Attributes of God by Charnock (Available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Conclude Chapter 8 (A discourse upon God's knowledge).
Today we finish Charnock's discourse on God's omniscience with his fifth main point giving the 'uses' of the doctrine.
The first use is information. If God hath all knowledge, then:
(i) Jesus is not a mere creature;
(ii) God hath an infinite knowledge and understanding;
(iii) a day of judgement is certain;
(iv) there is a ground to believe in a resurrection;
(v) there is no reason to expect a justification in the sight of God by anything in ourselves;
(vi) we should have honourable and adoring thoughts of God;
(vii)
(viii)
The second use is one of comfort. If God hath all knowledge, then:
(i) it is a comfort in all the clandestine contrivances of men against the church;
(ii) it fits him to be a special object of trust;
(iii) God knows the persons of all his own;
(iv) we may take comfort that our sincerity cannot be unknown to an infinite understanding;
(v) God may comfort us in our secret prayers, sighs, and works;
(vi) it affords comfort in the afflictions of men;
(vii) it is a comfort in all our infirmities;
(viii) it is some comfort in the fears of some lurking corruption in our hearts;
(ix) it is comfortable in our assurances of the pardon of sin or seeking of it.
The third use shall be to sinners to humble them and put them upon serious consideration. If God hath all knowledge, then consider:
(i) what a poor refuge is secrecy to a sinner;
(ii) how dreadful this is to the juggling hypocrite;
(iii) is it not also a senseless thing to be careless of sins committed long ago;
(iv) that this infinite understanding doth exactly know the sins of men;
(v) that God knows men's miscarriage so as to judge.
The fourth use is of exhortation. Charnock suggests that God's omniscience should:
(i) give check to much iniquity;
(ii) make us watchful over our hearts and thoughts;
(iii) make good preparation to every duty;
(iv) make us humble;
(v) make us to acquiesce in God and rely upon him in every strait.
What grabbed me
This might be the finest one: 'The consideration of this attribute would make us humble. How dejected would a person be, if he were sure all the angels in heaven and men upon earth, did perfectly know his crimes, with all their aggravations! But what is created knowledge to an infinite and justly censuring understanding ? When we consider that he knows our actions whereof there are multitudes, and our thoughts whereof there are millions; that he views all the blessings bestowed upon us, all the injuries we have returned to him; that he exactly knows his own bounty, and our ingratitude: all the idolatry, blasphemy and, secret enmity in every man's heart against him: all tyrannical oppressions, hidden lusts, omissions of necessary duties, violation of plain precepts, every foolish imagination, with all the circumstances of them, and that perfectly in their full anatomy, every mite of unworthiness and wickedness in every circumstance; and add to this his knowledge, the wonders of his patience, which are miraculous upon the score of his omniscience, that he is not as quick in his revenge as he is in his understanding; but he is so far from inflicting punishment, that he continues his former benefits, arms not his justice against us, but solicits our repentance, and waits to be gracious with all his knowledge of our crimes; should not the consideration of this melt our hearts into humiliation before him, and make us earnest in begging pardon and forgiveness of him?'
All I can say after that is, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
Commence Chapter 9 (A discourse upon the wisdom of God) by reading up to the paragraph commencing 'IV. The fourth thing is, wherein the wisdom of God appears.'
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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