The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-07-26

1t has,done pretty welI for good many
years. Then there nro old people vino
find 1t comfort to have it on their laps
and children like tho .stOries in IT,. TIst
us keep il for q curiosity. If tho Bible
is TO be thrown out Of tho school and
| out of tho court room, 80 That men nc
more swear by II, and il is TO be put in q
| dark corridor OF tha city library, the
KONan on ono side and tho writings oI
Confucius on the other, then lot us each
keep q copy for himself, for wo might
have trouble, and we would want to he
under tho delusions of lis c0nsolatlons,
and wo might die, aud we would want
the delusiOn OF the exalted residence of
Gods right hard, which it mentions.
| Oh, what an awful thing il is to laugh III
Gods fncc and hml his Revelation back
at him. Alter awhile The day will como
when they will say they did not laugh.
Then all the hypcrcriticlsms, all the
| cari1aturcs and all tho learned sneers
IN the quarterly reviews will be brought
to Judgment, and amid tho rock
ing of everything. beneath, and amid tho
flaming OF everything above, God will
thunder, "But thou dilst laugh!n |
think the most faecnating laughter at
Christianity l ever remember was q man
in New England. He made tho word of
God seem ridiculous, and he laughed on
at our holy religion until no camo TO die
and then he said, "My life has been a
failure--a failure domcstically-I have
no childrep; a failure socially, for 1 anu
treated on tue streets like a pirate; a
failure professionally because l know
but one minister that has adopted nv
sentiments,' For quarter of q centu.
ry ho laughed et Christianity, and over
slnce Christianity has been laughing at
him. Now, it is mean thing to 20 into
a mans house and steal his goods, but
l tell you tho most gigantic burglary
ever 10 vented is the proposition to steal
these treasures of our holy religi2u.
The meanest laugh ever uttered is tho
laugh of the skeptic.
The next laughter mentioned in the
Bible is David's laughter, or tho express
sion OF spiritual exultation. 'Then was
our mouth filed with laughter" He got
very much down sometimes, but there
are other chapters whore for four times
he calls upon the people TO praise aud eX-
ult. IL WAS not a nero twitch of the
lips. II was demonstration that took
hold Of his whole physical nature.
"Ihen was our mouth filled with laugh.
ter" My friends, this world will never
be converted to God until Christians cry
less and laugh and sing more. The
horrors are q poor bait. If people are
tn be persuaded TO adopt our holy rs.
ligiOn, it will be because they have made
up their III inds IL is a happy religion.
They don't like morbid Christianity.
| know there are morbid people who
enjoy funeral. They come early to
see the tho friends take leave Of The
corpse, and they steal a ride TO The
cemetery, but all healthy people enjoy
wedding bottcr than they DO n burial.
Now, you make the religion Of Christ
sepulchral and henrselikc, and you make
IL repulslve. | say plant the rose of
Sharon along the church walks and col.
umbne 10 Chamber over the church wall
and have smile on Tie lip and have
The mouth FLIED with holy laughter.
There is no man in the world, except
tho Christian, that hasa right to ieel an
untrammeled Glee, lie is promised ev-
erything to be for the best here, and ho
ls on the way 10 n delight which will
tako all the PROFESSIONS with palm
branches, and all the orchestras harped
"Oh," you say, 81 have so much
trouble" Have you moro than Paul
had? What does he say? "Sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing. Poor, yet making
many rich. Having nothing, yet pos.
sesssing all things" Tho merriesL laugh
l think ever heard has been in the sick
room OF Gods dear children.
When Theodosius was put upon the
rack, he suffered very great torture Mt
the first. Somebody asked him how he
endured all that pam on the rack. He
replied. "When | was frat put on tho
rack, suffered great deal, but vo1y
soon young man in white stood by my
slide, and with soft and comfortable
handkerchief ho wiped the sweat from
my brow, and my pains were relieved.
1t was n punishment for mo to got from
The rack, because when tho pnin was all
gone the angel was gone" Oh, rejoice
evermore. You know how ills in the
army-an army III cncampment. II
| Today news comes that our side has hnd
dclcat, and tomorrow another portion
OF tho tidings comos, saying we have had
another defeat, IL demoral'z,s all the
host. But il tho news comes of victory
today and victory tomorrow tho whole
army is impaHsioncd for the contest.
Now, in the kingdom Of our Lord .Josus
Christ report fewer defeats. Tell us
the vlctories--victory over sln and death
and hell. Rejoice evermorc, and AGAIN
L say re jolce. believe there is more
religion in n laugh than in groan.
Anybody can groan, but TO laugh in the
mids OF banishmenL and persecution and
lndescrlbable trial, that required David
Daniel, Paul, q modern heroine.
Tho next laughter mentioned in tho
Bible that L shall speak of is tho FOOLS
laughter or the expression of sinful mer .
rlment. Solomon was worry quick at
simile. When ho makes n comparis on ,
we all catch it. What is the laughter
of fool like? IIo says, "IL is the crack.
ling OF thorns under pot" The kct.
tie is swung, bunch Of brambcs is put
under it, and tho torch is applied to it,
and there is great noise, aud big
blaze, and sputter, and quick extin-
guishment. Then it ia darker than it
was before. Fools laughter.
The most miserable thing on earth Is