The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-07-20
Observation-Disclosures
REV. DR.. TALMAGE ON THE LAUGH
TER OF THE BIBLE.

cism, ExultatiOn and Triumph.
! BROOKLYN, July 15.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now in Australia ON his
found the world journey, has selected
as the subject for his sermon through
the press today Laughter. tho text
being taken from Psalm cxxvi, 2,
Then was our mouth filled with laugh
ter, ~ and Psalm ii, 4, HE that stitch
in the heavens shall laugh"
Thirty-eight times does the Bible
make reference to this confguration of
the features and quick expulsion of
breath which we call laughter. Some
times it is born of the sunshine and
sometimes the midnight Sometimes it
stirs the sympathy Of angels and some
times the exclamation Of devils All
healthy people laugh. Whether it pleases
the Lord or displeases him, that de-
ponds upon when we laugh and at what
we laugh. My theme today is the laugh
ter of the Bible-namely, Sarah s laugh,
or that of skepticism; David's laugh, or
that of spiritual exultation; the FOOLS
laugh, or that Of sinful merriment;
Gods laugh, or that Of infinite condem-
nation; heavens laugh, or that of eter-
nal triumph.
Various Kinds OF Laughter.
Scene, an oriental tent The occu-
pants, old Abraham and Sarah, per-
haps wrinkled and decrepit. Their three
guests are three angels, the Lord AL
mighty one Of them. In return for the
hospitality shown by the old people
God promises Sarah that she shall be-
corie the ancestress Of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Sarah laughs in the face of God.
She does not believe it. She is alright
ed at what she has DONE She denies it.
She says, II did not laugh" Then God
1etorted with an emphasis that silenced
all disputation, "But thou didst laugh"
My friends, the laugh Of skepticism in
all ages is only the echo Of Sarah's
laughter. God says he will accomplish
thing, and men say it cannot be done.
A great multitude laugh at the miracles.
They say they are contrary to the laws
of nature. What is law Of nature? 1t
is Gods way of doing thing. You or
dinarily cross river at one ferry. To
morrow you change for one day, and
you go across another ferry. You made
the rule. Have you not the right to
change it? You ordinarily come in at
that door of the church. Suppose that
next Sabbath you come in at the other
door. 1t is habit you have Have you
not right to change your habit? A law
- t,,ra ;c Gnl,o habit Il, oF
doing things. If he makes the law, has
he not right to change it at any time
he wants to change it?
Alas! for the folly of those who laugh
at God when he says. II will do
thing" they responding, "You can't
do It," God says that the Bible is true
it is all true. Bishop Colenso laughs,
Herbert Spencer laughs, Stuart Mill
laughs, great German universities
laugh, Harvard laughs-softly. A great
many Of the learned institutions, with
long rows Of professors seated on the
fence between Christianity and infdel-
ity, laugh softly. They say, 1--WE didn't
laugh" That was Sarah's trick. God
thunders from the heavens "But thou
didst laughl' The garden of Eden was
only fable There never was any ark
built, or if it was built it was too small
to have two Of every kind. The pillar
of fire by night was only the northern
lights, the 10 plaques of Egypt only
brilliant specimen Of juggla0. The sea
parted because the wind blew violently
great while from one direction. The
sun and moon did not put themselves
out Of the way for Joshua Jacobs lad
der was only horizontal and picturesque
clouds. The destroying angel shifting the
firstborn in Egypt was only cholera in
fantum become epidemic. The gullet of
the whale, by positive measurement, too
small to swallow prophet The story
of the immaculate conception shock
to all decency. The lame the dumb,
the blind, the halt, cured by mere hu-
man surgery. The resurrection Of
Christ's friend only beautiful tableau,
Christ and Lazarus and Mary and Mar
tina acting their parts we'll. My friends,
there Is not doctrine or statement of
Gods holy word that has not been de-
rided by the skepticism of the day.
Skeptics and the Bible.
I take up this book Of King James
translation. l consideri 1t a perfect Bible
but here are skeptics who want it torn
to pieces. And now, with this Bible in
my hand, let me tear ont all those por-
tions which the skepticism Of this day
demands shall be torn out. What shall
go first? "Well," says some one in the
audience, take out all that about the
creation and about the first settlement
of the world" Away goes Genesis.
Now" says some one, ''take out all
that about the miraculous guidance of
the children of Israel in the wilderness. "
Away goes Exodus. Now" says some
one else in the audience, there are
things in Deuteronomy and Kings that
are not fit to be read" Away go Deu-
teronomy and the Kings. Now" says
some one, "the book of Job is fable
that ought to come out. Away goes
the book of Job. Now" says some
one, those passages in the New Tesla
ment which imply the divinity of Jesus
Christ ought to come out" Away GO
the evangelists. ''Now, says some one,
"the book of Revelation-how prepos-
ferrous! 1t represents man with the
moon under his feet and sharp sword
in his hand" Away goes the book of
Revelation. Now there are a few pieces
left What shall we do with them?
"Oh, i" says some man in the audience,
81 don't believe a word in the Bible
from one end to the other" Well, it is
all gone. Now you have put out the
last light for the nations Now it is
the pitch darkness of eternal midnight
How do you like it?
But think. my friends, we had bet
ter keep the Bible little longer intact