In The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Joseph Symonds (d.1652) explores the nature, causes, and treatment of spiritual depression—a state that arises when God seems to hide his face, leaving the Christian to walk alone in a “dark night of the soul.” Every aspect of this condition is examined with a surgeon’s precision, a philosopher’s insight, and the Word of God’s wisdom on how to gain a firmer footing and emerge from this melancholy hour with renewed strength and vivacity. The digital edition is hyperlinked with hundreds of embedded Scripture references; the print edition includes a Scripture index. Both have dozens of helpful footnotes. The text is newly typeset and gently modernized, so that it is approachable to today’s readers while retaining its original character.

Contents and Outline:

1. Sometimes the godly suffer desertion
   1. In what sense the godly are said to be deserted
   2. Some considerations about being in a deserted state
2. The state of a truly deserted soul
   1. The symptoms and consequences of a deserted soul
      1. A man may be deserted and not know it
      2. How a man may judge of himself, whether he is deserted or not
         1. When a man is deserted, his graces suffer
            1. His spiritual activity decreases
            2. His light and sight decrease
               1. The light of his mind is darkened by obscurity
               2. The light of his mind is darkened by inefficacy
               3. The light of his mind is more vain and vacuous
               4. The light of his mind is darkened by incredulity
            3. His affections are diminished
         2. When a man is deserted, his corruptions increase
         3. When a man is deserted, his means of grace suffer
   2. The purposes of desertion
      1. One purpose of desertion is to instruct us concerning the sinfulness and weakness of our nature, and the freeness and necessity of God’s grace
      2. Desertions are also meant to correct us for our pride and carelessness
      3. Grieving the Spirit often causes desertion:
         1. By dishonouring the Spirit
         2. By disobedience to the Spirit
   3. The cure of spiritual desertion
      1. Rules to preserve communion with God
         1. Persuasive considerations to move men to study the preservation of communion with God
         2. Directions on how to retain a divine quickening presence with us
            1. Maintain a state of thankfulness
            2. Maintain faithfulness to God and your duty
            3. Two questions answered on this
            4. Beg of his assisting grace in prayer
            5. Labour to keep yourself in his favour
            6. Labour to keep yourself in God’s way
            7. Be up and doing his revealed will
            8. Diligently use the means of grace
      2. How to restore communion with God
         1. Persuasive considerations to move men to restore communion with God
         2. Motivations to restore communion with God
            1. Recovery of it is possible
            2. Recovery of it is necessary
         3. Directions on how to restore communion with God
            1. Quicken your desires after God
            2. Bewail the cause of your desertion
            3. Go to Christ and beg of him the Spirit
            4. Set your hands to work
3. To those who are deserted in appearance only
   1. Men mistake themselves as being deserted by excess fearfulness
   2. Men mistake themselves as being deserted by misjudging the cause of their present deadness
   3. Men mistake themselves as being deserted by misjudging themselves
      1. They misjudge when they see declining quickness and vivacity
      2. They misjudge when they perceive that they are doing less than they had done
      3. They misjudge when they see the stirring of their corruptions
      4. They misjudge by considering the opinion others have of them
      5. They misjudge by seeing an apparent lack of growth
4. To those who have their comforts removed
   1. An understanding of the comforts of the soul
      1. The nature of the comforts of the soul
      2. The causes and root of comforts of the soul
      3. The state and degree of the loss of comfort of the soul
   2. The effects and consequences of the loss of comforts of the soul
   3. The causes and cure of this sad condition

Paperback (ISBN 9781467917629), $14.99; e-Book (ISBN 9781105900006), $4.99. 299 pages. Available from these e-tailers:

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