Psalm 14:1-7 The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good.… The term "fool" is not to be confined to one who is really deprived of the exercise of reason. We must understand it of the sinner; not merely of him who is addicted to the habits of vice and to a life of gross impiety, but of everyone who is under the power of the natural wickedness of his heart, under the dominion of sin, or in an unrenewed state, although his life should be externally sober and blameless. It is declared of the spiritual fool that he hath said in his heart "There is no God." These words do not express the persuasion of the sinner, but his affection and desire. He is not convinced that there is no God, but he wishes that there were none. I. SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE SUBJECT. There cannot be a speculative atheist in the world. By a speculative atheist is meant one who is firmly convinced in his mind that there is no God. The works of creation contain so powerful a demonstration of the existence of the Supreme Being that a man must wilfully shut his eyes ere he can presume to deny it. This truth is further demonstrated by the tendency of all earthly things to destruction. The dictates of conscience afford the same testimony. There have been, and there are, many heart atheists; those who, although they do not in their judgments disbelieve this fundamental doctrine, yet ardently wish in their hearts that they had no ground to believe it. There are many practical atheists; men who, although they believe the being of God, live as if there was none. Their life is a practical denial of His being, because it is a life of impiety. Every man is naturally an atheist in heart. The natural atheism of the heart is greatly confirmed and increased by continuance in sin. There is even atheism in the heart of every believer. II. EVERY NATURAL MAN IS UNDER THE POWER OF HEART ATHEISM. 1. This appears from his neglect of religions duties. 2. The power of heart atheism appears by hypocrisy. 3. This corruption of the heart breaks out in the profanity and sensuality of the life. 4. By perjury. 5. Sinners discover the atheism of their hearts by the false apprehensions they entertain of the justice and mercy of God. 6. And by not being influenced in their conduct by an impression of the Divine omnipresence and omniscience. 7. By their disregard of God's threatening law. 8. By their rejection of the Gospel. 9. By their contempt of the godly. III. THE CONSEQUENCES OF HEART ATHEISM. It tends — 1. To apostasy front the true faith. The ground of faith in the doctrines of Holy Scripture, in opposition to those of error, must be the authority and faithfulness of God speaking in His Word. 2. To produce an apprehension that there is no truth in Divine revelation, and that all religion is a human device. 3. To give loose rein to all manner of iniquity. 4. To produce unreasonable and ill-grounded fears. 5. To drive to despair. It is the atheism of the heart, taken in one point of view, that makes the sinner imagine there is no mercy for him. 6. To hurry men into eternal perdition. Exhort (1) those who are freed from the dominion of this corruption to pray earnestly for deliverance from its remaining power. (2) Strive to resist atheistical thoughts. (3) Beware of indulging secret sins. (4) Implore a continued sense of the presence of God on your mind. (J. Jamieson, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: {To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. |
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