The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-04-22
LAUGHTER OF THE BIBLE.
A Discourse by Rev, DIR. Talmage
on the Laughter Of the
Scrlptural Writings.
'Dlessod are Yo That Weep Now
Ye Shall Laugh. Ye Shall
Laugh"

Thon was our mouth hlled with laughter
Plalm oIxvii,, 2,
He that nittoth In tho hoAv0na ahAll laugh
Psalm H., L.
DR.. Talmage said
Thirty eight times docs the Bible mako
reference 10 this oonaguration OF the feat
ures and quick expulsion OF the breath
which we oall laughter. Sometimes II Ia
born OF tho sunshine and sometimes Of tho
midnight Sometimes II gtirs tho sym
pAthioa Of angels and sometimes the ohchi-
nation OF devils. All healthy people laugh.
Whether II pleases tho Lord or displeasos
Him depends upon whom we laugh, and al
what We laugh. Ny theme this morning 10
the laughter Of the Biblo--namely, sarahs
laugh, or that of akepticism; Dayid's
FOOLS laugh, or that OF sinful merrimonti
Gods laugh, or that Of infinite condemna.
lion; heavens laugh, or that OF eternal
triumph.
Scene; An Oriental TENT the occupants,
old Abraham and Sarah, perhaps wrinkled
Hnd aoorepit, Their three guests are three
Angels--the Lord Almighty one OF them.
In yoiurn for the hospitality shown by the
old people God promises Sarah that she
shah become the ancestresa OF the Lord
Jems Christ. Sarah laughs In the face OF
God; she does not believe II, She Ia af-
fightSd al what she has dons. She denies
H. She says; ~ didn't laugh My
friends, the laugh Of akepticism In all
ageA Ia only tho echo of SArAhs laughter,
God BAYS ho will accomplish thing, and
men soy II cannot be done. A great multi
tude laugh ut the miracles. They say they
nro contrary 10 the lawn Of nature. What
Ia u law OF natureY II 10 Gods way OF
doing thing. You ordinarily cross the
river by the bridge. Tomorrow you
ehangu for one day and 60 across Wall
street ferry. You made the rule, Have
you not tho right 10 change it1 ordinarily
come In at that door pointing 10 q side
entrance OF the church.. Suppose noxt
Sabbath should come In nj the other doorl
II IL a habit have. Have not right 10
change my habit1 A law OF nature In Gods
habit-His way OF doing things, II He
makes the law, has He not right 10
change II NJ any time He wants 10 change
it7 Alas for the folly Of those who laugh
at God when he says "a will do thing"
they responding, "You can't do II"
God says the Bible Ia true-it Ia oil true.
Bishop oolonso laughs Herbert Spencer
laughs, John Stuart Mill laughs, great
German universities laugh. Harvard laughs
softly; q grea, many learned institutions
OF tho country, with long rows OF profos.
sora Boated on the fence between Ch1s-
tiOnhy and inRdclity, laugh softly, They
SOY, 1--WE didn't laugh That was snrahs 0
trick, God thundors from the heavens,
SBut thou didst laugh
The Garden Of Eden was only a fable,
H.. ..tI I.sllN {. 10
small to have two Of every hnd-tho pillar
Of FIRE by night was only the northern lights
tho ten plaques Of Egypt only brilliant
piece Of jugglery. Ths peA pared because
tho wind blew violently great vhilo from
enc direction. The sun and moon did MOI
put themselves out OF tho why for Joshua.
Jacobs ladder waS only horizontal and
picturesque clouds. Tho destroying angel
Snhtng the first born IN ENpt was only
ehoiorn infantum become epidemic. TIE
gulict Of tho whale by positive msaguro-
msnt 10 too small 10 swallow prophet.
The lame, the dumb, the blind, The halt,
cured by mere human surgery. The ros-
urnotion Of Christs friend only o boauti-
ful tabloau, Christ and Lazarus and Mary
and Martha acting their p1uts woll. My
friends, thoro ie not doctrine or statement
Of Gods holy word that has not been de-
Yidcd by the skepticism Of the day.
take up this book Of King james trans-
lAtion. consider II perfect Bible, but
hero aro skoptics who want II torn 10
pieces And now, with this Bible In my
hand, lot mo tear out all those portions
which the skopticism OF tho day demands
shall be torn out. What shall 10 frsti
SWELL" say soms In the audience, take
out all that about the creation and about
the first settlement OF the world" Away
goes Genesis. snow" eaya aomo one,
"tako out all that about the miraculous
guidance Of tho children OF Israel In tho
Wilderness" Away goes Exodus. "Now, +"
says some one else In tho audience, "thore aro
things In Deuteronomy and Kings that aro
not NJ 70 bo read Away 20 Deuteronomy
and the Kings. "Now," says some one,
"tho book OF Job is q fable that ought 10
como out" Away goes the book OF job.
snow" says some one, "thoec passages in
the New Testament which imply the divIn-
ity OF Jesus Christ ought 10 como out"
Away 70 the evangolais. "Now," says
aomo one, "tho book Of Revelation pre-
poslorouel II represents man with tho
moon under his feet and sharp sword In
his hand" Away goes the book OF Revela-
ton, Now thoro Nro q fow pieces left,
What shall wo do with thomY "0h,' eoys
some man In tho audience, ~ don't believe
word In the Bible from one end TO tho
other" Well, II Ia oil gone. Now you
have put out the last light for tho nations.
Now L Ia tho pitch darkness OF otomal
midnight. How do you like IN But |
think, my friends, wo had bottor keep tho
Biblo littlo longer intact, 1thas done
pretty we'll FOR o good many yoare. Then
there pro old people who 6nd II comfort
10 have II on ihoir laps, and children like
che stories In II. Let us keep II for q
curiosity anyhow. II tho Bible IL 10 bo
thrown out of the school, and out of the
court.room 80 that mon no more swear by
II, and II Ia 10 DO put In n dark corner OF
The city library, tho Koran on one side and
the writings OF Confucius on tho other,
then lot us each one keep copy for him
self, for we might have trouble, and wo
would want 10 be under the dolusion OF ita
consultations; and we might die, and we
would want tho delusion Of tho exalted
residence NJ Gods right hand which II mon
tons.
Oh, what an awful thing II Ia TO laugh In
Gods faco aud hurl His revelations back
NJ Him Aftor awhile tho day will comd
when they will say they did not laugh.
Thon NIL the hypercrlticiems, oil the carl
caluros, and all the learned snoeis In the
quarterly reviews will be brought TO judg-
mont; and amid tho rocking OF everything
beneath, and amid the flaming OF everything
above, God will thunderi "But thou didst
laugh" | think tho most fascinating laugh.
/ iaN al IhttultantiN i .,,,ln nn kun A
Theodore parkors. He made tho word II
God seem ridiculous, and ho laughed on at
Our holy religion until he came 10 die, and
then no said any life has boen q failure;
failure domosticaly---I have no children;
failure socially, for am treated In tho
streets like pirate; foiluro professionally,
because know but one minister that has
adopted my sentiments" For quarter OF
century he laughed at Christianity, and
ever since Christianity has boon laughing
nj him Now n Ia n nnnn Ihtnu In on inin