In our last visit with Charnock, we discovered the comfort we can find in in the attribute of God that is his eternality. Now we’ll see an application regarding our attitude toward our sin.

   Let us be deeply affected by our sins long since committed. Though they are past with us, they are, in regard of God’s eternity, present with him; there is no succession in eternity, as there is in time. All things are before God at once; our sins are before him, as if committed at this moment, though committed long ago. As he is what he is in regard of duration, so he knows what he knows in regard of knowledge. As he is not more than he was, nor shall not be any more than he is, so he always knew what he knows, and shall not cease to know what he knows. As himself, so is his knowledge, is one indivisible point of eternity. He knows nothing but what he did know from eternity; he shall know no more for the future than he now knows. Our sins being present with him in eternity, should be present with us in our regard of remembrance of them, and sorrow for them. What though many years are lapsed, much time run out, and our iniquities almost blotted out of our memory; yet since a thousand years are, in God’s sight, and in regard of his eternity, but as a day—“a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is past, as a watch in the night.” (Ps. xc. 4)—they are before him. For suppose a man were as old as the world, above six thousand five hundred years; the sins committed five thousand years ago are, according to that rule, but as if they were committed five days ago; so that sixty-two years are but as an hour and a half; and the sins committed forty years since as if they were committed but this present hour. But if we will go further, and consider them as a watch of the night, about three hours (for the night, consisting of twelve hours, was divided into set watches), then a thousand years are but as three hours in the sight of God; and then the sins committed sixty years ago are but as if they were committed in this five minutes. Let none of us set light by the iniquities committed many years ago, and imagine the length of time can wipe out their guilt. No; let us consider them in relation to God’s eternity, and excite an inward remorse, as if they had been but the birth of this moment.

—Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God (Baker Books, 2005), 1:301–302