The doubting believer, or, A treatiseThe doubting beleever, or, A treatise

The more tenderness we ⟨p. 54⟩we gain of the sins, the more shyness and fear grows on us, and seldom doth the soul recover its former hold, and ancient correspondence and intimateness with God, until there hath been a proportionable humiliation, and spaces of settled reformation: Twixt which, and the great discovery of special and renewed assurance, the heart meets with many a wave, with many a sad day, with many a fearful rising, with many strong and terrible doubtings.

The more tendernesse wee ⟨p. 54⟩we gaine of the sins, the more shynesse and fear grows on us, and seldome doth the soule recover its former hold, and ancient correspondence and intimatenesse with God, untill there hath been a proportionable humiliation, and spaces of setled reformation: Twixt which, and the great discovery of speciall and renewed assurance, the heart meets with many a wave, with many a sad day, with many a fearfull rising, with many strong and terrible doubtings.

So then you see, that special sins after conversion, do cause great doubtings in the soul, because they make a jar, a wound, they lay a bar twixt us and God, they keep up God, and keep down faith, and give up all the matters of disheartening and fear, they make the soul to be at a stand, to go away from the gates of ⟨p. 55⟩heaven many times with singular checks and heaviness.

So then you see, that speciall sinnes after conversion, doe cause great doubtings in the soule, because they make a jar, a wound, they lay a barre twixt us and God, they keep up God, and keep down faith, and give up all the matters of disheartning and feare, they make the soul to be at a stand, to goe away from the gates of ⟨p. 55⟩