I ſay not (what is that worth in this caſe?) but) upon the Word of God.
And now that it would pleaſe God to make this latter Glaſſe to every Reader and Beholder, like Jacobs rods, laid in the Gen. 30. 38.Gutters before the Flocks, that they conceived thereupon, and brought forth likecoloured young, ſo that each beholder of himſelf in this Glaſs of ſincerity, may bee changed into the ſame Image by the Spirit of God.
Oh Sincerity! Sincerity! Thou faireſt among women (amongſt all the grave) where is the place of thy abode? What Job ſaid of Divine Wiſdome, I may ſay of this Divine Grace: But where ſhall integrity Iob 28. 12, 13, 14.bee found? And where is the place of Sincerity? Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it to bee found in the Land of the living: The Sea ſaith, it is not in mee, and the depth, it is not with mee; it cannot bee gotten for gold, neither ſhall ſilver bee weighed for the price thereof, &c. Death and deſtruction, ſay they, have heard the fame thereof (as being long ſince departed. Ver. 22.)
What the Platoniſts ſay of Verity, I may ſay of Sincerity, much more; If God, ſay they, were minded to aſſume to himſelf a compoſition of body and ſoul: Surely, ſay they, Light ſhould bee his Body, and Truth the Soul: I may ſay, if Religion or Chriſtianity were to bee ſeen, light ſhould bee the cloathing, and ſincerity the ſoul: It is ſo much the life and ſoul of Religion, that take this away from any grace, it withers, yea, becomes null and void, ſo that without ſincerity, knowledge is not to bee acknowledged, Repentance is to bee repented of, hope it ſelf were out of hope, and faith could not truſt God, nor God love our charity, all works were but dead works, and ſplendid ſins.
What therefore Janſenius, that famous Biſhop of Ipres ſaid, when asked, which of all the Attributes of God hee did moſt admire: Hee anſwered, his Truth, and would often in admiration thereof cry out, O Ʋeritas, Veritas! O Truth, Truth! For alas, What comfort could the poor ſoul have, not only in the knowledge, wiſdome, power, but in the mercy, love, promiſe, and Covenant of God: If all were not founded in his truth: So I am ſure of all the Attributes given to the Chriſtian, ſinterity is the higheſt; (Noahs, Jobs, Aſaes Attribute) for what were all knowledge, profeſſion, and holineſs it ſelf, without this? Therefore as a learned Doctor lately ſaid in a like caſe, I may ſay in admiration of ſincerity, vix me contineo quin Exclamem, Salve Regina profeſſionum. In the whole D. Arrow ſmithviſible world, ſaith hee, man is the moſt excellent piece, in man the ſoul, in the ſoul underſtanding, in the underſtanding knowledge, in knowledge Religion, or the knowledge of God, in Religion Chriſtianity; I may carry it one ſtep further, and adde, in Chriſtianity ſincerity.
Wee had once, our Chronicles tell us, a diſeaſe very infective and deſtructive to the Engliſh called Morbus, or ſudor Anglicus, the Sweating Sickneſs, it raged more among thoſe of this Nation, than any where elſe; there were two Dukes died of it; there were alſo two Lord Mayors of London, and ſix Aldermen, died of it in eight daies ſpace; this is a worſe diſeaſe with which the Engliſh are now tainted, this may bee called Morbus Anglicus, too properly: Oh that as God was pleaſed to give a ſtop to that, that wee now have no knowledge of ſuch a diſeaſe, ſo it may pleaſe him to heal the hurt of the daughter of our people, that there may neither bee a Canaanite in the Land, nor hypocrite in the Church, that the remnant of our Iſrael may not do iniquity, nor ſpeak lies, nor that a deceitful tongue Zeph. 3. 13.ſhall bee found in their mouths, much leſs a deceitful heart.
Oh that it may never bee ſaid of England, or London, what Epiphanius ſaid once of Conſtantinople, going thence, Relicturus ſum tria magna a tergo ingentem urbem, ingens Palatium, ingentem hypocriſim: So here, Relicturus ſum ingentem Gentem, ingentem urbem, ingentem hypocriſim: I am leaving a great and warlike people, a great and populous City, and a great deal of hypocriſie, both in City and Nation.
What therefore Alexander ſaid once to a Cowardly Lubber, call'd by his name, either change thy Name (I pray thee) or thy manners, either ceaſe to bee a Coward, and continue to bee called by my name, or ceaſe to bee called Alexander, and continue a Coward, ſo ſay I, or the Lord rather to thee, Oh Profeſſor, either bee ſincere, and bee called by the name of Chriſt, or call thy ſelf by ſome other name; if thou wilt not bee ſincere; otherwiſe know as the Romans dealt with a degenerate and vicious ſon, of that famous Scipio Affricanus, (whom they ſo much renowned) that they would not ſuffer him to wear his Fathers Ring on his hand, which had his Fathers effigies engraven on it, becauſe hee had nothing like his Father but his name; ſo will Chriſt deale with thee, if thou have nothing more of his but the bare name, degrade thee of thy profeſſion; and if thou wert as the Signet of his right hand, hee would pull thee off thence.
Jo. Sheffield.
The Contents of this BOOK.
Chap. 1. The words of the Text opened, and ſome points obſerved page 1
Chap. 2. The main Doctrine propounded, viz. That an Hypocrite may go very far, &c. yet at laſt fearfully miſcarry p. 12
The Doctrine cleared and proved by ſundry inſtances and examples p. 15
Chap. 3. The Doctrine further confirmed by reaſons p. 20
Chap. 4. Contains three other general reaſons, whereof the firſt, that the Hypocrite falls ſhort in point of his ſtate p. 26
Several ſtates which an Hypocrite may be out of, yet not out of a bad ſtate ibid.
Several ſtates hee may bee in, yet not in any good ſtate p. 27
Chap. 5. How the Hypocrite falls ſhort in point of Duties, and herein p. 29
1 What duties hee is defective in ibid.
2 Wherein hee fails in the manner of performing his duties p. 38
Chap. 6. The Hypocrite fails moſt in point of Graces p. 52
Five kindes of Grace wherein hee fails, 1 Preparative, 2 Fundamental; 3 Nutritive; 4 Perfective; 5 Privative ibid.
1 How hee fails in Preparatory graces p. 54
Chap. 7. How hee fails in Fundamental, or Radical graces p. 56
Three Radical graces, 1 Humility ibid.
2 Self-denial p. 61
3 Repentance p. 62
Chap. 8. How hee fails in Nutritive graces p. 65. Theſe are,
1 Faith ibid.
2 Love p. 69
3 Hope p. 73
4 Heavenly-mindedneſs p. 74
Chap. 9. The Crowning or Perfective graces hee fails in, which are three p. 77
1 Integrity p. 78
2 Integrality p. 79
3 Perſeverance p. 81
How the Hypocrite wants Privative, or Expulſive grace p. 82
Chap 10. The Application 1 Terror to unſound Profeſſors p. 84
Chap. 11. The paucity of ſuch as ſhall bee ſaved p. 91
Chap. 12. The Grand Uſe how far an Hypocrite may go, and periſh p. 101
Chap. 13. Contains the firſt Ladder of twenty Rounds, and is divided into four Sections.
1 Sect. Contains five ſteps p. 107
2 Sect. Five other ſteps p. 111
3. Sect. Five ſteps more p. 120
4. Sect. Five ſteps alſo p. 126
Chap. 14. The ſecond Ladder whereof Sect. 1. contains five ſteps p. 132
Sect. 2. Five ſteps p. 139
Sect. 3. Five ſteps p. 143
Sect. 4. Five ſteps p. 150
Chap. 15. The third Ladder, whereof
Sect. 1. Five ſteps p. 160
Sect. 2. Five ſteps p. 165
Sect. 3. Five ſteps p. 174
Sect. 4. Five ſteps p. 179
Chap. 16. The Hypocrites Looking-glaſs, divided into four Sections p. 196
Sect. 1. Contains divers marks of Hypocriſie p. 201
Sect. 2. Divers other marks p. 211
Sect. 3. Five Glaſſes of Chriſt to diſcover an Hypocrite p. 217
Sect. 4. The last Glaſs diſcovering an Hypocrite made up of his contradictions p. 222
And Diviſions p. 225
Chap. 17. The Sincere mans Glaſs, wherein the truth of Grace is diſcovered p. 229
Chap. 18. An Uſe of Exhortation backed with ſundry Motives and Directions p. 242
Chap. 19. The Concluſion, with an Uſe of Conſolation p. 266
THE Hypocrites Ladder, OR LOOKING-GLASSE.
Matth. 11. 23.
And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven, ſhalt bee brought down to Hell, &c.