Today, I have the pleasure of reviewing the newly updated edition of Stephen Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God, which has been edited by Mark Jones and published by Crossway.
It is a bit difficult to review an already well-known work such as this, which has been praised for centuries for its depth and breadth. Still, Stephen Charnock, a 17th-century Puritan writer, lived between 1628 and 1680, where he first pastored in London, taught at Oxford, ministered in Dublin, and died a Puritan Presbyterian in London. During his life, he wrote The Existence and Attributes of God, yet, unfortunately, this work was left incomplete given his Charnock’s passing. Despite being incomplete, Charnock left readers with 14 homiletical discourses laid out in a logical manner.
Since its publication, the completed text of The Existence and Attributes of God has been recognized as a classic and has been praised for its thoughtful, logical, and rich content. Crossway’s new edition of this work is just gorgeous. Looking like a volume from the 17th century; the spine looks great on the shelf, the texture is nice, and the binding is excellent, leaving the volumes to lay flat when open. The font and paper are especially easy on the eyes, but incredibly important about this new edition is the editing by Mark Jones.
While Charnock, in general, is an easier read than other Puritan writers like Owen and Baxter, the editing of this volume increased the accessibility of the content tremendously. Within the introduction of the work, you’ll find editorial notes on the specifics of such editing, but here is a summary from the book’s description:
- Modernized Language: Archaic punctuation, words, and phrases have been updated for the modern reader
- Updated Bibliographic Information: In the footnotes, Charnock’s sources have been located and updated with fuller bibliographic information, showing how widely read he was
- Chapter Summaries: Each discourse begins with a summary of the chapter to follow
- Extensive: Covers Charnock’s defense of God’s existence and 11 attributes of God
- Includes In-Depth Chapter on the Life of Stephen Charnock by William Symington
Needless to say, this updated edition can reignite exposure to a rightfully Christian classic. In terms of the content of Charnock’s work itself, the set is two volumes with 14 discourses. Volume 1 moves readers through the introduction to the set, to Charnock himself, and then proceeds to discourses 1 through 8. Volume 2 focuses on discourses 9-14.
In addition to the updated language, the chapter summaries are a welcomed addition. Jones summarizes the theme and arguments of Charnock’s discourse in question, orienting the reader so they can more fully grasp and enjoy Charnock’s approach to the topic at hand.
Volume 1: Discourses 1–8
Discourse 1: On God’s Existence
Discourse 2: On Practical Atheism
Discourse 3: On God’s Being a Spirit
Discourse 4: On Spiritual Worship
Discourse 5: On the Eternity of God
Discourse 6: On the Immutability of God
Discourse 7: On God’s Omnipresence
Discourse 8: On God’s Knowledge
Volume 2: Discourses 9–14
Discourse 9: On the Wisdom of God
Discourse 10: On the Power of God
Discourse 11: On the Holiness of God
Discourse 12: On the Goodness of God
Discourse 13: On God’s Dominion
Discourse 14: On God’s Patience
In each chapter, there are thought-provoking nuggets of gold (my favorites being 2, 6, 9, and 12). The reader should bear in mind that the total page count is 1615 (1760 with index, etc) and that this book, for many, may end up being approached by reading chapters according to interest rather than from beginning to end. For those who embark on the latter, this book (as it is can be with many Puritan works) will be a slow burn and will, at times, feel like death by details or repetitiveness. If you approach it with the mentality of hiking and climbing to the summit of a mountain, you can take necessary breaks and pauses to ensure you continue the hike and push through. If you do that, you will definitely come away satisfied when you reach the summit.
“In every action we should make the inquiry, What is the rule I observe? Is it God’s will or my own? Whether do my intentions tend to set up God or self? As much as we destroy this, we abate the power of sin. These two things are the head of the serpent in us, which we must be bruising by the power of the cross. Sin is nothing else but a turning from God and centering on self, and most in the inferior part of self. If we bend our force against those two, self-will and self-ends, we shall intercept atheism at the springhead, take away that which does constitute and animate all sin. The sparks must vanish, if the fire be quenched that affords them fuel. They are but two short things to ask in every undertaking: Is God my rule in regard of his will? Is God my end in regard of his glory? All sin lies in the neglect of these; all grace lies in the practice of them.”
All in all, Charnock’s classic is worth reading, no doubt about it. Crossway’s edition made that both easier, given the editorial work, and the set is pleasing to the eye. It’s worth tackling at one point or another! The set is a bit pricey at its retail value, though be sure to compare prices across stores and consider the free Crossway plus membership that can get you 30% off.
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