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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bear_v	die_v	zion_n	20	3	8.7192	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93061	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.	Sheffeild, John, d. 1680.	1657 (1657)	Wing S3063; Thomason E1570_1	172,287	360

wings a peece they had also hands under their wings and feet besides And it is said their appearance was like burning coals and their motion was like a flash of lightning Here was nothing but activity and readiness for service with the greatest expedition Let mee quicken you with a few Motives 1 Look you faile not of grace for if you do you will faile of glory and faile of Heaven Heb. 12. 15. you read of failing of the grace of God Rom. 3. 23. you read of failing or falling short of the glory of God It is the same word faile of grace and faile of salvation By grace you are Eph. 2. 5. saved The Schollar must bee at School fitted for the University or hee cannot bee admitted there is not the place to learn his A B C or his Eight parts of Speech and the Christian must bee in the School of the Church trayned up and made fit or meet for that heavenly society here practise the singing the Songs Psal 137. 4. Rev. 14. 1. 3. of the Lord in a strange land that hee may sing them the readier upon Mount Sion The childe usually lives not when borne that had not his due time and growth before borne if wee dye before the time before wee have had our due formation and qualification for our translation Christ formed in us there is no possibility of living there The stroke of death and bar of judgement fit no man for heaven There is not the time and place of conversion The stone and timber was hewed and fitted in Lebanon there was no hammer to be used in the building You must get your 1 King 6. 7. work done here in the Grave is no place of opportunity 2 If you faile of True grace the grace of God it is all one you will faile of salvation There is no base mettal currant in heaven but such as hath the Image or superscription of God upon it It must have solidity and weight The Lord weigheth the spirits They must have their weight Thou Lord hast pleasure in uprightness requirest truth in the inward Prov. 16. 2. 1 Chron. 29. 1● Psal 51. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 12. 9. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 12 parts It must not bee the Kings stamp upon Adulterate Coyne It must bee faith unfained love without dissimulation holiness of Truth sincerity of God or nothing 3 If you shall faile in the number and measure of growth and degrees in grace I will not say but you may bee saved that is it is possible but you will have a hard bargain of it to bee as Peter saith Scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. or as Pauls phrase is to come off with some loss or difficulty and bee saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 15. Whereas as Paul saith If you come behinde in no gift of grace you may with comfort wait for the appearing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 7. And Peter saith If these bee in you and abound an abundant or open and easie entrance will bee granted to you into 2 Pet. 1. 8 11. the Kingdome of God 4 On the other side True Grace attained and maintained gives True peace of conscience and security to the soule in whatsoever distresses If pressed above measure even to despair of life the conscience is full of rejoycing upon the testimony of simplicity and godly sincerity that 2 Cor. 1. 12. not in fleshly wisdome but by the undoubted grace of God such have had their conversation in the world Such may say with holy Job Though hee kill mee I will trust in him but I will maintaine my wayes Job 13. 15 16. before him hee also shall bee my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him Such may as Peter saith When the heavens shall pass away with a hideous noise and the elements melt with extremity of heat and the 2 Pet. 3. 10 13. earth with all therein bee dissolved then m●y they according to the promise of God expect a new and better heaven and a new earth Yea such shall have a heaven on earth such shall see the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven Yea saith Rev. 21. 2. Christ to such I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of Rev. 3. 12. my God the New Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of Heaven and I will write upon him my new name 5 Which is more This is the onely way to glorifie God and his glory is much more to bee prized than our glory yea than our salvation To seek our own glory is no glory especially in competition with Gods glory Prov. 25. 27. and it is less sincerity Joh. 7. 18. God hath no glory at all upon earth but from a few sincere gracious souls of whom God saith This people have I formed Isa 43. 21. for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise And the godly have learnt to set a higher price on Gods glory than their own salvation as did our Saviour Joh. 12. 27 28. When hee first prayed for himself My soule is troubled Save mee c. hee gives that over with submission Thy will bee done I came therefore to this houre But bee I saved or not saved Father glorifie thy Name and in the Lords Prayer we are taught to pray first Hallowed bee thy Name and then Thy Kingdome come A godly soule like his Saviour Jo. 17. 4. Desireth first to glorifie God then that God should glorifie him True Grace doth not onely procure to the soule an heaven upon earth but to God an heaven on earth And hee doth seem to rejoyce more and so do the heavenly Rev. 11. 15. 12 10. host when the Kingdomes of the earth are become the Lords by a considerable increase and addition of new godly Converts then that the Kingdome of heaven is the Lords I read that Israel in the day of their solemn Thanksgiving and Rejoycing Exod. 15. 2. did proclaime God to bee their God and did promise to prepare for him an habitation It is more piety to prepare the heart for an habitation for God than to desire God to prepare heaven for an habitation for us 6 Lastly Bee diligent to get to keep to exercise to increase and improve Grace you will live usefully cheerfully fruitfully you will dye hopefully joyfully heaven-fully and enter into heaven with full assurance by a free and open passage 2 Pet. 1. 11. Now to conclude the Use with a few Directions 1 If thou wouldest not meet with Capernaums sad disappointment in the end Luke 14. 28. when thou first makest entrance begin and count the cost and resolve to goe through or never begin Resolve to regard neither winds nor clouds or never lay thy hand to the Plough nor go out Eccles 11. 4.

faith and sincerity and do highly adorn Religion so they may bee done also by hypocrites The worldly rich threw great gifts into the Church-bason in our Saviours time Mar. 12. 41. 42. and a poor widow threw in two mites and she is commended above them Not the Gift but the Giver is accepted with God they gave much for substance nothing for acceptance she little for value much for acceptance Micah was at great charge to maintain a Priest in his owne Jud. 17. 5. 13 house hee had a house of costly gods As David Samuel and Solomon so Saul had dedicated also like a Prince to the service of God 1 Chron. 26. 28. And as David and Solomon were at vast charges about the Temple building and maintaining the service and Ministry thereof sparing no cost for materials and workmen and Sacrifices So Artaxerxes was very noble and munificent in his contributions Ezra 7. 21. 22. Yea Herod the Idumean is said to build that Temple in which our Saviour taught at least a great part of it at his own charge Gage tells us that one who was a notorious Idolater and a Wizard besides gave six thousand Duckets towards the building and beautifying of a Church in the West-Indies We know that both Papists and Mahumetans strive to set out the beauty of their Temple above what the sound Christians assert as Hosea saith of Israel of old when they had forgotten their Maker they fell to building and adoring of Temples Hos 8. 14. So also for works of charity Did our Saviour out of his little give to the poor Jo. 13. 29. Act. 10. 2. Luke 19. 8. and Cornelius the Centurion and Zacheus when converted give much almes and relief to the poor So also did the Pharisees either out of opinion of merit or desire of popularity they sounded a Trumpet to call the poor together to receive and the spectators to behold their Mat. 6. 2. large doles And as we cannot but bless God for the bountiful hands of many renowned Founders and Benefactors to Churches Colledges and Almes-houses in our Land since the Reformation exceeding that of former ages so must wee also acknowledge that Blear-eyed Leah at Rome strives to be more fruitful in this kinde than our more beautifull Rachel 9 He may which is a high step indeed and a hard case I must needs say he may I say hope and purpose and desire and seek to enter heaven yet is disappointed This is plain by that of our Saviour Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter the strait gate for many I say to you will seek to enter in and shall not bee able Where three things are notable that stop his entrance 1 His seeking is a lazy seeking he seeks not earnestly enough Hee should strive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he doth but seek Now no man is crowned except hee strive 2 Tim. 2. 5. and strive lawfully He doth not say they strive but enter not but they seek Striving would carry heaven if it were earnest seeking will not much less wishing and woulding There must be pressing into heaven and an offering violence to it All that seek shall not be saved all that strive shall Mat. 11. 12. 2 The second bar is as his seeking is a lazy so a late seeking not earnestly enough nor early enough They shall seeke not they do seek or have sought There is a change of the Verb and of the Tense Striving is the saving Verb not seeking The present is the saving Tense not the future They who do seek shall finde not they who shall or will seeke Will seeke will not serve Many would when God will not because they will not when God would Thus it befell the foolish Virgins They ask seek knock cry call plead when it is too late Many shall seek 3 The third thing notable here is the last bar They shall not be able why who is able you may say I answer there was a time when the Lord was nigh now hee is departed they may seek him with Hos 5. 6. their flocks and their herds but in vain When the Master of the house is risen up and put to the door and saith Time was the day is past I would have healed Luke 13. 25. thee thou wouldest not There is a time when grace reacheth out the hand and disposeth thee to will and do then is the acceptable day and day of salvation then 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Phil. 2. 12 13. receive not grace in vain Then work out thy salvation with fear and trembling saith the Apostle upon this consideration There was a time when Sampson did but rowse up himself and hee could do wonders There was a time when the Lord was departed from Sampson then might Jud. 16. 20. he shake himself as long as he would but he was never the better It is a sad case when either the man is past grace or grace is past the man The day of grace over There are foure things as one saith well may be called the Devils Bearers that carry many a soul cleaverly to hell 1 Early but groundless hopes 2 Good but lazy wishes as Balaams Let mee dye the death of the righteous Num. 23. 10. 3 Good but cold purposes as Felix his were Go thy way Paul I will take a Act. 24. 25. fitter time for these things 4 Lond but late repentance as Esaus was Heb. 12. 17. So that as wee read in the Gospel of one sick of the Palsie that was born of four Bearers to come to Mat. 2. ● Christ so are many born by these four unto the chambers of death 10 In order to salvation as he conceives and to raise his hopes an hypocrite may be called by a Gospel-call There Mat. 20. 11. 16 is a double call 1 One that is external and uneffectual a ministerial call Such was his who was called into the Vineyard and afterwards murmured against the good man of the house and was rejected Such was his call who was brought into the wedding Supper without a wedding Garment Mat. 22. 12. 14. Many are thus called saith our Saviour but few are chosen 2 There is another call that is both outward and inward too which puts a wedding Garment on those so called these are said to be partakers of a heavenly calling Heb 3. 1. They are said to bee called according to purpose Rom. 8. 29. Such so called are predestinated and elected and justified and glorified Rom. 8. 30. They are called and chosen and faithful Rev. 17. 14. make this calling sure and you make election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. Therefore our fairest hopes of heaven are all lodged in this Call and said to bee the hope of our calling Eph. 1. 18. 4. 4. Thus was Paul called when he presently obeyed and said Lord here I am what wilt thou have me do With the other he was Act. 9. 6. called who demurred and delayed

slew two hundred Husbandmen of the Villages thereabouts Zisca hearing of these men and their detestable practises led out his Army against them and destroyed them I am loath to rake any longer in such a kennel but judge Reader if there bee any thing new under the Sun 18 Hee may bee vehement rigid or violent in preaching the Law and urging good duties Hee may lay a heavy load on anothers conscience himself doing just nothing the while like the Egyptian Task-masters Matth. 23. 3. Powerfull and thundring Preachers they may bee to others themselves livelesse and hollow as the silver Trumpets when sounding loudest filled only with wind Some have preached liberty to others when themselves were servents of corruption the Apostle saith and some preach bonds and duty to others but keep themselves at liberty But as it is not knowing 2 Pet. 2. 19. but knowing and doing makes the blessed hearer so it is not preaching but Jo. 13. 17. doing and teaching which makes the good Preacher such a one was Christ Act. 1. 1. himself The godly Minister must not docere facienda but faciendo the language of the life must go along with the language of the lip The man of God must bee a Seer not a Sayer and not a Word-man or a Sword-man but a Work-man that he may not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth dividing it to others and taking his part of it himself 19 Hee may go yet further be zealous for the Law the Law of God the Moral Law and that not onely to preach it but to observe it zealous to keep the whole Law onely he fails in one point the end of the Law he seeks righteousness Rom. 9. 33. 10. 2 3. from it and builds his hopes of justification upon it Thus did the Jews of old and to this day their children Thus do the Papists tread in their steps being ignorant of Gospel-righteousness of the righteousness of God by faith as it is called Phil. 3. 9. They seek to set up a righteousness of their own and perish They are for repentance and obedience for piety and charity too yet they perish These attain not the Law of Righteousness Rom. 9. 31. Fall from Grace Gal. 5. 4. Fall under the curse Gal. 3. 10. Stumble at Christ Rom. 9. 33. and lose all benefit by the Gospel making the death of Christ void Gal. 2. ult Take the Law out of the hand of a Mediator and it worketh nothing but wrath discovers all cures no sin Hence Paul told the Galathians he feared all his labour was lost on them while they turned from mount Sion to Sinai to the Gal. 4. 11. 20. 21. Law from the Gospel for justification It is observable when the Lord appointed two Mountains one for blessing Mount Deut. 27. 4 5. 13. compared Gerizim the other for cursing Mount Ebal that the Law was to bee written not on Gerizim but Ebal whence all the curses were poured out Wee pity the ignorance of some who make the Creed a Prayer and thou art as far out if thou make the Ten Commandements a Creed to expect salvation from the Law 20 The last step is a very high one indeed whereby the hypocrite is lifted up above the middle to the highest Region even lifted up to heaven and yet doth perish in his way Hee may be righteous overmuch Eccles 7. 16. Hee may exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yet not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Such were the Essaei or Esseni a noted sect among the Jews about the time of our Saviour of whom though no mention is made in the Evangelists yet do Ecclesiastical Writers speak much of them and Josephus largely They called themselves Essaei quasi Mag. Cent. 1. l. 1. c. 5. In Pharisaeis hipocrisin fueosamque pietatem cernevant in Sadducaeis Epicurismum c. dicas operatores as if they would say they were all Works not words and shews as the Pharisees were not Brutes and Epicures as the Sadduces were As once some Hereticks called themselves Gnosticks as if none had any knowledge of God but themselves so these called themselves Essens as if none had any works or good life but they That as the Chinois say of themselves They onely have all their eyes the Europeans have one eye other Nations none so these thought and gave out that they were above the common rank of Professors ● D●vid 〈◊〉 dicit h●c discrie● 〈◊〉 in●●● just●m ●he●ed justus ea fac●t quae lex praescribi● Chesed vero aliquid amplius Vide plura in Cameron ad Mat. 19. 3. De Pharisaeis others were called Simpliciter p●i these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others did observe what the Law required these exceeded they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive auctarium legis their over-measure whereby they over-shot the Laws Standard saith Camero and he gives another derivation of the name from the Syriack Chesi which signifies one extraordinary righ●eous It would astonish one to read and consider what is recorded of them for their piety doctrine life excess in devotion their charity morality severity contempt of the world So that you would think if any were lifted up to heaven and should as Constantine said to Acesius Socrat. l. 1. c. 7. Climb up by a Ladder of their owne these should I shall transcribe some passages concerning them out of Josephus The Essens saith he were the third Sect a sort of people abounding in love each Mutuo inter se amore conjunctissimi voluntates qu●si maleficia vi●ant nu●tias fastiamat c. to other they shun all pleasure as unlawful or as Witchcraft Continence is a chief vertue with them they forbid not marriage but forbear it yet are very charitable in bringing up others children for them as if they were their owne kindred Riches they contemn for all is common with them no man hath more than another Poverty is no disparagement Riches no advantage to any They live as so many brethren of one Patrimony or joynt-stock Oyntment and ornaments of the body they detest judging slovenliness Squalorem decorem putant for a grace if any of their Profession come from other parts they entertain them as freely as their Neighbours and they who never saw one Tanquam conluetissimi ad cos ingrediuntur quo● nunquam ante viderunt anothers face before at first sight are as familiar as if they had been acquainted seven years They are all cloathed alike Their cloaths or shooes they change not till they can wear them no longer They buy not nor sell to one another but give or exchange But saith he for Religion to P●aecipue erga Deum Religiosi sunt God-ward they are singular For before Sun-rise not an evil word do they speak but tendring their vows and prayers they pray for the Sun-rising Then every one to his business till almost noon when they meet they

these three signes come to pass when thou feelest these three drawings do as occasion serveth for 1 Sam. 10. 7. the Lord is with thee As when the Fig-tree and all the other trees put forth leaves you know the Summer is nigh so when these three drawings come know the Kingdome of God is nigh even at the door Lastly If thou canst not say Thou hast ever yet come to Christ in these former comings thou canst not say Thou ever camest humbly penitently beleevingly self-despairingly importunately c. or that ever thou wast drawn to him as I said even now thy case is sad I confess yet not desperate I have one word to say to thee yet ere I have done to thy comfort Hee that hath ears to hear let him hear hee that can receive this saying let him receive it Despair not no mans case is utterly desperate There is one more coming yet the last the late coming the coming of the Theef on the Cross come yet to Christ come judging thy selfe condemning thy selfe suing for mercy and cast thy selfe upon Christ there is a possibility yet left and some hopes that thou mayest bee safe but I speak not so certainly and confidently here as upon the former comings This was the late coming of the Theef upon the Cross hee had never been called before nor haply heard of a Christ before but now when death was upon him and his sin heavier than death hee looks up to a crucified Saviour judging himself rebuking his railing companion confessing Luke 23. 40 41 42. Christ when all the Disciples had left him and casting himself upon his mercy Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome I say there is yet a possibility for thee This example is written for our consolation that none should despaire yet have wee but one such example in all the Scripture lest any should presume And of this Scripture wee may say as much as of any one other wicked and ungodly men have perverted it to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. But very observable it is that though all the four Evangelists speak largely of our Saviours passion and mention his suffering between two Theeves yet onely one of them St. Luke mentions the conversion of the Theef The Holy Ghost fore-saw what ill use might bee made thereof therefore thought fit it should bee but sparingly set down But is this a good Argument Elias was taken up into heaven in a Chariot of fire ergo I may bee so too There were many Prophets in Israel only Elias was so taken up to heaven Many Lepers in Israel in Luke 4. 25 26. 27. Elishaes dayes A Syrian was cleansed but not one of them One Widow relieved miraculously by Elias when there were many others that famished But I may as well retort this Argument and turn it upon thee There were two Theeves crucified with Christ the one saw Christ dye heard him pray c. saw the other Theef repenting yet hee repented not as hee lived hee dyed a Blasphemer hee lived a Blasphemer hee dyed hee lived denying God dyed despising Christ so mayest thou Thus dyed he and it was just with God to leave him at his death who had left God all his life I have heard of one taken out of the belly of hell Jonah so calls the Whales Ionah 2. 2 belly where he had been three dayes and three nights in great distress you never read of a second and I know the Papists speak of one Trajan delivered out of hell it self by the prayers of Gregory and one Falconella by the prayers of Tecla But all these cases were extraordinary and miraculous and not to be expected every day This dreaming of late repentance hath slain not his Thousands but his ten Thousands Therefore I do not say certainly if thou comest in the last hour thou shalt be safe All that I can say is there may be some good hopes The other former comings are the safe comings The shortest and easiest way to Heaven is not the safest But fear rather to promise thy self such a fair gale at last upon neglecting present coming It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 6. 37. not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 22. 17. that the promises are made unto The present tense is the saving tense Him that cometh not that will come shall not bee cast out Esau came and found it too late the five foolish Virgins came and came too late Those Scoffers Prov. 1. 28. Those in Hos 5. 6. Those in Mat. 7. 21. and Luke 13. 25 26. All too late These are the comers of whom wee are Heb. 12. 17. afraid of these we cannot say one is taken and another left but one taken and an hundred left So that these run the greatest hazard that may be Caelum stultitia petimus amittimus it is as if they should think to take heaven by storming and break into Paradise by force when the Angel of God stands with a drawn fiery sword to keep them out Those forementioned Scriptures Prov. 1. 28. Mat. 7. 21 22. Hos 5. 6. Luke 13. 24 25. are as so many drawn swords to shut thee out I see we can give over the attempting a nearer way to the East Indies by a North East passage because all have perished or miscarried in that undertaking and we are content though it be a great way about to cross the Line to come thither safely and wilt thou adventure on that way that so many have miscarried in Thou hadst better cross the Line by self-denial and taking up the yoke and thou art safe Suppose there were some dangerous Gulph which once one ship passed and never but one and that with much hazard but an hundred attempting it had all suffered shipwrack and were cast away will not all fear how they adventure If there were a narrow plank laid over some high bridge over which one had rode safe by night as the story goes such a thing was once done at Rochester will any advisedly do it by day it is a thousand to one he fell not in There is but one since the world began that wee read of that came off safe thus and must it needs be so with thee Shall the dead praise God or shall a man bee borne when he is old or a childe bee born at all without any conception The presuming to come to Christ at death is as if thou Isa 66. 8. mightest come safe to Christ on dry land but thou wilt chuse to come with Peter on the waters a thousand to one but thou sinkest But to conclude if thou comest seriously self-judgingly casting thy desperate case into the Arms of infinite Power and Mercy though thou seest thy self ready to sink even into hell Cry Lord save mee I perish It may bee Christ may stretch out his hand and save thee FINIS