Attributes of God - Charnock - VIII - Chapter 2 (Practical atheism) continued

Required reading
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 'IV.  For the use of this.  It serves, 1. For information. (1.) It gives us occasion to admire the wonderful patience and mercy of God.'

My summary
Today we conclude looking at Charnock's second main point about practical atheism: 'As man would be a law to himself, so he would be his own end and happiness in opposition to God.' Last week we saw three of his four subpoints, this week we look at the last one.

The fourth thing man does is makes himself the end of God.  This is evident in:
(i) our loving God because of some self-pleasing benefits distributed by him;
(ii) in abstinence from sins, not because they offend God, but because they are against the interest of some other beloved corruption, or a bar to something men hunt after in this world;
(iii) performing duties merely for a selfish interest; making ourselves the end of religious actions; paying a homage to that, while we pretend to render it to God.

What grabbed me
Great point about how we show our practical atheism when we perform religious duties simply for our own interest. Particularly 'In begging his assistance to our own projects.  When we lay the plot of our own affairs, and then come to God, not for counsel but blessing, self only shall give us counsel how to act; but because we believe there is a God that governs the world, we will desire him to contribute success.  God is not consulted with till the counsel of self be fixed; then God must be the executor of our will.  Self must be the principal, and God the instrument to hatch what we have contrived.  It is worse when we beg of God to favour some sinful aim; the psalmist implies this Ps. lxvi. 18 '"f I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."  Iniquity regarded as the aim in prayer renders the prayer successless, and the suppliant an atheist in debasing God to back his lust by his holy providence.'

All too often we call on God only with our own self interest in mind, not his interests.  And that makes us practical atheists.

Next week's reading
Conclude Chapter 2 (Practical atheism).

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