A term made use of to denote an unhappy state of mind, occasioned by the sensible influences of the divine favour being withdrawn. Some of the best men in all ages have suffered a temporary suspension of divine enjoyments, Job 29:2 . Psalms 51:1-19 : Is. 49: 14. Lamentations 3:1 . Is. 1: 10. The causes of this must not be attributed to the Almighty, since he is always the same, but must arise from ourselves. Neglect of duty, improper views of Providence, self-confidence, a worldly spirit, lukewarmness of mind, inattention to the means of grace, or open transgression, may be considered as leading to this state. As all things, however, are under the divine control, so even desertion, or, as it is sometimes expressed in Scripture, "the hidings of God's face, " may be useful to excite humility, exercise faith and patience, detach us from the world, prompt to more vigorous action, bring us to look more to God as the fountain of happiness, conform us to his word, and increase our desires for that state of blessedness which is to come. Hervey's ther. and Asp. dial. 19:; Watts's Medit. on Job 23:3 .;Lambert's Ser. vol. 1: ser. 16.; Flavel's Works, vol. 1: p. 167. folio.
Despite a stated reliance on the plain meaning of the Bible and the dictates of common sense, Buck's Theological Dictionary, first published in London in 1802, seeks to provide a textual basis for the evangelical community. By combining brief essays on orthodox belief and practice with historical entries on various denominations, Buck provided an interpretive lens that allowed antebellum Protestants to see Christianity's almost two millennia as their own history.Wikipedia
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