Spiritual Desertions Discovered and Remedied
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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. 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.
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Samuel Willard (1640-1707) the son of a military and political leader, and destined to become one of the most important preachers among the second generation of New England Puritans, was at Concord, Massachusetts. Trained in orthodoxy at Harvard College, he graduated in 1659, and was the only member of his class to go on for an M. A. degree. He served two churches (Groton and Boston's South Church), played a leading role in the Reforming Synod of 1679, and at the end of his life was acting president of Harvard.
C. Matthew McMahon, Ph.D., Th.D., is a Reformed theologian, and pastor of Grace Chapel in Crossville, TN; part of the Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King. He is the founder and chairman of A Puritan's Mind, the largest Reformed website on the internet for students of the Bible concerning Reformed Theology, the Puritans and Covenant Theology. He is the founder of Puritan Publications which publishes rare Reformed and Puritan works from the 17th century, specializing in the Westminster Assembly. He is also a managing partner at Reformed.org, and the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics.
