Upon Uprightness, Imprimatur – Table of contents
IMPRIMATUR,
Rob. Grove R. P. Dno Episc. Lond. a Sac Dom.
A Plain Discourse UPON UPRIGHTNESS.
SHEWING THE Properties and Priviledges OF AN Upright Man.
By Richard Steele, M. A. and Minister of the Gospel.
John 1. 47.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him. Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.
The Second Edition.
LONDON, Printed for E. Calvert, and are to be sold by John Williamson, at the Sun and Bible in the New Buildings on London Bridge. 1672.
The Epistle to the READER.
Friendly Reader,
THis small Book hopes for thy Acceptance, meerly for its Honesty and Plainness, which I have chiefly studied all along; a plain discourse being fittest upon plainness of Heart. I am not ignorant of the various & excellent Tractates upon this Subject; unto which Matter and Variation of Method is super added, which I hope you will find in this piece in hand.
Moreover there are such swarmes of litigious Books of Controversies, which scorch up all true Love and Zeal, and greatly grieve such as love Peace, that may perhaps make such Discourses as this concerning the Vitals of genuine Piety, to be very necessary. For certainly if our ends were Right, and our Hearts Upright with our God; if Christian Magistrates, Ministers, and People were plainly and truly bent to promote the Honour, Love and Fear of God, and the indubitable wayes of Holiness, we should soon agree, or else charitably indulge one another in these lesser things; 'Tis Hypocrites on all sides that make our wound incurable. Surely where the Mind is sound, and the Heart sincere in the Main, grains of allowance should be granted for some Errors of the understanding and Failings in the Conversation; lest we deal with others, as we would be loath to be dealt with, either by God or Men. The Consideration hereof, as also of the scarcity of sincere Christians, to the plenty of Hypocrites in the world, may make some Tolerable Apology for this small Tract; which I do most earnestly recommend, first to the blessing of the Lord, and then to your diligent perusal. Read and think, and read and pray, and then through his Grace it shall be useful to you. And I beseech you for the Lord Jesus sake, and for the love of the Spirit, strive together with me, in your prayers to God for me a miserable sinner, that I may be Upright and Useful till I dye, whereby you will abundantly recompence these Indeavours of
Your Servant in the Gospel R. S.
Octob. 1. 1670.
The Contents.
CHAP. I.
OF the Uprightness of Man.
Sect. 1. The Context. Page 1.
Sect. 2. The Text opened. 4
Sect. 3. Doctrine. Where God doth find an upright man, he shews himself an upright God. 8
Sect. 4. What is uprightness. 9
Its Scripture Names.
1. Truth. ibid.
2. Sincerity. 10
3. Singleness of heart. 11
4. Integrity. 12
Sect. 5. Uprightness distinguished into
1. Uprightness of heart, where 14
1. The Ground of it. 15
1. Total receiving of Christ. ibid.
2. Total resigning to Christ. 17
Sect. 6. 2. The Nature of it. 20
1. Single without Division. ibid.
2. Sound without Rottenn…. 21
3. Pure without Mixture. 23
4 Perfect without Reservation 25
5. Plainness without Guile. 26
Sect. 7. 3. The Object about which it is conversant. 28
1. Inward Religion. ibid.
1. Obtaining invisible Graces. 29
2. Performing invisible Duties. 31
3. Avoiding invisible Sins. 32
Sect. 8. 2. Universal Religion. 33
1. Hating all Sin. 34
2. Loving all Duty. 35
Sect. 9. 3. Constant Religion. He walks 39
1. Before God. 43
2. With God. 44
3. After God. ibid.
4. Like God. 45
Sect. 10. An Inference, viz. The necessity of Regeneration. 46
Sect. 11. II. Uprightness of Life, where
1. Necessity of it. 49
Sect. 12. 2. Description of it.
1. In Simplicity. 52
2. In Purity. 53
3. In Perfection. 55
4. In Plainness. 56
Sect. 13. 3. The Object of it.
1. In words, being Opposite 58
1. To Flattering. 59
2. To Lying. 60
3. To Equivocations. 61
4. To Promise-breaking. 63
Sect. 14. 2. In Deeds, being Opposite 65
1. To Craftiness. 67
2. To Time-serving. 68
3. To Defrauding. 70
4. To All injustice. 72
Sect. 15. An Inference, viz. the Paucity of Upright men. 75
CHAP. II.
OF the Uprightness of God. 78
Sect. 1. God shews himself upright.
1. Why. Its agreeable to his
1. Nature. ibid.
2. Method. ibid.
3. Honour. 79
4. Promise. ibid.
2. How. 1. Overlooking their Infirmities. 80
Sect. 2. 2. Defending their Persons. 84
Sect. 3. 3. Strengthning their Graces. 89
Sect. 4. 4. Hearing their Prayers. 93
Sect. 5. 5. Comforting them in their straits. 98
Sect. 6. 6. Directing them in their doubts. 103
Sect. 7. 7. Clearing their Integrity. 106
Sect. 8. 8. Stablishing them to the end. 110
Sect. 9. 9. Bestowing outward Blessings. 114
Sect. 10. 10. Crowning their Integrity,
1. With Internal Peace. 118
2. With Eternal Glory. 120
CHAP. III.
THe Application. 123
Sect. 1. Use …. Information.
1. The Equity of God. ibid.
2. The Misery of Hypocrites. 124
Hypocrites Pleas answered.
1. General Approbation. 127
2. Singular Obedience. 128
3. Quiet of Conscience. 129
Sect. 2. Use 2. Repr. 1. Those that Distrust an upright God. 2. Those that Distast an upright man. 133
Sect. 3. Use 3. Exam. 1. The necessity of Tryal. 137
Sect. 4. 2. The marks for Tryal.
An upright man,
1. Really approves himself to God. 141
2. Chiefly Loves God. 143
3. Willingly Obeys God. 145
4. Judiciously Appeals to God. 146
5. Trades not in presumptuous sins. 148
6. Keeps himself from his Iniquity. 150
Sect. 5. Use 4. Exhortation.
1. To the upright,
1. Praise the Lord. 152
2. Proceed in your Integrity. 153
Sect. 6. 2. To such as doubt of their Uprightness.
1. Sit not down quiet in this uncertainty. 155
2. Set about the means of assurance. 156
Sect. 7. 3. To those that want uprightness. Labour for it.
1. Motives.
1. Its Amiable. 158
2. It… Comfortable. 159
3. Its Necessary. 160
1. To good Duties here. ibid.
2. To Salvation hereafter. ibid.
Sect. 8. 2. Means.
1. Study Humility. 161
2. Be faithful in Self-examination. 162
3. Get an hatred to Hypocrisie, and a love to Uprightness. 163
4. Attend a scarching Ministry. 164
5. Be instant in Prayer. 166
Sect. 9. Use 5. Consol. of the upright. Their doubts resolved.
1. From Allegations of Satan. 168
2. From the Censures of men. 169
3. From the Cry of Conscience. 170
4. From sad Experience. 171
1. Of Dryness in secret Duties. ibid
2. Of Decayes. 172
3. Of Inconstancy. 173
5. From the deceitfulness of the Heart. 175
A Plain Discourse UPON UPRIGHTNESS.
Psal. 18. 25.
—With an Upright Man thou wilt shew thy self Upright.