The Hazlehurst signal., 1883-12-06
THE THEOLOGY OF THE HEART.

THE THEOLOGY OF THE HEART.
There is a dogmatic theology OF the
church crceds which has been derived
with moro or less of accuracy from the
Scriptures, and teaches the existence,
character and attributes Of God. There
Is also theology of the heart which is
rs old rs humanity. and confirms all
that tho Scriptures teach Of the exist
ence and perfections of God. The be-
lief that there Is God and tho ycarn-
ing to know Him arc intuitivc and uni-
ycrsal. 1t was this hcart-thcology
that led the psalmist to say: "As the
hart panteth after tho water brooks, so
pantcth my soul after Thee, . God.
NV soul thirsteth for God, for tho liy-
ing God" 1t was tho same heart.
hunger and belief that caused job to
say: :" Surely would speak to the Al
mighty. and desire to reason with God:
o that knew where might find Him:
that might come even to His scat. /
would order my cause before Him. and
fill nv mouth with arguments II
was an intuitivc conviction OF His cx-
istcnce that led the Greeks to erect an
altar to the unknown God, and inspired
tho profound spcculatiOnS OF pagan
Plato concerning His being and attri-
butcs.
st. Paul teaches that the common con-
stitution of "all nations that dwell on
the face OF the earth" leads them to
..seck the Lord. II haply they might feel
after Him, and find Him." This per-
pctual search proves that atheism Is re-
pugnant to the human heart, and does
violence to the moral nature Of man. 1t
Is In conflict with his incrad'cable In
stincts. desires and hopes. which all rc-
quirc personal. living. loving God as
the author. preserycr, and savior OF the
race. God Is tho felt necessity OF every
rational soul A sane man may imagine
he has reason to doubt the existence OF
God. hut his heart bellies his conclusion
by still yearning for the living God.
Only the fool hath said in his heart,
"Thcrc Is no God" So universal is the
longing for God and tho belief in His
existence that II is not without reason
that many Christian thinkers doubt
either the entire sanity or the entire sin.
cerity of those who profess TO agree
with the fool. There Is n strong prob
ability that, Notwithstanding their pro-
fcssions of atheism, few sane men are
quite rs far from God rs they aver.
Their hearts protest against their tho
ory. In many cases the faith of child
hood and of q godly ancestry fingers
to utter tho same protest; and where
the deepest instincts of the soul unite
with the influences of Christian nurt
ure against it. a perfectly sincere and
unwavering belief in atheism is impos.
siblc.
Tho heart clings to q belief In God
rs the only ground of hope for the
future. To be without God Is to be
without hope in the world. II there !,
no almighty creator and preservcr OF
man, there Is no power to deliver him
from death. II he does not possess m
indestructible life derived from God he
can not hope to survive the death of the
body. The hopelessness OF atheism
Is. therefore, essential to 1t. To unso
phisticated minds, this hopclessncss IL
appalling. 1t dcprivcs the soul OF II,
only sufficient support In sorrow, pain
and death. 1t takes away the strongcs
incentive to noble endeayor and patien
endurance. To those who sorrow with
out hope, tho anguish of bereavement
Is unutterablc. and tho thought OF thei
own death horrible. Few men can fac'
death and annihilation with composurc
Byron's assertion: 81 have no conccp
ton of any existence which duration
would not make tircsome," reveals hi
despair, rather than his satisfaction, q
tho prospect. Even the Stoics were sus
tanned In their contempt Of pain ant
death by the vain hope OF eternal unior
with the immortal gods.
The loss Of great hope Is like th'
setting of the sun; II leaves darkness be
hind. The confessions Of Atheists re
veal the fearful gloom OF those wh'
have lost faith In God and future life
Strauss affirmed that he was going int
darkness. The dying Atheist, Clifford
said: II have lived TO see the sun shin
Ing out of an empty sky" Anothe
SAYS: "Thc theory OF Atheism In an!
shape Is. scientifically considered. s,l
pcriluous; and 1 am not ashamed Il
confess that, with this virtual negatiol
of God. the universe to mo has lost 1t
soul Of lovclincss; and when at times
think, as think must, of the appalling
contrast between the hallowed glory o
that creed which was once minc and tn
lonely mystery Of existence as ! nov
find It, shall ever feel 1t impossible 4
avoid tho sharpest pang OF which m.
soul Is susceptible"
In striking contrast to tho gloom o
atheism Is the testimony OF Heinc, tn
German poet. who had lost his faith Il
God and future life. but afterward 70
gained It by the study OF the Bible: "H
who has lost his God may find Hir
again In this book; and ho who hn
never known Him Is hero struck by th
breath OF the Divine word. Yes. / hav
returned back to God, like the prodigs
son, after having kept the swine wit
the Hegelians for some time. Was
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