The loss of hope; that state of mind in which a person loses his confidence in the divine mercy. Some of the best antidotes against despair, says one, may be taken from the consideration,
1. Of the nature of God, his goodness, mercy, &c.
2. The testimony of God: he hath said, he desireth not the death of the sinner.
3. From the works of God: he hath given his Son to die.
4. From his promises, Hebrews 13:5 .
5. From his command: he hath commanded us to confide in his mercy.
6. From his expostulations, & 100: Baxter on Religious Melancholy; Claude's Essays, p. 388, Robinson's edit.; Gisborne's Sermon on Religious Despondency.
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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