Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Table of contents
THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST PART.
THE Introduction. Page 1.
CHAP. I. Of the Anger of God, and whence it is that he is ſometimes angry with his own Servants. p. 5.
CHAP. II. The Anger of God towards his People is but for a ſhort ſeaſon; and why he is pleaſed to order it to be ſo. p. 11.
CHAP. III. Of the ſeveral Advantages that are deſigned by God to his Servants, in his being angry with them only for a moment; together with the Obligations which they are under from ſuch a merciful Diſpenſation of his Providence; and the ſeveral improvements we are to make of it. p. 22.
CHAP. IV. Of the great Love of Chriſt in ſuffering the Wrath of God in his Soul, which is the more to be admired, it that he bore it for us, and not for the fallen Angels; and becauſe now he is, from his own experience, more qualified to relieve us under all our Temptations. p. 39.
CHAP. V. Shewing the unreaſonableneſs of long continued Angers among good People; as alſo, that the temporary Effects of God's Diſpleaſure are more elegible than the Wrath of Men. Of the Excellency of Religion; and that the Enemies of the Church have no cauſe to inſult over it, becauſe of its certain deliverance; and the diſmal Concluſion of their own Wickedneſs; upon which account Chriſtians have no reaſon to envy their Proſperity. p. 46.
CHAP. VI. Of the Duty of ſuch as have never been under God's Wrath and Terrors; and what is the doleful Condition of a Soul that apprehends it ſelf to be under his hot Diſpleaſure. p. 66.
C HA P. VII. Shewing what is to be done by thoſe who think themſelves under the Diſpleaſure of God; and firſt, of Prayer, as a principal help againſt their Trouble: and ſome Objections of tempted Perſons anſwered. p. 83.
CHAP. VIII. Of Faith in Chriſt, as another help under the ſenſe of God's Diſpleaſure: and the ſeveral Tendencies it hath to calm a Soul under long and ſore Tryals. p. 99.
CHAP. IX. Of the Direct Acts of Faith, as the moſt ſuitable to a diſtreſſed Soul; as alſo of waiting upon God: with ſeveral Conſiderations to enforce it; and that a Perſon in great affliction ought to hope that it may be better with him. p. 114.
CHAP. X. Shewing that People under great Trouble and Anguiſh of Soul, are not to look for Aſſurance, or great Joy on a ſudden; but as far as they can, to enquire into the Reaſons of God's Diſpleaſure towards them, and to look up to him through the Great Mediator; and not further to provoke him: as alſo how they may know when Affliction are ſent in Wrath, and when in Love. p. 127.
CHAP. XI. Shewing that preſent Diſtreſs of Conſcience is no ſign of Reprobation. There may be too great Trouble for Sin: and when it is Exceſſive, former Experiences may be helpful to afflicted People. And that God will not judge thoſe that have been good, according to what they are in the Woful Diſeaſe of Melancholly. p. 139.
CHAP. XII. Of the ſeveral Ends that God hath in ſuffering his Servants to be under long Afflictions, and ſpiritual Diſtreſs and Anguiſh. p. 150.
CHAP. XIII. Shewing what is the duty of thoſe whom God hath delivered from Melancholly, and from the Anguiſh of their Conſciences; as alſo what a wonderful Providence it is, that ſuffers a very ſinful World to be in ſo great peace! and what cauſe there is for all People to pray againſt ſuch Diſeaſes whereof the Devil ſerves himſelf to their great Vexation: And as the Concluſion of the Firſt Part, what we are to think of thoſe that are diſtracted with trouble for their Sins; and of thoſe that dye in great darkneſs as to their ſpiritual State. p. 171.
The Contents of the Second Part.
CHAP. I. OF the ſeveral ſorts of Life that we enjoy by God's Favour; and in what conditions of our preſent Pilgrimage it doth more eſpecially revive us. p. 189.
CHAP. II. Of Heaven and Hell; and of that ſpiritual Death which hath ſeized the greateſt part of the World: As alſo the Reaſon why good People are many times very willing to dye; and of the inexcuſableneſs and miſery of thoſe that are without God's Favour; and whence it is that ſome grow in Grace more than others, and are more earneſt for a ſhare in God's Love. p. 207.
CHAP. XIII. Shewing that the Favour of God is diligently to be ſought; and what is to be done that we may obtain it. p. 228.
CHAP. IV. That we ought to take heed, that we do not loſe the Favour of God after we have once enjoyed it; and what we are to do, that we may not fall into a condition ſo miſerable as this would be. p. 241.
CHAP. V. Of Aſſurance, and of the falſe Grounds from which many are apt to conclude, That they are God's Favourites, when they are not ſo. p. 263.
CHAP. VI. Shewing by what means we may know, whether we have God's favour, or not: And firſt by the Graces of his Spirit, tho the acting of them is neither ſo ſtrong, nor ſo comfortable at one time as another. And ſecondly by our hatred of ſin, and our being ſatisfied with all the Providences of God. p. 275.
CHAP. VII. Of ſeveral other ways whereby a ſenſe of God's favour may be preſerved in our ſouls; and how we may certainly know that we are in that happy ſtate. p. 294.
CHAP. VIII. Of the ſeveral Privileges that belong to thoſe who have God's favour. p. 309.
The Contents of the Third Part.
CHAP. I. OF the many miſeries of this Mortal Life, that are the uſual occaſions of ſorrow to the ſons of Men; with reſpect both to their Bodies and their Souls. p. 317.
CHAP. II. Shewing that the Fall of Adam was the Cauſe of all our Miſeries; and in how excellent a condition the bleſſed Angels are; and the folly of ſuch as expect to meet with nothing in the World, but what is eaſie and pleaſant. p. 331.
CHAP. III. Of the Peculiar occaſions of Weeping, that good Chriſtians have more than other Men. p. 338.
CHAP. IV. Shewing what dreadful apprehenſions a ſoul has that is under deſertion; and in ſeveral reſpects how very ſad and doleful its Condition is, from the Author's own Experience. p. 352.
CHAP. V. Anſwering ſome Objections; and of the further doleful ſtate of a deſerted ſoul; and whence it is that God is pleaſed to ſuffer a very tempeſtuous and ſtormy night to come upon his Servants in this World. p. 370.
CHAP. VI. Shewing whence it is that Melancholly People love ſolitarineſs, and whence it is, that ſerious perſons are not ſo light in their Converſations as others are; with ſome Inferences deducible from the foregoing Doctrine; as alſo ſome advices to thoſe who have never been deſerted, and to ſuch who are complaining that they are ſo. p. 381.
CHAP. VII. Of the great joy that fills a ſoul, when the ſenſe of God's favour returns to it, after having been long in darkneſs; and that this is great in ſeveral reſpects, as it was unexpected, as it diſcovers God to be reconciled, and gives the mourner an Intereſt in Chriſt by Faith, through the Influence of the Holy Spirit: It revives his Graces, delivers him from the Inſulting of the Devil, and ſhews the ſoul irs right to the Promiſes. p. 393.
CHAP. VIII. Of the further Properties of the J…y that comes to a Soul after long deſertion: 'Tis Irr ſiſtible, 'tis uſually Gradual, it revives the Body and the Natural Spirits; It fills the late Mourner with the hope of Glory, and cauſes him to expreſs his delight to others: From all which, we may juſtly admire the Wiſdom of the Divine Providence. p. 408.
CHAP. IX. Of the different ends that God hath in the Afflictions of the Good and the Wicked; and what Reaſon we have to be reconciled to his Providence: And that we muſt be ſatisfied that God carry us to Heaven in his oven Way and Method. p. 421.
CHAP. X. The Concluſion of the whole Treatiſe, with Directions to ſuch who have been formerly in the darkneſs of a ſorrowful Night, and now enjoy the Light of Day. p. 427.
A DISCOURSE Concerning TROUBLE of MIND, AND THE DISEASE of MELANCHOLY.
PART I.
PSAL. XXX. 5.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.