The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-07-18
"LAUGHTER."
Theme Of Rev. DR.. Talmage's Ser
mon Through the Press.
Angels and Devils Arc Alike Moved by
the Merrlnlent of Mortals - The
Laughter of the Bible - The
Fools Laughter and the
Laughter of Gods
Condemnation.


Condemnation.
Rev. DIR. Talmage, who is now in
Australia, selected as the subject of
his sermon through the press the cur
rent week, Laughter" the text being
taken from Psalm 12G, 2: Then was
our mouth filled with laughter" and
Psalm 2, 4: He that sitteth in the
heavens shall laugh"
Thirty-eight times does the Bible
make reference to this configuration of
the features and quick expulsion of
breath which we call laughter. Some
times it is born of the sunshine and
sometimes Of the midnight Some
times it stirs the sympathies of angels
and sometimes the cachinnation Of
devils. All healthy people laugh.
Whether it pleases the Lord or dis
pleases Him; that depends upon when
we laugh and Mt what we laugh. My
theme to-day is the laughter of the
Bible, namely: Sarah's laugh, or that
of scepticism; David's laugh, or that Of
spiritual eXultation; the FOOLS laugh,
or that of sinful merrimcnt; Gods
laugh, or that of infinite condemna-
tion; Heavens laugh, or that of eternal
triumph.
Scene: An Oriental tent: the occu-
pants, old Abraham and Sarah, perhaps
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-
come the ancestress Of the Lord Jesus
Christ Sarah laughs in the face Of
God; she does not believe it. She is
atfrighted at what she has done. She
denies it. She says: 81 didn't laugh"
Then God retorted with an emphasis
that silenced all disputation: But
thou didst laugh" My friends, the
laugh of scepticism. in all ages. is only
the echo of Sarah's laughter God
says He will accomplish u thing; and
men say il 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
ordinarily cross river at one ferry.
Tomorrow you change for one day,
and you go across another ferry. You
made the rule. Have you not the right
to change 1t? You ordinarily come in
at that door of the church. Suppose
that next Sabbath you should come in
at the other door? 1t is habit you
have. Have you not the right to change
your habit? A law of nature is Gods
habit-His way of doing things If He
makes the law has lie not a 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, 81
will do a thing" they responding,
"You can't do it, God says that the
Bible is true-it is all true. Bishop
Colento laughs; Herbert Spencer
laughs; Stuart Mill laughs; great
German universities laugh: Har-
ward laughs-softly! A great many Of
the learned institutions with long
rows of professors seated on the fence
between Christianity and infdelity,
laugh softly. They say: "We didn't
laugh That was Sarah's trick. God
thunders from the heavens: But thou
didst laugh The Garden of Eden was
only fable. There never was any Ark
built, or If 1t was built IL was too small
to have two of every kind. The pillar
Of fire by night was only the Northern
lights. The ten plaques of Egypt only
brilliant specimen of jugglery. The
sea parted, because the wind blew vio-
lently great while from one direction.
The sun and moon did not put them
selves out of the way for Joshua.
| Jacobs ladder was only horizontal and
picturesque clouds. The destroying
angel shifting the first-born in Egypt
was only cholera infantum be-
come 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 human surgery. The resurrec-
tion of Christs friend, only beautiful
tableau; Christ, and Lazarus, and Mary,
and Martha acting their parts well.
My friends, there is not a doctrine or
statement of Gods holy word but has
been derided by the scepticism Of the
day take up this book Of King
James translation. ] consider il per-
feet Bible; but here are sceptics who
want IL torn to pieces And now, with
this Bible in my hand, let me tear out
all those portions which the scepticism
of this day demands shall be torn out.
What shall go first? "Well," saws 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 goes
Deuteronomy and the Kings. Now"
says someone, "the book of Job is n
fable that ought to come out" Away
goes the book of job. Now" says
someone, "those passages in the New
Testament which imply the divinity OF
Jesus Christ ought to come out" Away
go the evlngelists. "Now," says some
one, "the book Of Revelation-how pre-
nosterousl IL rpnrpSpnts IA man with "a