A59036:210
The doubting believer, or, A treatiseThe doubting beleever, or, A treatise
The doubting believer, or, A treatise containing 1. the nature, 2. the kinds, 3. the springs, 4. the remedies of doubtings, incident to weak believers by Obadiah Sedgwick ...The doubting beleever, or, A treatise containing 1. the nature, 2. the kinds, 3. the springs, 4. the remedies of doubtings, incident to weak beleevers by Obadiah Sedgwick ...
London: printed by M.F. for Thomas Nicols, 1641
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sometimes it is represented unto us, as it is truly existing; and thus we shall see it, when we look upon it, and judge of it by the word of God: And sometimes it is represented unto us, not as it is, but as it appears in some corrupt and deceivable testimonies and reports unto us: As Josephs 1chastity appeared to his Master under the nature of abominable uncleanness, when he took the testimony of it from his filthy wife: So shall our most innocent & upright frame appear unto us to be nothing else but basest hypocrisy, if we put the issue of it upon Satan's informations: For as Satan hath an art to colour over the true condition of sinful bondage, keeping close & in covert the proper image, or (rather) deformity of it: ⟨p. 96⟩So he hath a delusion too, in hiding from our eyes the true powers of gracious sincerity, and fetching up to the judgement all our weaknesses and present imperfections, with all former known evils, with which he doth so totally possess the mind, that it can hardly see any thing that good is in it self, or if it doth, yet it sees so much corruption and imperfection, as that it is ready almost to turn the scale and balance.
Sometimes it is represented unto us, as it is truly existing; and thus we shall see it, when we look upon it, and judge of it by the word of God: And sometimes it is represented unto us, not as it is, but as it appears in some corrupt and deceiveable testimonies and reports unto us: As Josephs 1chastity appeared to his Master under the nature of abominable uncleannesse, when he took the testimony of it from his filthy wife: So shall our most innocent & upright frame appeare unto us to be nothing else but basest hypocrisie, if we put the issue of it upon Satans informations: For as Satan hath an art to colour over the true condition of sinfull bondage, keeping close & in covert the proper image, or (rather) deformity of it: ⟨p. 96⟩So he hath a delusion too, in hiding from our eyes the true powers of gracious sincerity, and fetching up to the judgement all our weaknesses and present imperfections, with all former knowne evils, with which he doth so totally possesse the mind, that it can hardly see any thing that good is in it selfe, or if it doth, yet it sees so much corruption and imperfection, as that it is ready almost to turne the scale and ballance.