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Willard emphasizes the importance of humility and self-examination during these times, urging believers to avoid rash judgments about their spiritual state.
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Spiritual Desertions Discovered and Remedied by Samuel Willard (1640-1707)
EBOOK
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eISBN: 978-1-62663-494-7
PRINT
135 Pages, Paperback Print ($19) (Buy the Printed book HERE)
ISBN: 978-1-62663-495-4
Samuel Willard (1640-1707) was a reformed preacher of the Gospel in the old South Boston Church in New England, president of Harvard University, and one of the great Protestant ministers of his day.
Samuel Willard’s “Spiritual Desertions Discovered and Remedied” delves into the weighty and practical spiritual challenges faced by devout Christians, exploring the nature of divine desertions and the trials that accompany them. Willard asserts that God’s temporary withdrawal, though distressing, is a common experience among believers, designed to test and strengthen their faith. He differentiates between various causes of these spiritual desertions, including personal sin, neglect of spiritual duties, and God’s sovereign will to further refine His followers.
Willard emphasizes the importance of humility and self-examination during these times, urging believers to avoid rash judgments about their spiritual state. He encourages them to seek out and rely on God’s attributes—His mercy, power, and unchanging nature—as sources of comfort and hope. The work also highlights the necessity of perseverance in spiritual practices despite the absence of divine consolation, advocating for continued prayer, scripture reading, and worship.
Moreover, Willard advises Christians to draw on their past experiences of God’s grace, recalling times of spiritual communion to bolster their faith during periods of darkness. He underscores the significance of recognizing any stirrings of faith and repentance as indicators of God’s ongoing work within them, even when His presence feels distant.
Ultimately, Willard’s work is a call to trust in God’s perfect wisdom and timing, reassuring believers that spiritual trials and desertions are part of the divine plan for their growth and ultimate salvation. He encourages a resolute faith that waits patiently for God’s return, confident in His unwavering love and commitment to His children.
This work is not a scan or facsimile, has been carefully transcribed by hand being made easy to read in modern English, and has an active table of contents for electronic versions.
Table of Contents
Spiritual Desertions Discovered and Remedied
Copyright Information
Table of Contents
Meet Samuel Willard
Desertion?
To the Reader
Chapter 1: Spiritual Desertions
Chapter 2: God Sometimes Hides Himself
Chapter 3: What Causes God to Hide His Face?
Chapter 4: What is God’s Purpose?
Chapter 5: Degrees of Desertion
Chapter 6: How Long Do Desertions Last?
Chapter 7: The Difficulty of Desertion
Chapter 8: Why Are Desertions So Terrible?
Chapter 9: The First General Use
Chapter 10: The First Particular Use
Chapter 11: The Second Particular Use
Chapter 12: The Second Use
Chapter 13: Directions for Deserted Saints
Chapter 14: Advice for Those Undergoing Spiritual Desertions
Chapter 15: Guidance During Spiritual Desertions
