A Divine Discovery of Sincerity, Title page – Table of contents
A Divine Diſcovery OF SINCERITY, According to its proper and peculiar nature: very profitable for an ſorts of perſons to peruſe. Firſt preached, and now publiſhed, for the good of Gods Church in generall.
By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Maſter of Arts.
PSAL. 78.37.
For their heart was not right with him; neither were they ſtedfaſt in hi… covenant.
PSAL. 119.80.
Let my heart be ſound in thy ſ…tutes, that I be not aſhamed.
LONDON, Printed by E. G. for Iohn Rotwell, at the Sunne in Pauls Church-yard. 1640.
TO THE VERTVOVS LADY BRIDGET LYDDELL, My much Honoured Aunt: Grace and peace be multiplied by Jeſus Chriſt.
MAdam: 'Tis Gods command to Abraham, and in him to us, That we ſhould walk before him, and be perfect. Abſolute perfection God doth not there meane, but intentionall: which is, when we deſire and endeavour with David, to have all our waies conformed to all Gods Statutes. Intentionall perfection, is no other but ſincere walking; and what this is, this tract now humbly preſented to your Ladyſhip, will plainely make knowne unto you. A ſincere heart, is a heart after Gods owne heart; which of all jewells which the Gentry, and Nobility weare, is the moſt reſplendent, in the breaſt and boſome to be worne. The richeſt jeweller, Chriſt, proffers this pearle of great price, without money, or money-worth, and the multitude ſleight it, as a low priſed thing, not worth the ſeeking after; but your Ladyſhip hath otherwiſe learned Chriſt: Many things Madam, may be convenient, but one is neceſſarie; to wit, a ſincere heart. The acquiring of this, is the worke of our whole life: the ſetting forth of this, in its nature and luſtre, is the worke of Chriſts Miniſters; the leaſt, and unworthieſt of all which, is your Nephew, which hath in this tract, done ſomething to this effect; from which, if your Ladyſhip ſhall reape an increaſe of good, to that ſweete ſtocke you have, I ſhall humbly bleſſe God. To whoſe bleſſing I commend your ſelfe and worthy Family; this worke, and the unworthy Authour,
Your much obliged Nephew, NICHOLAS LOCKYER.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
CHriſtian Reader, Two things ſhould be the principall matter of thy ſtudy; Chriſt and thine owne heart. The latter; to know thine owne miſery; the former, to know Gods rich mercy, and how thou mayſt be made partaker of it. So deceitfull is the heart of man naturally, that he thinkes himſelfe rich, and increaſed in goods, and knowes not that he is poore, and blind miſerable, wretched, and naked. And untill this deceit and unſoundneſſe be diſcovered, men will never ſeeke out for Chriſt, which is that Gold tried in the fire, which indeed makes poore man rich; and that white rayment, Iohn ſpeakes of, which indeed makes naked man comely, and covers all his deformity, from the all-ſeeing eye of him, which is perfect purity. The true knowledge of thine owne heart, this little tract will helpe thee to, by the bleſſing of God; if thou ſeriouſly peruſe it, and humbly ſeeke to him, who is the ſearcher and diſcoverer of all hearts, to go along with thee, in the reading of it. Which when once thou haſt gotten, thou wilt be capable of the ſaving knowledge of Chriſt, and reſtleſſe till thou haſt obtained it. And this when acquired, will reſolve thy doubting, comfort thy mourning, and ſtabliſh thy ſtaggering ſoule: 'twill give thee peace and joy unſpeakablo here, and bring thee to glory and joy incomprehenſible hereafter. To which, the Lord bring thee, and me.
Nicholas Lockyer.
A Table of the chiefe heads handled in this Tract.
I. Propoſition.
THat in ſimplicity, and godly ſincerity, we ought to have our converſation in this world, p. 10
The various acceptation of the word Simplicity, p. 10, 11
Sincerity diſtinguiſhed into Morall and Theologicall, p. 11
What Morall ſincerity is, p. 11, 12
What godly ſincerity is, p. 13, 14, &c.
Why we ought in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity to have our converſation in this world, p. 33, 34, &c.
The application of this firſt Doctrine.
We ſhould examine our ſelves by the deſcription of ſincerity, whether we walke as Paul did, to wit, ſincerely, in this hypocriticall age. p. 40, 41, &c.
What we ſhould doe, if upon examination we finde our ſelves hypocrites, p. 34
The cheating properties of hypocriſie, p. 54, 55, &c.
Conſiderations to move the heart, to be deeply and duely affected with hypocriſie. p. 57, 58, &c.
Holy inſtructions to ſuch, as upon examination finde themſelves to be as Paul in this preſent world, to wit, ſincere.
I. To be humble, p 60
II. To hold faſt our integrity, p. 61, 62
The ſeverall waies which there are, within us and without as, to corrupt us from that ſimplicity which is in Chriſt, p. 61, 62, 63, &c.
Sweet encouragements to perſevere in our ſincere converſation, what ever miſeries we meet withall. p. 65, 66
II. Propoſition.
That conſcience can give teſtimony, concerning the ſimplicity or hypocriſie of a mans converſation, p. 67, 68
What conſcience is, p. 69, 70 &c.
The grounds why God hath given this power to conſcience, to give teſtimony concerning the ſimpicity or hypocriſie of a mans converſation, p. 87, 88, &c.
The application of this ſecond point, p. 95
Seeing conſcience can give teſtimony, concerning the ſimplicity or hypocriſie of our converſation, we ought all, to take heed how we order our converſation, p. 96, 97
Multitudes live as if there were no conſcience, God, nor Divell; the dreadfull condition of ſuch, p. 97, 98
Conſcience ſhould not be ſuſpended, 99, 100
'Tis crying wickedneſſe; and 'tis incurable wickedneſſe, to offer violence to conſcience, p. 101
We ſhould not ſleight conſcience in his place, p. 102, 103
God will account the ſleighting of conſcience, a contempt of his prime Court of Iuſtice here below, and thoſe that ſit chiefe there, p. 104
What ſecret ſoule miſchiefe comes by ſleighting conſcience, p. 105
We ought diligently to hearken to the voice of conſcience, and why, p. 105, 106
We ought to take conſciences part, with or againſt our ſelves, p. 107, 108
III. Propoſition.
That conſciouſneſſe to our ſelves, of the ſimplicity and ſincerity of our converſation, will yeeld us joy in the midſt of troubles. p. 111, 112
Troubles diſtinguiſhed into naturall and accidentall, p. 114
What naturall troubles are; and how ſweetned by conſcience, p. 114, 115
What accidentall troubles are; and how conſcience makes a man rejoyce in the midſt of them, p. 116, 117
Joy diſtinguiſhed into ſenſuall and ſpirituall, p. 118
What ſenſuall joy is, ibid.
What ſpirituall joy is, p, 118, 119, 120, &c.
Why divine joy is called ſpirituall, p. 119, 120, 121, &c.
What joy 'tis that conſcience cauſeth in troubles, to him that walketh ſincerely, p. 130, 131
The grounds why, the teſtimony of conſcience concerning a mans ſimplicity muſt needs cauſe joy in the midſt of troubles, p. 131, 132, &c.
The application of this third point, p. 137
This Doctrine unfolds a riddle to blind worldlings, which wonder to ſee a man go rejoycing to priſon. p. 137
This Doctrine likewiſe ſhewes, that the great deſigne of the wicked againſt the godly is fruſtrate: which is, to deprive them of all comfort, if they could, p. 139, 140. &c.
If conſciouſneſſe to our ſelves of the ſincerity of our converſation will leſſen and ſweeten troubles, conſciouſneſſe of hypocriſie muſt needs imbitter all troubles, p. 142, 143
Man that is borne to troubles as the ſparks flie upward, exhorted to get an upright heart, and ſo an excuſing conſcience, to comfort him in all troubles, p. 144, 145
What kind of joy 'tis that conſcience raiſes in the ſoule, in times of trouble for righteouſneſſe ſake, p. 147, 148, &c.
What we ſhould doe if walking ſincerely, we do not for all this, finde our conſciences raiſing ſweet joy within us, in all our bitter troubles for righteouſneſſe ſake, p. 155
What we ought to doe, if we doe finde the joy of our ſincere courſe, p, 156, 157
The ſweet joy wch ariſeth to us from conſcience teſtifying our ſincerity, ſhould cauſe us to keepe on in our ſincere way, p. 160
What ſorrow 'tis, which conſcience as an accuſer for hypocriſie, cauſeth in the ſoule, p. 162, 163, &c.
IV. Propoſition.
That there be ſpeciall times and occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, which ought to be obſerved, and anſwerably to declare and ſhew our ſelves, p. 177
Perſonall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 181
Perſonall occaſions from the world, for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 181, 182
Perſonall occaſions from the fleſh, for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 183
Perſonall occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, from the Divell, p. 185
Domeſticall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity, 186, 187
Sociall or ſymmachicall occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 189, 190
Nationall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 191, 192
The reaſons why God in the courſe of his providence, brings about ſpeciall occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 196
I. That the world and the divell may ſee that Gods people are indeed ſincere, p. 196, 197
II. That God may hereby admirably advance his owne glory, p. 199
III. That God may admirably adde to the torture of the divell & his children, p. 201
IIII. That the joy of the upright may be augmented in this life, and in the life to come. p. 202
The application of this fourth and laſt point. 203
Men which through wilfulneſſe, and ſuch as of weakneſſe paſſe by ſpeciall occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, blamed, p. 203, 204
When men wilfully paſſe ly ſpeciall occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 204, 205
The cauſes why men wilfully paſſe by ſpeciall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 206
Their ſin is very great, which wilfully ſhun ſpeciall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity; & how this appeares. p. 207, 208
Such as paſſe by ſpeciall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity out of weakneſſe, are to be blamed, of which ſee 4 ſorts, p. 209, 210
Some ignorant of what is right; others of the time when that which is right, ſhould be ſtood for, p. 210, 211
The dangers which enſue, by being ignorant of time or judgement. p. 211, 212
Some through carnall feare, paſſe by ſpeciall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity p. 213
What ſuch ſhould doe for the cure of this evill, p. 214
Some through carnall perſwaſion, paſſe by ſpeciall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity; and how this evill may be cured, p. 215 216
Some out of carnall pitty, paſſe by ſpeciall occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity, and how this evill may be cured, p. 216, 217
Seeing there be ſpeciall times for the declaration of ſincerity, we ſhould diligently obſerve them; and how they may be knowne, p. 218, 219
As we are to take notice of ſpeciall time & occaſions, for the declaration of ſincerity, ſo we are to take hold of them, and how we may doe this aright, p. 221, 222
Encitements to take hold of ſpeciall times and occaſions for the declaration of ſincerity, p. 224
God cals for it, p. 224
Conſcience cals for it, p. 227
Church and State cals for it, ibid.
Soule and body will elſe ſeverely ſmart for p 228