The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-05-05
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
a Spring Tide Theme - "The
Laughter OF the Bible"

Laughter OF the Bible" i
TIE Various Phases OF Cachinpstory In.
As,gence, which are Pleasing or Dis.
R,easing to the Lord According ts
the spirit which Induces II.
Kev. T. Devils Vn>nfige, IN . recent
8pnday morning sermon at the Brooklyn
Tabernacle, took for his subject "The
daughter Of the Bible" taking for his
kxts the following: -r AZ -r-. f1.-
Then was our mouth filled with laughter.
Psalms XVI. O. q. s...r..-I
Ne that stitch in the heavens shalt laugh.
Palms, !, 4. s
Dr. TaImage said. w ,lseJ e4AJ
Thirty. ght times does the Bible make
reference to this CONFORMATION Of the fea-
iarss and quick expulsion of the breath
sbich We call laughter. Sometimes it is
bern Of the sunshine and sometimes Of the
midnight. Sometimes it stirs the sympa-
ihies of angels and sometimes the cachin-
nation Of devils. All healthy people laugh.
HhetAer, it pleases the. Lord or displeases
Rim, that depends upon when we laugh
and at what we laugh. My theme this
norning is the laughter Of the Bible, name
y-Sarah's laugh, or that Of skepticism
David's laugh, or that of spiritual exulta:
hon; the FOOLS laugh, or that of sinful
nerriment; Gods laugh, or that Of in
knite condemnation; Heavens laugh, or
nat of eternal triumph.
Scene: An oriental tent; the occupants,
cid Abraham and Sarah, perhaps wrinkled
snd decrepit. Their three guests are three
ssgels-the Lord Almighty one Of them.
IN return for the hospitality shown by the
I'd people God promises Sarah thot she
shall become the ancestress Of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Sarah laughs in the face OF
God; she does not believe it. She is
sffrighted at what she has done. She de-
siss Il. She says: ~ sAfdn't laugh"
Then God retorted with an emphasis that
silenced all disputation: "But thou didst
laugh" My friends, the laugh of skepti-
rissn in all ages is only the echo of Sarah's
laughter. God says he win accomplish .
hing, and men say it can not be done. A
great multitude laugh at the miracles.
They say they are contrary to the laws of
Stature. What is law Of nature! Il is
8od's way Of doing . thing. You ordi-
ssriiy cross the river by the bridge.
Tomorrow you change for one day and
Jos 20 across Wall street ferry. You
asds the rule. Have you not the right to
change it? I ordinarily come in at that
door pointing to side entrance of the
church,. Suppose next Sabbath I should
ONE In at the other door? 1t is habit
Aavs. Have not a right TO change my
habit: A law Of nature is Gods habit
his way Of doing things. II he makes the
NV has he not right to change II at any
sims be wants to change it! Alas for the
sslly Of those who laugh at God when he
says: 81 will do thing" they respond.
ing, "You can't do it." AtIl#ys.I
God says that the Bible Is true-it is all
mue. Bishop Colenso laughs, Herbert
Spencer laughs, John Stuart Mill laughs,
great German universities laugh, Harvard
Iaughs-softly; . great many Of the
learned institutions Of this country, with
Dng rows Of professors seated on the fence
Between Christianity and inAdelity, laugh
softly. They say: 1--WE didn't laugh"
That was Sarah's trick. God thunders
tfOm the heavens: "But thou didst
laugh"
The Garden Of Eden was only q fable.
There never was any ark built-it was too
small to have two of every kind. The pill
ar Of fire by night was only the Northern
lights. The ten plaques Of Egypt only a
srlliant specimen OF jagglsry. The sec
Sarted because the wind blew vio-
lsatly. great while from one
direction. The sun and moon did not put
themselves out Of the way for Joshua.
Jscob's ladder was only horizontal and
picturesque clouds. The destroying angel
emitting the first born in Egypt WAS only
cholera iniantum become epidemic. Tho
suFIst of the whale by positive measure.
AsAt is too small to swallow prophet Thu
xne, the dumb, the Blind, the halt, cured
- mere human surgery The ressrrectiou
II Christ's friend only q beautiful tableau
Christ and Lazarus and Mary and Martha
setting their parts we'll. My friends, Their,
. not . doctrine or statement in God'
Holy Word that has not been deridsA BY
Ne sksbticism Of the day. u S
Oh, What an awful thing II is to laugh |,
Gods face and hurl his revelation back q
him! After awhile the day will com
vhen they will say they did not laugh
Then all the hypercriticisms, all the carl
atNres and all the learned sneers in tn
quarterly reviews will be brought 70 judg
nent; and amid the rocking of everything
beneath and amid the flaming of every
thing above, God will thunder: "But tho,
3idst laugh" Think the most fascina tini
laughter at Christianity ever remembs
SIS Theodore Parker's. He made the wore
kGod seem ridiculous, and he laughed OF
- our holy religion until he came to die
ssd then he said: my life has been
iailare--a failure domestically, have n
children; . failure socially. for am treat
Il in the streets like pirate; failur
professionally, because know but one min
istes who has adopted my sentiments.
Per quarter Of . century he laughed .
GArstianity, and ever since Christianit,
sas been laughing ct him. Now, It 4
snesn thing to 90 into mans house an
sssal his goods, but, I tell you, the mos
gigantic burglary ever invented is tn
Wsposition to steal these treasures Of GU
Ny religion. The meanest laughter eve
Uttered 10 the laughter Of the skeptic.
n next laughter mentioned in The Bib
y Dsyid's laughter, or The laughter q
1aitual exultation: "1Nen was GU
. osuth flllsd win Taught He got YER,