Attributes of God by Charnock (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue Chapter 2 (Practical atheism) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'II. The second main thing: As man would be a law to himself, so he would be his own end and happiness in opposition to God.'
Today Charnock continues to look at what it means to be a practical atheist by finishing his first main point about practical atheists, 'Man would set himself up as his own rule instead of God'. Today's reading consists of Charnock's second, third and fourth subpoints of this first main point.
The second subpoint is that man owns any other rule rather than that of God's prescribing, including:
(i) the rule of Satan;
(ii) the rule of man.
The third subpoint is that man sets up himself as his own rule as though our own wills, and not God's, were the true square and measure of goodness. The evidence of this appears in three propositions:
(i) this is natural to man as he is corrupted;
(ii) this is evident in the dissatisfaction of men with their own consciences, when they contradict the desires of self;
(iii) many, if not most actions, materially good in the world, are done more because they are agreeable to self, than as they are honourable to God.
The fourth subpoint is that man makes himself not only his own rule, but would make himself the rule of God and give laws to his creator. This is evidenced:
(i) in the strivings against his law;
(ii) in disapproving the methods of God's government of the world;
(iii) in impatience in our particular concerns;
(iv) in envying the gifts and prosperities of others;
(v) in corrupt matters or ends of prayer and praise;
(vi) in positive and bold interpretations of the judgments of God in the world;
(vii) in mixing rules for the worship of God, with those which have been ordered by him;
(viii) in fitting interpretations of Scripture to their own minds and humours;
(ix) in falling off from God after some fair compliances, when his will grateth upon us and crosseth ours;
Top quotes like this one were all over the place: 'This is the epidemical disease of human nature ; they think they deserve caresses instead of rods, and upon crosses are more ready to tear out the heart of God than reflect humbly upon their own hearts. When we accuse God, we applaud ourselves, and make ourselves his superiors, intimating that we have acted more righteously to him than he to us, which is the highest manner of imposing laws upon him, as that emperor accused the justice of God for snatching him out of the world too soon. What a high piece of practical atheism is this, to desire that infinite wisdom should be guided by our folly, and asperse the righteousness of God rather than blemish our own. Instead of silently submitting to his will and adoring his wisdom, we declaim against him, as an unwise and unjust governor. We would invert his order, make him the steward and ourselves the proprietors of what we are and have. We deny ourselves to be sinners, and our mercies to be forfeited.'
Every time we sin against God we are dictating to him how he should run the universe; in effect, he should put us in charge.
The audacity of sinful humanity!
Continue Chapter 2
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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