# Puritans on Depression



## blhowes

I'm interested in finding out what the puritans had to say about the causes and cures of depression. While googling, I came across a book called "Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy" by Timothy Rogers, a puritan pastor who himself battled with depression. Have any of you ever read this book? What'd you think of it? 

From what you've read in this and other puritan works on the topic, what are the main causes and cures for depression?


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## py3ak

We were just talking about that book.


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## pm

*William Cowper*

Greeting, I have not read the book you refer to, but through-out my 60 years have faced depression many times, at times very debilitating. My blessed wife told me about William Cowper, a close friend of John Newton. Cowper attempted suicide several times because of his depression. I have some small volumes in my library from the Banner of Truth":, 
- "William Cowper and his Afflictions"
- "The Nature and the Signs of Melancholy in the true Christian" by John Colquhoun
- "Directions to Christians Afflicted with Melancholy" by John Colquhoun

All I can say is that depression is very real and can affect Christians. It is the result of the fall as all sin naturally is and I believe it will be eliminated when Christ come again. Praise to Him!


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## blhowes

pmkadow said:


> Greeting, I have not read the book you refer to, but through-out my 60 years have faced depression many times, at times very debilitating.


I also get depressed sometimes, seems to hit most often on Saturdays for some reason. There are things I don't have time to do during the week that I'd love to get done on weekends, but when the depression hits I'm drained of all motivation to get anything done. That's how I was yesterday, today I'm back to normal (ok, I realize that's debateable).

It'd be interesting to read the books you mentioned and the one in the OP to find out what causes them, if they're avoidable, and what's the quickest way out of them. Depression does have its benefits, in a weird kind of way. One thing it does is cause me to pray more fervently and to seek deliverance. I praise God when He does bring me out of it.

Sometimes listening to hymns helps me too as I think about the truths in those hymns. Yesterday I went to Youtube and listened to several renditions of one of my favorite hymns, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name". I found the depression leaving as I listened to this interesting story about the person who wrote the hymn, Edward Perronet.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydB6fvyTxbs&feature=related]YouTube - All Hail The Power of Jesus Name[/ame]


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## Knoxienne

blhowes said:


> I'm interested in finding out what the puritans had to say about the causes and cures of depression. While googling, I came across a book called "Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy" by Timothy Rogers, a puritan pastor who himself battled with depression. Have any of you ever read this book? What'd you think of it?
> 
> From what you've read in this and other puritan works on the topic, what are the main causes and cures for depression?



I ordered it from inter-library loan. If my library can't get it for me, I'd like to buy it and put it in my library.

Another book we have is Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure by Martyn Lloyd Jones.


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## Pilgrim72

I too have been prone to depression. Other books that have blessed me in the past are:

William Bridge's "A Lifting Up For The Downcast" - Reformation Heritage Books

Jeremiah Burroughs' "The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment" - Reformation Heritage Books

Hope this is useful to you.


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## pm

*Depression for your growth*

Maybe I am not understanding the question but Blhowes said:



> It'd be interesting to read the books you mentioned and the one in the OP to find out what causes them, if they're avoidable, and what's the quickest way out of them.



If you are asking how to avoid depression and the quickest way out of it, I humbly suggest that God made you just the way your are, including your depression. Depression is not something we should try to avoid or to get out of, but work through, listening to God and learning as you grow. Perhaps God has given you depression for your growth, and to try to avoid it could possibly be sin. Just my thoughts.

*If depression leads you to suicidal thoughts, seek help from others.*


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## TimV

> Perhaps God has given you depression for your growth, and to try to avoid it could possibly be sin. Just my thoughts.



If you were to switch the word depression with rage, lust or envy, how would that quote sound?


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## Poimen

TimV said:


> Perhaps God has given you depression for your growth, and to try to avoid it could possibly be sin. Just my thoughts.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you were to switch the word depression with rage, lust or envy, how would that quote sound?
Click to expand...


Not good at all but only because one would have to assume that depression, by definition, is a sin. Now it is true that one of the reasons for depression is un-confessed sin. However just as anger may be justified (Ephesians 4:26) or unjustified (Proverbs 15:18) so depression may not be due to any particular weakness or iniquity on the part of the one who is suffering. 

The mind itself is a physical thing and is subjected to many internal and external pressures. Just as the body may unwittingly and unwillingly suffer from diabetes, cancer and the like, so the mind is affected by many things that are not wished for nor brought upon it for any particular reason. Indeed genetics & environment play a large role in depression as they do in every aspect of life and should not be ignored. 

Thus depression should be treated as any other ailment: diagnose the problem, seek the means that God has given to heal and strengthen us and pray and wait upon the Lord. Giving in to depression is a sin; having depression it is not (necessarily so). 

*Psalm 40:17 "But I am poor and needy; yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God."
Psalm 102:17 "He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer."*


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## Nebrexan

A book that I and others around me have appreciated is _Bright Days, Dark Nights_ (ISBN 0-8010-6192-X) by Elizabeth Skoglund. From the overleaf:



> Millions read the words of the great nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon without knowing that his ministry succeeded during seasons of overwhelming emotional pain. _Bright Days, Dark Nights_ offers a first look for many at the deep depression this great man of God encountered. Spurgeon confronted emotional problems with an acceptance based on physical, emotional, and spiritual causes and cures.


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## blhowes

pmkadow said:


> Maybe I am not understanding the question but Blhowes said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It'd be interesting to read the books you mentioned and the one in the OP to find out what causes them, if they're avoidable, and what's the quickest way out of them.
Click to expand...

Your understanding is correct.



pmkadow said:


> If you are asking how to avoid depression and the quickest way out of it, I humbly suggest that God made you just the way your are, including your depression. Depression is not something we should try to avoid or to get out of, but work through, listening to God and learning as you grow. Perhaps God has given you depression for your growth, and to try to avoid it could possibly be sin. Just my thoughts.


Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree I am who God made me and I can accept depression being part of that. I can also accept the fact that He can change me so I experience more rejoicing, etc. instead of the depression.


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## Idelette

Pilgrim72 said:


> Jeremiah Burroughs' "The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment" - Reformation Heritage Books
> 
> Hope this is useful to you.



That is a wonderful book, and also Thomas Watson's "Art of Divine Contentment"! It is one of my favorites that I often refer to!

"Discontent is to the soul as a disease is to the body: it puts it out of temper and much hinders its regular and sublime motions heavenward. Discontent is hereditary, and no doubt, is much augmented by the many sad eclipses and changes that have fallen out of late in the political body, yet the disease is not to be excused because it is natural, but resisted because it is sinful. That which should put us out of love with this sullen distemper is the contemplation of the beautiful queen of contentment. For my part, I do not know of any ornament in religion that more bespangles a Christian, or glitters in the eye of God and man more, than this of contentment. Nor certainly is there anything wherein all the Christian virtues work more harmoniously or shine more transparently than in this orb. Every grace acts its part here. This is the true philosopher's stone which turns all into gold. This is the curious enamel and embroidery of the heart which makes Christ's spouse all glorious within. How should every Christian be ambititious to wear such a sparkling diamond!" -_Art of Divine Contentment _by Thomas Watson


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## Don Kistler

There are so many Puritan works on this subject it would be difficult to name them all. But some of the classics are:

A Child of Light Walking in Darkness, by Thomas Goodwin
The Dejected Soul's Cure, by Christopher Love
The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, by Joseph Symonds (probably THE Puritan work on the subject)

These, in addition to the ones names above, would be a good reading list.


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## Brian Withnell

pmkadow said:


> Maybe I am not understanding the question but Blhowes said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It'd be interesting to read the books you mentioned and the one in the OP to find out what causes them, if they're avoidable, and what's the quickest way out of them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you are asking how to avoid depression and the quickest way out of it, I humbly suggest that God made you just the way your are, including your depression. Depression is not something we should try to avoid or to get out of, but work through, listening to God and learning as you grow. Perhaps God has given you depression for your growth, and to try to avoid it could possibly be sin. Just my thoughts.
> 
> *If depression leads you to suicidal thoughts, seek help from others.*
Click to expand...


I would like to put a caution to this from a Biblical standpoint. A person that is facing a result of the fall (like cancer) generally would be very unwise not attempting to mitigate the result. Depression can be caused by physical results of the fall (chemical imbalances in the brain) or sickness, or even torture (prolonged sleep deprivation can cause depression).

If someone has a broken leg, we would not say "God ordained that you break your leg, so you might be sinning by attempting to fix it." No, we would have compassion upon a person with a broken leg and set the bones, put on a cast, provide crutches and help where ever we can. We should do the same with depression as a broken leg.


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## pm

*Living with Depression.*

This is certainly a difficult issue and every person's experience is unique. 

For myself, I suffered from depression for years, at times very severe. I was given many drugs and combination of drugs. 

I am out of all those drugs now. 

Today, when depression knocks on my door, I let it in (not much else I can do) and live with it by God's grace until it leaves, which is always does. I no longer run to drugs for relief. 

God has make me this way, it is something I live with and am satisfied with that. I am not dictating how others should deal with it, you have to find that out for yourself.

My point being, sometimes, life Paul's thorn in the flesh, we have to live with who we are, God's grace is sufficient. 

Eternal Praise and Honor to Him!


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## JM

The Cure of Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow


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## CredoFidoSpero

I have also found 'The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment' and 'The Bruised Reed' helpful. 

I have also been encouraged by John Piper's short biographical messages. The are available to read or listen to here - Biographies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library. Piper goes into the weaknesses of these great men as much as their strengths, and it's very encouraging to see the grace of God in their lives. Many of them, like William Cowper, David Brainerd and John Bunyan, suffered from significant depression and discouragement. And most of them have had their greatest impact on the world not during their life, but through their writings after they died. We can never know how much God can use us, even as we are.

And, on a more practical note, it has helped me a lot to realize that mental health, like physical health, needs healthy habits and lifestyle to be at its best. We all *know* that we need to eat right, exercise regularly, and get a good night's sleep, but we often forget how much all these things affect our moods as well. Just getting strict about having the same bedtime and wake-up time every night made a huge difference for me, and it only took a few days for me to notice that. And exercise has been shown in some studies to be _better_ than antidepressants in improving depression symptoms. You don't have to join a gym, start by walking, outside in the sun around plants and trees if you can manage it. 15-30 minutes a day will do wonders. 

There are a few other things more specific to mental health - get your focus off yourself. Go help somebody with something, anything. You don't have to devote your life to the poor. Help a friend move, give someone a ride whose car is in the shop, volunteer to clean up after a church function, pray for somebody. And television - there is a _very strong_ correlation between depression and how much TV someone watches. Try turning it off and going on that walk. 

And, yes, even secular psychology/psychiatry notes that violating your value system can be a big factor in depression. In other words, as a Christian, is there sin in your life that you're allowing? Go to scripture, go to God, and try to find what you need to be changing, because, really, we all have sin in our life we need to be fighting (John Owen's The Mortification of Sin is great for this).

There is no question that I have a 'melancholy' disposition, and depression may always be in my life more often than not, but it has really helped me to see that is in a way like people who have chronic health issues, say like people with celiac disease or other food allergies. They _have_ to be strict about what they eat. Or people with known heart disease who really need to avoid food that most of us can enjoy in moderation. Or someone who needs physical therapy for a bad joint. Well, just like that I _have_ to be strict about my sleep habits and exercise and how much TV I watch, and I've recently found some diet changes that I need to be strict about as well.

And I absolutely _have_ to keep my focus on God's grace, on God's sovereignty and his goodness. I see scripture memorization as 'therapy.' I have keep God's truth in me at all times, like a medicine. 

"Anxiety is a mild case of atheism" is one of my favorite quotes (Charles Simpson quoting his father). And I feel like a total geek quoting this, but somewhere in LoTR Gandalf talks about the 'arrogance of despair,' how even the wisest cannot know what's going to happen in the end. I think that's spot on. Only God really knows what's going to happen, and we can trust Him.

Sorry to go on so long . Hope this helps.


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## Stephen L Smith

I suffer from Depression - the main cause appears to be aspergers.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (a modern day puritan and medical doctor) has written 'Spiritual depression' - a very helpful book.

Perhaps the best modern Reformed book is 'Depression - a stubborn darkness' by Ed Welch.


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## bookslover

I'm glad someone has mentioned it, but let me mention it again. Clinical depression is a physical ailment (most likely caused by chemical imbalances in the brain) that can be treated successfully with medication. My own dear wife suffers from this (which originally manifested itself with aural hallucinations and paranoid thoughts) and has functioned normally with medication for many years now.

Another example from within my family: one of my daughters is bipolar (which used to be called manic/depression) and is also functioning normally with medication.

Many of the things we think of as "mental illnesses" will, I've been told, eventually turn out to have physical causes. And medical science will be able to respond with improved medications for these, DV.


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## OPC'n

I haven't read any books on depression by the Puritans, however, I did read the book "Life of David Brainerd". He struggled with deep depression all his life even though his life was completely dedicated to God and His glory. This is evidence that depression (not all depression) is a chemical imbalance which should be medicated with an antidepressant and *isn't* a lack of a healthy relationship with God. A healthy relationship with God is going to cure depression just as quick as a healthy relationship with God is going to cure heart disease etc. During his time, they didn't have access to the kinds of meds we do now including meds for heart, lung, endocrine, kidney, brain, healing meds (i.e. antibiotics), etc, but I have no doubts that they would have used them to treat their ailments.


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## Marrow Man

I have no desire to hijack this thread or steer in the direction of the thread on a related topic from a few weeks ago, but I would caution against simply relegating the _cause_ of depression to something like "chemical imbalances in the brain." Ed Welch (mentioned above) wrote a book on this phenomenon entitled _Blame It on the Brain_.

Chemical imbalances do exist, but saying they are the cause of the depression seems to be unwarranted. Not even the drug manufacturers will admit that (watch a Zoloft ad and see how many vague references pop up). Perhaps it is the depression that causes the chemical imbalance, not the other way around. In some cases, there may be another lurking variable that is the cause. One of the most horrifying TV commercials I have seen in recent times for an anti-depressant (I forget the name) mentions some form of death (e.g., suicide, stroke) as a side-effect. Here is a drug manufacturer recommending to a person suffering from depression to request his or her doctor prescribe a drug with multiple possible side effects that can result in death. I can't imagine that prospect is encouraging to a poor soul suffering in such a way.

I think the OP asks a very invaluable question, and many of the following posts are very helpful. To reference Puritan works on dealing with depression, along with those who had to deal with (and overcame) depression is a very encouraging thing.


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## OPC'n

Marrow Man said:


> I have no desire to hijack this thread or steer in the direction of the thread on a related topic from a few weeks ago, but I would caution against simply relegating the _cause_ of depression to something like "chemical imbalances in the brain." Ed Welch (mentioned above) wrote a book on this phenomenon entitled _Blame It on the Brain_.
> 
> Chemical imbalances do exist, but saying they are the cause of the depression seems to be unwarranted. Not even the drug manufacturers will admit that (watch a Zoloft ad and see how many vague references pop up). Perhaps it is the depression that causes the chemical imbalance, not the other way around. In some cases, there may be another lurking variable that is the cause. One of the most horrifying TV commercials I have seen in recent times for an anti-depressant (I forget the name) mentions some form of death (e.g., suicide, stroke) as a side-effect. Here is a drug manufacturer recommending to a person suffering from depression to request his or her doctor prescribe a drug with multiple possible side effects that can result in death. I can't imagine that prospect is encouraging to a poor soul suffering in such a way.
> 
> I think the OP asks a very invaluable question, and many of the following posts are very helpful. To reference Puritan works on dealing with depression, along with those who had to deal with (and overcame) depression is a very encouraging thing.



Have you read the side effects of most drugs for heart, lung, kidney, bladder, blood pressure etc??? They can have the same side effects and yet we would never encourage a brother or sister to stop taking these meds that are helping them.


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## Marrow Man

TranZ4MR said:


> Have you read the side effects of most drugs for heart, lung, kidney, bladder, blood pressure etc??? They can have the same side effects and yet we would never encourage a brother or sister to stop taking these meds that are helping them.



Fair enough on the side effects (even though comparing heart, lung, kidney, bladder, blood pressure, etc. to depression is a weak analogy), but I would hope that we agree have a suffering person making medical suggestions to his/her doctor is a bad idea in the first place. And besides, what we have starting to take place on this thread is more along the lines of *start* taking meds, not stop taking them.

At any rate, this discussion is not in line with the OP and is .


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## py3ak

Let's keep it focussed. Bob asked for what the Puritans thought about depression, not what we think. Of course, if you turn to a post-Puritan book like _Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy_ you will find praise for physicians who can sometimes help to alleviate melancholy.


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## OPC'n

py3ak said:


> Let's keep it focussed. Bob asked for what the Puritans thought about depression, not what we think. Of course, if you turn to a post-Puritan book like _Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy_ you will find praise for physicians who can sometimes help to alleviate melancholy.



He asked what the main causes and cures were so that's why I said what I did....didn't mean to throw this off topic. Really, did think I was answering the OP.


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## py3ak

I understand, Sarah, and it's not a problem. I'm just not ready for this thread to become a battleground over the proper treatment of depression, so it seems best to keep it focussed in a more historical direction.


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## calgal

There are different types of depression and there is NO one size fits all cure. The Puritan writings may help a lot with "having a bad week" or "lost my job" or "struggling with sin" but not so much with issues like long term depression and chronic illness (a "side effect" of sorts), major depression ("can't move: my arms are 2 ton weights"), depression and mental illness, bipolar.....


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