The text below was taken from Zack Eswine’s book The Depression of Spurgeon.
One Sunday morning, Charles openly shared his preaching: “This week has somehow been a glorious week in my life, but it ended in a horror of great darkness that I will say no more about. Then Charles spoke of his propensity to the ups and downs. . ” I guess some brothers don’t have many elevations or depressions. They could almost wish to share their peaceful lives. He continues: “Because I am very upset and although my joy is greater than that of most men, my mental depression is so great that few of them would have any idea.
- Charles shared this personal testimony to illustrate his reference to Elijah.
- An Old Testament prophet.
- And his unprecedented success in life.
- Followed by a terrible depression.
- At this point.
- Elijah asked to die.
- ” High exaltations involve deep depressions.
- ” Charles observed ingeniously.
- So it’s about using this truth directly for those who also know what it means to “fall into the depths of depression.
- “It applies to the care of God near our daily abyss.
No matter how deep your fall, grace is even deeper. “What was under Elijah when he fell into this swoon under a juniper and why? Because underneath were the everlasting arms. ” No matter how much you fall into your depression, your everlasting arms will be under you wherever you are. “
Grace goes further regardless of the cause Brethren, there are many times when the dark mind, sometimes from disappointments, abandonment of friends, observing the decline of the Lord’s work, a lack of success in our ministry, a feeling of sin or a thousand other evils. Who can shoot us all? Jesus can sympathize and win us back, no matter what we face.
In another sermon, Charles also revealed his condition: “I’m pretty out of control to address you tonight. I feel too bad, too heavy and deeply depressed. But what helped him that night was the pleasure of trying to say a few words?”About the Gospel To those who were gathered The pleasure of sharing a broader vision of Jesus’ suffering and compassion can mysteriously strengthen us in our depression.
Why did Charles talk so openly about his depression, confront those who stigmatized, shamed, or discriminated against him. Just as Jesus’ story tells us that God was there to give us true hope, we who were there with him learned to tell our stories as well. At the bottom of the well, we doubt that our history may interest no one, let alone God. In fact, those who have already crossed the vast desert have things to say that no one else can really.
I know, personally, that there is nothing in the world in the physical body that can suffer that compares to the desolation and prostration of the mind. Charles Spurgeon’s depression affects many people, both personally and throughout the lives of those we love. In this book we see how the prince of preachers of the nineteenth century, C. H. Spurgeon, fought depression. The fact that such a prominent Christian pastor has experienced and talked about depression so openly invites us to feel empathy with a suffering companion, because this pastor and preacher went to fight with faith and doubt, suffering and hope, we gained a companion along the way. What he found of Jesus in the dark can serve as light for our own darkness.
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