The Existence and Attributes of God
What can we know about the nature of God? Stephen Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God is a classic work worth revisiting today. Updated and unabridged, this new 2-volume set from Crossway is a handsome edition for your study.
The Wisdom of God
The first volume begins with an essay on the life and character of Stephen Charnock, written by William Symington. He states that Charnock’s excellent preaching was eminently evangelical. I was also interested to learn of Charnock’s writing and his prominent place amongst the Puritans.
The second volume opens with a beautiful discourse on the wisdom of God. Charnock highlights the incarnation, and how the wisdom of God is revealed and appointing the son as a mediator. He declares that the union of both natures of Christ is incomprehensible. Furthermore, God’s wisdom, friends together, both mercy and justice. It is a powerful treatment of an important doctrine.
The Existence of God
In regards to God’s existence, Charnock introduced me to reasons I had not considered before. For instance, in Discourse 1, Charnock explains how fear would not be possible without the existence of God. Fear exists because of sin, and it is telling when we fear because of something wrong we have done.
Mike Jones provides an editor’s summary before each discourse, with an overview of Charnock’s thoughts and tracing his flow. Jones shows how the discourses are connected to each other, which helps you grasp the big picture of the books. I found his footnotes to be quite helpful in following along.
The Goodness of God
I was most surprised to see the topic of spiritual worship appear in Discourse 4. Charnock’s puritanism comes out as he explains that glorifying God consists in worshiping God properly. But Charnock is not dour. He states that delight in God, and worshiping him in reverence — can coexist.
I was most moved to read of God’s goodness and Discourse 12. God delights in himself as well as in his creatures. Ultimately, God‘s goodness is revealed in his works of creation and redemption. Charnock is worshipful throughout, and his words warmed my heart.
The Patience of God
Interestingly, the book closes with a discourse on God’s patience. The fact that God desires reconciliation with his creatures is incredible. I was convicted of my own lack of patience in many areas of my life, and convinced to desire God’s patient disposition toward sinners. Of course, God’s patience peaks at Christ. It is a strong end to a beautiful book, and one that carries significant still today.
I received a media copy of The Existence and Attributes of God and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.