Westminster 07 E F

The afternoon session of the second day at the Westminster Conference was also on a theological tome. This time a younger man, Jeremy Walker, took us through some works found in the fourth volume of Puritan Stephen Charnock (1628-1680) namely A Discourse of the Knowledge of God and especially A Discourse of the Knowledge of God in Christ where Charnock ties everything to knowing God in Christ. A tour de force of the relevant texts these works were summarised, sometimes densely but always lucidly, and prepared the way for a profitable discussion of the subject. It followed on in part from the morning session. The contributions of other Puritans, such as Sibbes and Manton and Owen were also brought in. Charnock is orthodox and unoriginal but more thorough going in this area than others. What David Clarkson is willing to leave as a hint Charnock takes up and runs with.

Mr Walker helpfully concluded with some application in the area of worship, orthodox trinitarianism, the traditional approach to theology proper, true godliness and comfort for this life and the next.

A school concert precluded me from hearing all but the very start of the final paper from conference secretary John Harris on the preaching of Newton. He began with Newton's sermons from texts in Handel's Messiah and then for his first point looked at his call. An interesting draft transcription of the journal he kept on this matter can be found here. Newton was not a great preacher it seems so it was perhaps an odd subject for consideration. Many of us had also had a good slice of Newton on the Monday before.