with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards but specially amongst you THe fourth and last proposition which now according to order and method comes to be handled is this 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 The Church of the Corinthians was very vitious in doctrine and manners as we may plainely see by many expressions or Saint Paul in his first and second Epistle to them They were a 1 Cor. 1.11 contentious and b 1 Cor. 4.6 puffed up one against another They had itching eares and carnally gloried in 〈◊〉 one was for c 1 Cor â—â— Paul and another for Apollo and another for Cephas They were voluptuous so voluptuous that before they came to the Lords Supper one was hungry another d 1 Cor 11 21 drunken in the House of God They were followers of heathenish fashions as in their apparell and meates so in their haire wearing it so long that 〈◊〉 e 1 Cor 11 14,16 nature and the custome of the Church of Christ condemned it They were f 1 Cor. 10 25. superstitious g 1 Cor. 10 14 idolatrous h 1 Cor. 6 9,10,11 adulterous fornicatours abusers of themselves with man-kind theives covetous drunkards revilers extortioners murmurers i 1 Cor 10 9,10 tempters of Christ k 1 Cor. 11 â—… backbiters whisperers raisers of tumults and what noâ—… This grosse wickedâ—… made Paul to stirre up the grace of 〈◊〉 in him and to use great boldâ—… 〈◊〉 towards this Church as himselfe saith 2 Cor. 7.4 with all plainenesse and powerfulnesse reproving their sinnes and making manifest the truth to every mans l 2 Cor. 4.2 conscience in the sight of God They were grown so loose that Paul was forc'd to use such m 2 Cor. 13.10 sharpe and home expressions and with such majesty as you shall not finde him the like to any Church Twise in one Epistle useth he this upbraiding expression n 1 Cor 5.6 1 Cor 15 34 I speake this to your shame which not once throughout all his Epistles to any other Church doth he use the like upbraiding language And then delivering his reproofes with such a transcendâ—nt majesty Moreover I call God for a record upon my soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth 2 Cor. 1.23 Aâ— it he would dart their souleâ— through with such an holy feare of God that their loose hearts for ever after might stand in awe and sin not Thus as this Church above all other gave Saint Paul speciall occasion for the declaration of his uprightnesse and sincerity so answerably hee couragiously applied himselfe unto them which is the meaning of this expression in my text but more abundantly to you-ward or specially among you Paul had dealt sincerely with all other Churches but other Churches were not so openly wicked and therefore there needed not that he should use such open majesticall contestation with them This Church of Corinth was very openly and wilfully wicked and therefore Paul answerably opened his mouth against them O Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is inlarged ye are not straightned in us but ye are straightned in your owne bowels 2 Cor. 6.11 We have said enough and done enough as if the Apostle had said to worke upon your profane hearts and to turne you from your profane lives but yet your affections are straightned and clogg'd that you come not off so readily to follow our holy instructions as you should The point you see to be very naturally raised That there be speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity which we ought to observe and answerably to declare and shew our selves in our places Speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity are either personall domesticall sociall or nationall Personall occasions which require sincerity after a speciall manner to be declared are when a man is strongly assaulted by the world the flesh or the divell to sinne against God or else strongly hindred in seeking the glory of God and the good of his Church When Simon the sorcerer saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered Peter money to impart his skill unto him and so to have made him a Merchant of the holy Ghost for gaine then was a speciall personall occasion from the world for Peter to declare his sincerity that he abhorred all unjust waies to get wealth and that he was not mercenary in his Ministery as the world might suppose which he wisely considered and answerably carried himselfe Peter stood up and couragiously said to Simon the sorcerer Thy money perish with thee because that thou thoughtst the gift of God may be purchased with money thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be for given thee for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bâ—tternesse bonds of iniquity Acts 8.18,19,20,21 When Samuel was thought hardly of the people being strongly set to have a King as other Nations had not liking their governement by Judges then was a speciall personall occasion from the world for Samuel to declare his integrity that he had walked faithfully as Gods Vicegerent over them and had given them no just occasion to waxe weary of this way of governement and so consequently that they did evill to desire a King And Samuel said to all Israel behold here I am witnesse against me before the Lord and before his Annoynted whose Oxe have I taken Whose Asse have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you 1 Sam. 12.3 When Bariesus withstood Paul in his Ministery that he could not doe that good he would upon Sergius Paul is then was a speciall personall occasion from the world for Paul to declare his sincerity that he strongly abhorred slatterers and time-servers and dearely loved the glory of God the winning of soules unto him which he wisely considered and answerably with courage declared himselfe Then Saul who also is called Paul filled with the Holy Christ set his eyes on him and said O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe thou child of the divell thou enemie of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord Act. 13.9,10 2 When Paul was strongly set upon by his owne flesh when the law in his members rebelled against the law of his mind and carried him captive to the law of sinne then was a speciall personall occasion from the flesh for Paul to declare his sincerity that he loved God
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 hiâ— covenant PSAL. 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy sâ—…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 'T is 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 't will 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 'T is crying wickednesse and 't is 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 't is 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
and no other way to all good For the Lord God is a Sunne and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly Psal 84.11 If we would have the light of Gods smiling countenance to shine upon our soules which is ten thousand times more glorious and reviving then the Sunne we must walke uprightly for the Lord God is a Sunne to such and to none else God is angry with the wicked every day saith the Prophet and being angry with them every day he cannot smile upon their soules as the Sunne doth upon all creatures but frowne and knit the browes against them God dwels as a convincer and reprover and not as a comforter in the hearts of hypocrits God feeds mens soules with gall and wormewood with bitters not with sweets with a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which have not their conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity in this world A Hell and not a Heaven shall men that walke not uprightly have within their owne hearts If we would have protection we must walke uprightly for the Lord God is a Shield onely to such He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly his place of defence shall be the munitions of Rocks Isa 33.15 God is a consuming fire and not a defence unto the hypocrit In a word if a man would have grace or glory or any good thing else that he can name he must walke in this way to obtaine it to wit in simplicity and godly sincerity for in no other way hath God engaged himselfe to bestow any good upon man but all evill The Israelites going out on the Sabbath day to finde Manna found nothing but a curse and the reason because out of Gods way God will distribute blessings in his owne way if we decline this way God will inflict curses and not blessings Now upright walking is that way in which God hath promised to bestow all good and none else and therefore we ought thus to walke 'T is fit we should come to God and not God to us 't is fit that unholy man should conforme to a holy God and not a holy God to unholy man 1 Finally we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the World that so the world which lies in wickednesse may be left without excuse both in regard of their wickednesse towards God and his children Wicked men complaine of Christ that he is a hard master looking to reape where he did not sow that this and that precept is a hard saying none can obey it And others complaine that the world is so full of occasions and provocations that 't is impossible to walke uprightly Others that times are so hard and dead that they cannot live of their callings if they should deale justly and walke uprightly Now Christ will stop the mouthes of all these at the great day by setting before them those that have lived in the same ages of the world in the same employments in the world under the same government of Christ in the world and yet have kept themselves unspotted of the world and have in simplicity and godly sincerity had their conversation in the world and then shall Christ be cleare when he judges and liars mouthes shall be stopt and be like the man that wanted a wedding garment And therefore we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the world every one in his place that so Christ may doe this service by us against the wicked at the great day 2 Againe that wicked men may be left without excuse as in regard of their wickednesse towards God so in regard of their wickednesse towards Gods children Now the wicked persecute the godly with tongue and hand and pretend just ground for their practice that the godly are as he falsely said of the Prophet troublers of Israel enemies to Church and State But at the great day the searcher of all hearts will lay open all things according to truth and make it plainely appeare to men and Angels that they had their conversation in this world in simplicity and godly sincerity and so guiltlesse of all that the wicked accused them of and punished them for and then will Christ be cleare when he judges these wretches for condemning the generation of the just Wherefore we ought to walke sincerely and blamelessely in this world that so the wicked may have no plea for their wicked proceedings against us or against the righteous proceeding of Christ against them Ought we in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the world Why then let us examine our selves and see whether we thus walke Are ye laborious that is constantly laborious willingly laborious laborious according to all your strength to doe all Gods will that he may have all the glory due to his Name Looke backe and call to minde how this description of sincerity was opened and lay open your hearts and lives by it and see whether they agree or not Are ye laborious to doe the will of God Or doe ye not the worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 48.10 and so stand lyable to that dreadfull curse denounced by Ieremy Doe ye not rest in bodily exercises which profit nothing 'T is the least labour in the world to bring the outward man to duties the labour of labours is about the heart to bring that to duties are ye laborious about this Are ye watchfull over your Spirits and laborious about your inward man that this in every thing may goe along with the outward man to obey God 'T was that the Lord of old upbraided his people withall that they were laborious according to the outward man to come to Church and to be at all divine exercises but they were carelesse respecting their hearts which God most lookt at and let this runne loose after vanity And they come unto thee as thy people commeth and they sit before thee as thy people and they heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33.31 God most lookes at the heart how that is entire to or loose from himselfe Are ye most laborious about that which God most lookes at or doe ye not least minde that which God lookes at most In this consists the power of godlinesse to be laborious about the inward man to bring this to be obedient to the will of God My Sonne give me thy heart Neglect this and thou wert as good sit still as labour at all about thy outward man to bring that to be holy thy labour about outside holinesse is to God as the cutting off of a dogs necke and God will upbraid thy labour as he did those hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisees who washed the out-side of the Cup and Platter Possibly some of you may thinke that you hold weight
an accuser acquiter and comforter was in Adam before his fall As long as Adam obeyed the commandement of God there was no cause that conscience should accuse him but as soone as he disobeyed Gods commandement conscience flew in his face as appeares by his flying from the face of God Which plainely shewes us this truth that conscience was in Adam before his fall but did not begin to accuse ' til Adam began to sin Secondly conscience say I is a naturall power which the joule of man hath c. Now whether this power be in the understanding onely or partly in the understanding and partly in the will I finde controverted amongst the learned My opinion I here humbly lay downe but I undertake not to state and determine the controversie This power we speak of I conceive to be a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely transcendently seconded by the power of the holy Ghost Saint Iohn confirmes the first that it is a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely where speaking of this power in the soule saith And hereby we doe know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 That is as if Iohn had said We doe view our waies by the word of God which is an act onely of the understanding and finding them to be in some measure levell with that holy rule we have this comfortable reflection backe upon our soules that our faith is not a fancy but a faith which worketh by love and so sincere and saving which reflection is no other as I conceive but an act of the understanding collecting a divine conclusion from divine premises He that keepeth Gods Commandements knoweth God savingly that he may safely conclude but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this I know for I have viewed the Commandements of God and my life by them and therefore I know that is I am assured that I truely and savingly know God which is no other but that power in the soule which we call conscience The Apostle Saint Paul I conceive confirmes the second that it is a reflect act of the understanding transcendently seconded by the holy Ghost where he saith My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 That is my conscience transcendantly seconded and assisted by the holy Ghost doth strongly testifie to my soule that I am full of bowels towards my kinsmen after the flesh and could doe any thing or suffer any thing for their good The order according to which the holy Ghost strikes in with conscience is this The understanding makes a double proposition one grounded in the word of God the other in the heart of man as thus He that keepeth the Commandements of God truely loves God this proposition is grounded in the word of God but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this is grounded in the heart of man And then drawes a conclusion from both therefore I doe truely love God This conclusion whilst holy and drawne from divine premises to wit the word of God and the grace of God in the heart of man the Spirit of God strikes in with the soule in making this conclusion and assists the weake soule so that he concludes thus with strong confidence that he truely loves God and not onely secretly assistes but seconds and saies the same thing to man that his owne spirit doth Then is fulfilled that of the Apostle the Spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God If the premisses be corrupt which the understanding makes for the minde makes propositions suitable to the light that is in it from which to argue the goodnesse or badnesse of man then the Divell that lying spirit strikes in and seconds the soule in that corrupt conclusion which he collects from corrupt principles concerning himselfe So that now the deluded soule is peremptory and wiser then ten men that give a reason in these is fulfilled that of the Apostle Their minds and consciences being defiled Thirdly I affirme conscience to be a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures c. Bruite beasts have no conscience and yet they better serve God in their kind then many of us which have conscience Bruit beasts want reason and therefore are not capable subjects of conscience and yet against reason and against conscience man ofttimes does worse then a beast Fourthly conscience say I is a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures to compare his waies by some rule and according as his waies agree or disagree with that rule so answerably to bear witnesse with or against him By the former part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its being in the soule It is a naturall power c. By the latter part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its office in the soule The office of conscience according to the description here given consists in two things First conscience compares a mans waies by some rule Secondly Conscience beares witnesse with or against a man according as a mans waies agree or disagree with that rule First say I conscience compares a mans waies by some rule If the understanding be enlightened with the truth to wit the word of God then conscience compares the waies of man by a perfect rule to wit the word of God But if the understanding be inlightned with naturall and morall principles onely then conscience compares a mans waies according to these principles only and so by an imperfect rule For 't is my judgment with submission to better that conscience in every man followes that light which the understanding holds up unto it This I know that a man may and often doth goe against conscience but conscience goes not against that light which the understanding holds up unto it A man may outwardly say this or that contrary to the light of his understanding but conscience inwardly speakes at the same time according to that light I will further cleare this unto you by an apt example Paul you know zealously persecuted the Church of God and his conscience for ought that I can finde never checkt him but doubtlesse rather acquitted him for it I meane as long as he remained unconverted And the reason I thinke is sufficiently rendred where 't is said that he did it ignorantly That is according to that light which his understanding held up unto him he thought he did God good service in sheading the blood of his Saints which me thinkes makes manifest what I say that conscience still followes the light of the understanding The Apostle Paul persecuted the Church of God and yet obtained mercie because saith the text he did it ignorantly hee did out of conscience as I may say shead the blood of the Saints But now the most men have received the knowledge of the truth therefore if now men persecute the Saints of