Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	earth_n	fire_n	great_a	4,376	5	3.2677	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

symptome of hypocrisie on the other extreme as soparation and division was in the former This would make the Church Catholick indeed but would destroy the Communion of Saints The Lord of old would have the Sanctuary yea the Camp Numb 5. 2 3. holy and the unclean put out The Church is not to bee as Noahs Arke a common receptacle of all sorts clean and unclean It is true that our Saviour came to take down partition and separation walls yet had hee his separation fan in his hand too to purge his floor by throwing out the chaffe and gathering the wheat together It is observable there are two great Congregators and Uniters in Nature Heat and Cold Heat congregates and unites homogeneous things and disgregates heterogeneous as wee say As the fire congregates the pure mettal together and separates the dross from it Cold congregates all disgregates and separates nothing The hard Frost unites earth stone water trash any thing into one lump That which unites all the godly is the right union because from heat But that which takes in all admits tolerates every person doctrine opinion and practice must needs bee from Cold. Hypocrisie is ever made up of mixtures Sincerity is all one and the same without compositions It was reproved as a defect in the Church of Pergamus That the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans were connived at and tolerated there Rev. 2. 14 15. and on the other side commended in the Ephesian Church vers 2. That they could not brook those that were evill but did try out them that said they were Apostles but were not And this is properly hypocrifie according to the Grammatical sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjudication or minus Judication a judging less than is meet though commonly hypocrisie doth over-lash and is for the most part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an over-judging and too much readiness that way as wee shall see more of it hereafter SECT 2. Contains several other Notes of palpable Hypocrisie 1 When you see a man that can bee a great Professor and yet at the same time live in any open gross sin call him an Hypocrite He is unclean utterly unclean shut him up I know that holy men are not without their infirmities There is no man in all Israel like Absolom without spot from the crown of the head 2 Sam. 14. 25 to the sole of the foot but that onely Lamb without spot In many things wee Jam. 3. 2. sin all The godly man though effectually called is not perfectly cured yet is there a great difference between spot and spot plague and plague But where you see such notorious sins as those enumerated 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4. all covered under the mask or long robe of Forms of godliness cry out Duplex Iniquitas Cursed hypocrisie Double iniquity They shall bee lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false-accusers unchaste c. Yet having a form of godliness c. This was foretold to be the disease of the later times and it is too plainly fulfilled in our dayes I may call this the Morbus Anglicus the English disease There was an old disease in the time of Hen. 7. and after that was called Morbus Anglicus or Sudor Anglicus The sweating sickness that seized on the English above any other Nation and swept away many thousands and many of eminent rank two Lord Mayors of London and six Aldermen the Chronicler saith were taken away by it in eight dayes space But this is a worse disease that seizeth on Hollings head the more eminent and noted sort of persons and this infection spreads that as the same Historian records in Hen. 8. dayes it went through Towns and took away one half of the Town sometimes so is it not now to be bewayled I shall say no more but I beleeve if Bernard were alive again and saw the Apostacy and Hypocrisie of these latter times hee would cry out worse than ever hee did against his Meridianus Diabolus his Noon-day Devil Vae generationi isti propter fermentum Pharisaeorum quod est hypocrisis si modo hypocrisis dici debet c. Woe saith hee to this generation because of hypocrisie if so be it may bee yet called Hypocrisie which for his Bern. Ser. 33. sup Cant. Omnes amici omnes inimiei omnes necessarii omnes adversarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici abundance cannot for his impudence cares not to bee hid This botch spreads all over the body of the Church and the further it runs the more desperate and the more dangerous because it eats inward All are tainted with it saith hee All are friends yet all enemies all are for Christ yet all against Christ c. Non fugare non fugere eos potest There is saith hee no flying from them or making them flye they are so many and in the end hee concludes That these are the worst enemies the Church ever had Persecution did much hurt in the first spreading of the Gospel Haeresie did more after than persecution but Hypocrisie more than Persecution and Heresie both 2 Note Every Hypocrite studies the black Art of simulation and dissimulation to cover or colour vices and to get a name and shew of vertue hee desires more to seem righteous than to bee so and fears more to bee thought unrighteous than to be so he doth rather colorare Bernard vitia quam colere virtutes cover and colour vice than covet vertue His study is to paint and though face-painting is bad grace-painting is worse said Chrysostome shee that paints tears is worse hee Hom. 6. in Mat. saith then shee that paints to seem faire Judas was notable for this black Art hee pretends much charity to the poor when he would have been fingring the mony for the poores use and his Master-peece was to plot and effect the betraying of his Master and no man suspect him and to give Livery and Seisin with an harmless kiss Like the Lap-wings you know not where to have them they are most loud when furthest off the neast most silent when nearest 3 Ever the hypocrite is a man of a capacious conscience Interest blows this bladder and then it reatcheth hee can finde a dispensation or distinction for every thing that is advantagious Gain and godliness are to him Synonima's or convertible terms And hee can beat 2 Tim. 6. 5. out godliness very thin to make his gain the thicker Hee can run with the Hare and hold with the Hound as wee say Reconcile Christ and Belial light and darkness and finde a Back-door to pass with Judas from Christ to the High Priests and from them to him again 4 The hypocrites Religion is ever acted by some outward motive not internal principle Hee is wiser than to ingage on the weakerside and to imbark himself further than to make the

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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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

of the Gyant of Gath that defied Israel and fell by the hands of Davids Worthies and this 2 Chron. 21. 4 5. c. last hypocrisie is like that Monster who had many fingers and toes more than the others had And hee that shall destroy this enemy and take away this reproach from Israel deserves a name among the first three and that his house should bee made free in Israel Wee should all unite our forces and our prayers with Elihu That the hypocrite much more hypocrisie raign not lest the Job 34. 30. people bee insnared ne sint Tendiculae populi Junius Lest they prove snares to the people as the Midianites were Alas as hee said of his honours and advancements so we may say of all our reformation and hopes what doth all this avail so long as this no Mordecai sits in the gate either it must bee brought down or wee But who shall discover this lurking enemy which like the Hectick Fever is at first hard to bee discovered and easie to bee cured at last easily discovered but hardly to bee cured They who deal in other points know with whom they have to do and what adversaries they are likely to meet with Should we write about Image-worship the Papist about free-wil the Arminian about Church-discipline some others would stand up in opposition But here wee have to do with men of all professions our hand as Ishmaels must bee against every mans and it may bee every mans hand against us Wee may cry out in the words of that Jew son of Ananias before the destruction of Jerusalem who cryed out a voice from the East a voice from the West a Euseb l. 3. c. 8. voice from the four Winds a voice upon Jerusalem and the Temple c. Woe woe c. Wee haue them whom wee write against amongst the Papists amongst the Protestants amongst Arminians amongst Anabaptists Quakers Seekers yea amongst Episcopal Presbyterian and Independent Professors yea such have been among the Apostles among the Prophets among Disciples among Saints Wee may take up Bernards complaint of the Church in his time Nunc vero quem ejiciet aut a quo abscondet se Ecclesia c. postea Serm. 35. Sup. Cant. Non fugare non fugere eos potest Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes necessarii omnes adversarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici c. Now saith hee what shall the Church do whether shall it fly to bee hid and quiet or whom shall it cast out to bee purged There is no flying from nor means to make them fly from us all are friendly all are false c. And whereas he saith the Church of Christ hath suffered much from three hands yet saith he that it hath suffered most from hypocrisie Persecution began first and sought to make havock of the Church but that hurt not so much it sent many Martyrs to heaven the Church Triumphant was enriched the Church Militant confirmed and encreased then came Heresie and did more misehief by Schismes rents and pernicious opinions than ever Persecution had done But at last ●●me hypocrisie and in the midst of peace and security did more mischief than they both This is like that little horn in Daniel Dan. 7. 8. before which the other two horns were pul'd up by the roots and this little horn had Ver. 21. eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth Ver. 25. speaking great things This it is said prevailed against the Saints themselves to wear out the Saints of the most High And the same little horn is spoken of again Dan. 8. 10. That it waxed great even to the Host of heaven and cast down some Dan. 8. 9 10. and 25. of the Host and of the Stars to the ground and stamped upon them and through his policie hee causeth craft to prosper in his hand magnifieth himself in his heart and by peace shall destroy many All which were never more verified of any enemy to the Church of God than of this Arch-enemy Hypocrisie Some have compared England formerly to Laodicea wee may now more fitly to Capernaum in three things alike being lifted up to heaven 1. By Gods bounty in bestowing a plenty if not plenitude of gifts graces and spiritual endowments upon it 2. In the esteem of other Churches by their high and as they judge but due valuation 3. And by our selves lifted up too too high in a self-magnifying admiration Oh that we may not bee like Capernaum in the fourth after all these liftings up to bee cast down to hell The English Professor was looked upon formerly as the eminent Professor planted a Noble Vine a right seed How is it now turned into a degenerate plant of a strange Vine as the Prophet complained once of Israel Jer. 2. 21. Wee were forewarned of the Apostasie of the latter times and wee have seen those predictions 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. sadly fulfilled in our daies as if those Scriptures like to a Blazing Star had been culminant and perpendicular over our Churches There are also great and gracious promises made to these latter times that the Mountain of the Lord shall bee exalted upon the top of the mountains that Satan shall bee bound up Oh that as the times draw neer wee might bee a people prepared for the Lord and that those promises especially might bee accomplished that thy people shall bee all righteous And in righteousness Es 60. 21. thou shalt bee established That what was found in Christ may bee found in Es 54. 14. all his members righteousness to bee the girdle of their loyns and faithfulness the girdle Es 11. 5. of their reins Those are very great and glorious promises I consess which are made that the earth shall bee filled with the knowledge Hab. 2. 14. of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea that the light of the Moon shall bee as the Sun c. But those are far more high thy people shall bee all righteous Es 30. 26. It is not so much in knowledge as in righteousness and true holiness that the Image of God did once shine in the first Creation and now doth in the New Creature Satan retaining his knowledge righteousnesse being lost hath nothing of the Image of God left but is a Prince of Darkness Truth or sincerity is by the Apostle made the first and principal part of the spiritual Armour Ephes 6. 14. and compared to the girdle which holds all together In our fullest knowledge wee are said to bee like to an Angel of God so was David 2 Sam. 14. 17 20. But in sincerity wee are said to bee like to God himself as Acts 13. 22. David a man after Gods own heart in that respect Look how much God is above an Angel so much is sincerity above knowledge As the glory of the visible world is man the glory of man the head

vain is the snare laid in the air to catch the bird the danger is when shee comes down to the ground The way of life is above to the wise to escape the snares of death below The Christian must bee an Amphibion not live wholly in one element but his body on earth his soul in heaven like the Eagle whose food is below neast on high shee comes down for necessity to bait and water and upon the wing again So should the Christian in using the world as not using it have to do with it for necessity then up again to 1 Cor. 7. 31. God again I am continually with thee Psal 73. 23. as the Dogs at Nyle or Gideons Souldiers at the Rivers side lap or sip and away Judg. 7. 7. or as Elias eat and drink a little then high us to Horeb the mount of God Hee is a poor Christian who like the Reubenites 1 King 19. 8. hath all his Inheritance and business on this side Jordan but hee happy who like the Manassites hath one half on this side the other half on the other side Jordan CHAP. IX Of the three Crowning Graces whereof the Hypocrite is ever found defective FOurthly The hypocrite is ever found wanting in the Crowning and perfective Graces whereof I shall name three Integrity Integrality and Perseverance The Scripture speaks of a threefold Perfection of Christians answerable to which are these three Graces 1 There is a perfection of hearts And Asahs heart was perfect This is the 2 Chron. 15. 17. perfection of Integrity 2 Perfection of parts as the body when it hath all the members Lev. 20. 21. So when wee are perfect and intire wanting nothing Jam. 1. 4. So that wee come behinde in no gift c. 1 Cor. 1. 7. This is the perfection of Integrality 3 When wee hold out to the end this is the perfection of Perseverance Both Hebrews and Greeks have one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies both the end and perfection There is no perfection at all if it endure not to the end The Apostle 1 Thess 5. 23. hath a most significant word The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies properly to sanctifie you totally and finally There is Integrity Integrality and Perseverance all three together 1 Integrity is the first Crowning and Gen. 6. 9. Job 1. 1. perfective grace it is often called our Perfection It is the shining grace and the varnish that sets off all other graces with a lustre It is that which constitutes a Christian and is of his very essence No sincerity no Christian It is not onely a grace but the Grace of all graces whence they all are denominated and grace is no more grace if sincerity bee wanting Faith is not faith if it bee not unfained faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor is love love if not without dissimulation 1 Tim. 1 5. 2 Tim. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 9. nor is holiness and righteousness any thing if it want Truth Eph. 4. 24. This makes a Christian currant though hee want some graines as Asa his heart was perfect 2 Chron. 15. 17. without this hee cannot pass An hypocrite wants many things but sincerity most hoc unum deest therefore hee miscarries The worm never breeds but in the sappy unsound wood The Apostle calls sincerity Incorruption Eph. 6. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compare those two Texts Heb. 2. 4. and Heb. 10. 38. And you may collect this that hee whose heart is not upright in him is first lifted up then drawn back then God draws back too and hath no pleasure in him then God leaves him owes him a shame layes a stumbling Ezek. 3. 20. block in his way hee falls foulely and desperately at last as Judas Ananias Saphira Alexander the Coppersmith who had they been sincere they had never drawn back unto perdition It is a rule in Nature all corruption comes from composition therefore all sublunary bodies decay but what is uncompounded is incorruptible the heavens are such bodies a quintessence therefore decay not all corruption in a Christian comes from composition where the heart is not single but any mixture of guile such hold not out pray for sincerity rather than singularity for integrity of heart rather than eminency of parts 2 Integrity is ever accompanied with Integrality which is the best discovery of sincerity This is our next perfection The Christian must bee a compleat man his Armor is a compleat Armour and his obedience must bee compleat to stand Eph. 6. 13. Col. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 7. compleat in the whole will of God Hee must come behinde in no gift grace or duty that hee may wait for the appearance of Christ Jesus Hee must bee perfect and intire wanting nothing His whole soul and body and spirit must bee sanctified Jam. 1. 4. 1 Thess 4. 12. wholly Universality is one of the best notes of a Christian though one of the worst of the Church Dolus latet in particularibus sinceritas patet in universalibus I may say here deceit lyes in particulars sincerity in universals Where you see one walk in all the Ordinances of God call him sincere as Zachary and Elizabeth where Luke 1. 6. you see halting in one as the young man hold him suspected yea where you see one do many things as Herod if not all one is none and many is none All or nothing See then that no grace want her mate as it is said Thou hast zeal it may bee but is thy zeal coupled with Es 34. 16. Rom. 10. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 5. knowledge knowledge thou hast but is it accompanied with vertue thy vertue with faith thy faith with love thy love with obedience obedience with conscience conscience with sincerity sincerity with integrality Then there is no danger but all is safe But wee may write of every hypocrite what wee do of some books that had been excellent if some peeces had not been lost desiderantur non-nulla some thing is wanting the book is imperfect and no body can tell what to make of it It is not Agrippas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his almost will serve or Herods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many things Mar. 6. 20. But Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 15. Grow up to him in all things and Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 15. 14. Yee are my Disciples if yee do whatsoever I command you yea Christ hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both Matth. 28. 20. Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I command you c. 3 Perseverance is the last crowning grace and is heir apparent to the Crown of glory These three graces last named are like King Davids three several 1 Sam. 16.