Hath said in his heart. When a man
talks atheistically, is it a foolish heart speaking, and endeavoring to clamor
down the voice of conscience? We think so. If the affections were set upon
truth and righteousness, the understanding would have no difficulty in settling
the question of a present personal Deity, but as the heart dislikes the good
and the right, it is no wonder that it desires to be rid of that great moral
Elohim, who is the Governor, the Patron of rectitude and the Punisher of
iniquity. While men’s hearts remain what they are, we must not be surprised at
the prevalence of skepticism; a corrupt tree will bring forth corrupt fruit.
Such fools are common to all time, and all countries. The spread of mere
intellectual enlightenment will not diminish their number, for since it is an
affair of the heart this folly and great learning will often dwell together. To
answer skeptical cavilings will be labor lost until grace enters to make the
mind willing to believe; fools can raise more objections in an hour than wise
men can answer in seven years, indeed it is their mirth to set stools for wise
men to stumble over. Let the preacher aim at the heart, and preach the
all-conquering love of Jesus, and he will by God’s grace win more doubters to
the faith of the Gospel than any hundred of the best reasoners who only direct
their arguments to the head.
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