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 folly of atheism is undeniable when we remember — I. THAT THE THING SO ARDENTLY WISHED FOR IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE. The all-seeing God can no more shut His eyes to the conduct of mortals than He can cease to exist. As His superintending care is necessary for the preservation of the universe, so is the constant exercise of His moral government required for the vindication of His own honour. It is told that a Frenchman once visited a castle in Germany where dwelt a nobleman who had a good and devoted son, his comfort and his pride. In the course of conversation the Frenchman spoke in such unbecoming terms of God that the baron said, "Are you not afraid of offending God by speaking in this way!" The foreigner announced, with cool indifference, that he knew nothing about God, for he had never seen Him. The next morning the baron pointed out to his visitor a beautiful picture on the wall, and said, "My son painted that." "He must be a very clever youth," courteously replied the Frenchman. Later on the baron took his visitor over his gardens, which were of rare beauty and contained many choicest plants. On being asked who managed the garden, he replied, "My son, and he knows almost every plant, from the cedar to the hyssop." "What a happy man you must be," said the Frenchman, "to have such a son!" "How do you know I have a son?" asked the baron, with a grave face. "Why, because I have seen his works; and I am sure he must be both clever and good, or he never could have done all you have shown me." "But you have never seen him!" returned the baron. "No, but I already know him very well, because I can form a just estimate of him from his works." "Well, then, if you are able to judge of my son's good character by seeing his various works, how does it happen that you can form no estimate of God's goodness by witnessing such proofs of His handiwork?" If the fool could have his way, and banish the Almighty One from His own dominions, it would — II. BE AN UNSPEAKABLE DAMAGE TO ALL EVEN IN THIS WORLD. If men would put an end to the beneficent rule of our heavenly Father, what would they offer as compensation for so irreparable a loss? Should any have reached this extreme point in foolishness that they have wished there were no God, let them ponder these thoughts. 1. Before you are again drawn so far within the dreary region of unbelief, ask this question: Have I a sincere desire to know the truth? I put the matter in this shape, because thousands have really hated the truth, when they fancied that they loved it. 2. In order to strengthen your feeble faith, make diligent use of the light which you already possess. 3. Be willing to ask God, in humble prayer, to give you light, and to guide you into all truth. One of the fiercest of the French revolutionists said to a simple peasant, "I will have all your church steeples pulled down, that you may no longer have any object to remind you of your old superstitions." But, returned the peasant, with an air of triumph, "you cannot help leaving us the stars." Instead of the blank, cheerless lot of such as would fain believe that "there is no God," the wise in heart will rather be disposed to adopt the language of the great philosopher, Sir Humphrey Davy, as their own, "I envy no qualities of the mind in others — nor genius, nor power, wit, nor fancy; but if I could choose what would be most useful to me, I should prefer a firm religious belief to every other blessing." (John N. Norton.) 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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