Attributes of God - Charnock - XLII - Chapter 12 (God's goodness) continued

Required reading
Attributes of God by Charnock (Available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue Chapter 12 (A discourse upon the goodness of God) by reading up to the paragraph commencing 'The second thing is the manifestation of this goodness in redemption.'

My summary
Today we begin Charnock's fourth main point about God's goodness: it is manifested in creation, redemption and providence.

This week we only look at its manifestation in creation.

Firstly Charnock tells us that creation proceeds from God's goodness.

Secondly Charnock teaches us that creation was the first act of God's goodness without himself.

Thirdly we see that there is not one creature but hath a character of his goodness.

Fourthly Charnock spends most of the rest of the section showing the goodness of God in the creation of man.  It is in:
(i) the being and nature of God;
(ii) the life of man as God by an immense goodness copied out in him the whole creation, and made him an abridgement of the higher and lower world;
(iii) the free goodness of God in doing this for man;
(iv) the conveniences God provided for and gave to man.

What grabbed me
I liked the emphasis on the fact that man was created for happiness: 'God did create man for a reward and happiness ; now God's implanting in the nature of man a desire after happiness, and some higher happiness than he had in creation invested him in, doth evidence that God did not create man only for his own service, but for his attaining a greater happiness. All rational creatures are possessed with a principle of seeking after good, the highest good, and God did not plant in man this principle in vain ; it had not been goodness to put this principle in man, if he had designed never to bestow a happiness on man for his obedience : this had been repugnant to the goodness and wisdom of God ; and the Scripture doth very emphatically express the felicity of man to be the design of God in the first forming him and moulding him a creature, as well as working him a new creature.'

God had no need to create us for happiness.  But in his goodness, he did.

Next week's reading
Continue Chapter 12 (A discourse upon the goodness of God) by reading up to the paragraph commencing '5. This goodness is manifest in the covenant of grace made with us, whereby we are freed from the rigour of that of works.'

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.