Quotes from Stephen Charnock

No man is an unbeliever, but because he will be so; and every man is not an unbeliever, because the grace of God conquers some, changes their wills, and binds them to Christ.

Adoption gives us the privilege of sons, regeneration the nature of sons.

Power is God's hand or arm, omniscience is God's eye, mercy is God's delight, eternity is God's duration, but holiness is God's beauty!

When we believe that we should be satisfied rather than God glorified in our worship, then we put God below ourselves as though He had been made for us rather than that we had been made for Him.

God knows all that is done in the most secret caverns of the heart. No place is deprived of his presence.

Our ignorance of God is too great, because our estimations of God are too little.

Self is the great antichrist and anti-God in the world, that sets up itself above all else.

Since nothing but God is eternal, nothing but God is worth the loving.

All the prayers in the Scripture you will find to be reasoning with God, not a multitude of words heaped together.

God often lays the sum of His amazing providences in very dismal afflictions; as the limner first puts on the dusky colors, on which he intends to draw the portraiture of some illustrious beauty.

Works make not the heart good, but a good heart makes the works good.

Sin endeavors to subject the blessed God to the humor and lust of every person in the world

All worship is shot wrong that is not directed to, and conducted by, the thoughts of the power of God, whose assistance we need.

Let us not satisfy ourselves with a knowledge of God in the mass; a glance upon a picture never directs you to the discerning the worth and art of it.

Regeneration is a spiritual change; conversion is a spiritual motion.

The little time that remains between this moment and our death, should quicken our diligence to inherit the endless and unchangeable eternity of God.

We may be truly said to worship God, though we lack perfection; but we cannot be said to worship Him if we lack sincerity.

Since nothing but God is eternal, nothing but God is worth the loving.

Frequently renew settled and holy resolutions. A soldier unresolved to fight may be easily defeated...The weakness of our graces, the strength of our temptations, and the diligence of our spiritual enemies, require strong resolutions.

Man's wisdom detracts from the glory of God, who is more honoured by the simplicity of the gospel, than luxuriance of wit.

The great objection of a penitent is, I have sinned, and I know not whether God will receive me: consider, God knows your sin better than you do, yet he kindly calls to you, and promises you as good a reception as if you had never sinned.

A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant.

All the world, every creature. He put no difference between men in this respect, though you meet with them in the likeness of beasts, and devils never so wicked, never so abominable; as long as they are creatures, reach out the cup of salvation to them, if they will drink; open the treasures of grace to them, if they will receive them; agree with them for nothing but faith for justification, and profession of it for their salvation.

We must first believe that he is, and that he is what he declares himself to be, before we can seek him, adore him, and devote our affections to him.13 We cannot pay God a due and regular homage, unless we understand him in his perfections, what he is; and we can pay him no homage at all, unless we believe that he is.