Is melancholy related to temperament?

Have you ever been in a season of life where you feel like you were being swallowed up by sorrow?

I know I have gone through several seasons like that,
especially in the months following Austin's premature entry into this world and later when we desperately wanted to have a second child but were unable for a time. If you have ever walked through a dark season of melancholy, you will understand the truth in these words by Richard Baxter:

"The passions of grief and trouble of mind do oft overthrow the sober and sound use of reason, so that a man's judgment is corrupted... Overmuch sorrow disableth a man to govern his thoughts; and ungoverned thoughts must needs be both sinful and very troublesome... Overmuch sorrow would swallow up faith itself... yet more hindereth hope... Overmuch sorrow swalloweth up all comfortable sense of the infinite goodness and love of God, and thereby hindereth the soul from loving him; and in this it is an adversary to the very life of holiness..." (The Cure of Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow by Richard Baxter, pages 4-5)

Baxter goes on to say that this sorrowful state distorts a man's view of the world and of scripture's application to his life.

"...it is an enemy to thankfulness... this distemper is quite contrary to the joy in the Holy Ghost... nothing seemeth joyful unto such distressed souls. Delighting in God and in his word and ways, is the flower and life of true religion. But these that I speak of can delight in nothing; neither in God, nor in his word, nor any duty. They do it as a sick man eateth his meat, for mere necessity, and with some loathing and averseness." (page 6)

Overmuch sorrow also opens the door for Satan to throw in blasphemous thoughts about God, doubts of his goodness, etc. This dreadful disease of melancholy must be cured before it swallows up its victim!

I am thankful that God persevered me through those many months and years of melancholy. I used to think that my sadness was tied to my circumstances, but I am beginning to think it may in fact be more tied to my temperament.

Baxter says that three diseases cause overmuch sorrow:

1. Physical suffering and afflictions that cause violent pain (usually short-lived and not the main topic for his sermon)
2. A naturally passionate and weak temperament
3. the disease of Melancholy, which often strikes those with the aforementioned temperament

"A natural passionateness and weakness of that reason that should quiet passion...most troublesome and hurtful to many women... who are easily troubled... even many who fear God, and who have very sound understandings, and quick wits, have almost no more power against troubling passions, anger and grief, but especially fear, than they have of any other persons... Their very natural temper is a strong disease of troubling, sorrow, fear and displeasedness....it is the foresaid persons, whose natural temper is timorous and passionate, and apt to discontent and grief, who fall into infirmity and melancholy; and the conjuction of both the natural temper and the disease does increase the misery." (page 7-8)

Isn't Baxter just full of good words about melancholy?! I hope you have gleaned something helpful from my posts so far. By the end of my series, I should be able to tie them all together and give a big picture view of Baxter's sermon.

So far I have written on the following topics relating to melancholy:

Avoiding Blogger's Remorse- On the Topic of Melancholy - I was a little hesitant to blog on this topic, but after a little encouragement, I decided to go for it.

Is Melancholy a Disease? - A little introduction of sorts.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Sorrow Over Sin? - This is certainly not the most common reason for melancholy, but it was worth mentioning.