Quotes from Stephen Charnock

Without the heart it's not worship, it's a stage play.

Antiquity hath, too, too often bewitched the minds of men, and drawn them from the revealed will of God. Men are more willing to imitate the outward actions of their famous ancestors, than conform themselves to the revealed will of their Creator.

Those that deny the providence of God, do in effect deny the being of God; for they strip him of that wisdom, goodness, tenderness, mercy, justice, righteousness, which are the glory of the Deity.

It is a great folly to deny or doubt of the existence or being of God: or, an atheist is a great fool.

God's providence is designed to do good for his people. God takes meticulous care to ensure our ultimate blessing. His scrupulous care in the unfolding of providence, despite any appearance to the contrary, is calculated to achieve the redemption of his people. All things work together for their good (Rom 8:28) - good things and evil things.

The more we act love upon God, as amiable and gracious, the more we should exercise grief in ourselves, as we are vile and offending. Spiritual worship is a melting worship, as well as an elevating worship; it exalts God, and debaseth the creature.

A carnal worshipper is taken with the beauty and magnificence of the temple; a spiritual worshipper desires to see the glory of God in the sanctuary (Psalm lxiii. 2), he pants after God: as he came to worship, to find God, he boils up in desires for God, and is loth to go from it without God, "the living God" (Psalm xlii. 2).

To desire worship as an end is carnal; to desire it as a means, and act desires in it for communion with God in it, is spiritual, and the fruit of a spiritual life.

A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant.

Since therefore all things are ordered in subserviency to the good of man, they are so ordered by Him that made both man and them.

A proud faith is as much a contradiction as a humble devil.

Assurance is the fruit that grows out of the root of faith.