Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)

I found my devotional for the rest of this year and maybe next. I recently recovered a loaned-out copy of The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock. You've heard of Charnock, right? Of course you haven't. That's because he is from a forgotten age. Thankfully, Baker Books didn't forget him, though, and in 1996 they issued a reprint of this classic, two volumes in one. My copy is from the third printing in 2000. I obtained this fine hard-cover tome for the low price of $10 a couple of years back. I see that even a used copy of this is going to run you north of $30 nowadays.

You can learn more about Charnock, if you wish, by going to the Stephen Charnock Project.
There is also the Wikipedia page for all you cyber scholars who just want a quick reference without the burden of complete accuracy -- Stephen Charnock

This is not light reading, and not just because it was written in 17th century prose. Charnock does not skim the surface and give us the highlights. He plumbs the depths and brings forth jewels. This is sustenance for the soul. If you are unfamiliar with Puritan writings they are deeply devotional, not just deep. They are echoes from a time before television, mass entertainment, modern noise.

From the back cover:

"Charnock reflects on Scripture to draw out its full implications for understanding the God of the Old and New Testaments. The practical aim of these meditations is godly living, so that increased knowledge leads naturally to greater obedience and more heartfelt worship."

Volume 1 is 606 pages while volume 2 contains only 524. Since this is not light, I figure it is better to really think and meditate on it than to try to devour large chunks at a time. Ten or twelve pages a week would complete both volumes in about two years. That's not bad. It also leaves me plenty of time for lighter reading. I cannot imagine tackling these two volumes as something that I must complete before moving on to anything else. That would be daunting indeed. Here is an excerpt from last night:

"It must be confessed by all, that there is a law of nature writ upon the hearts of men, which will direct them to commendable actions, if they will attend to the writing in their own consciences. This law cannot be considered without the notice of a Lawgiver. For it is but a natural and obvious conclusion, that some superior hand engrafted those principles in man, since he finds something in him twitching him upon the pursuit of uncomely actions, though his heart be mightily inclined to them; man knows he never planted this principle of reluctancy in his own soul; he can never be the cause of that which he cannot be friends with. If he were the cause of it, why doth he not rid himself of it? No man would endure a thing that doth frequently molest and disquiet him, if he could cashier it. It is therefore sown in man by some hand more powerful than man, which riseth so high, and is rooted so strong, that all the force that man can use cannot pull it up. If therefore this principle be natural in man, and the law of nature be natural, the notion of a Lawgiver must be as natural, as the notion of a printer, or that there is a printer, is obvious upon the sight of a stamp impressed."