Democratic messenger., 1894-07-21
Observation-Disclosures
REV. Or. TALMAGE ON THE LAUGH
TER OF THE BIBLE.

sarah's Laugh and DavId's smiie-Thc Mer-
riment Of Dissipation The Laugh of Tri-
umph and the Laugh of scorn-skepti-
eisrl. Exuitation and Triumph.
BROOKLYN. July l5.-Rev DIR. Tai
mage. who is now in Australia ON his
round the world journey, has selected
rs tho subject for his sermon through
the press today Laughter, the text
being taken from Psalm cxxvi. .,
Then was our mouth filed with laugh
ter" and Psalm ii. 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 the midnight. Sometimes it
stirs the sympathy Of angels and some
times the cachinnation of devils. All
healthy people laugh. Whether it pleases
the Lord or displeases him, that de-
pends upon when we laugh and at what
we laugh. My theme today is the laugh
ter of the Bible-namely, Sarah laugh.
or that of skepticism; David's laugh, or
that Of spiritual civilizations; the fools
laugh, or that of sinful mcrriment:
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 ono of them. In return for the
hospitality shown by the old people
God promises Sarah that she shall be-
come the anccstrcss Of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Sarah laughs in the face of God.
She does not believe il. She is alright
ed at what she has done. She denies ii.
She says, II did not laugh" Then God
retorted 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
q thing. and men say it cannot be done.
A great multitude lalgh at the miracles.
They say they are contrary 10 the laws
Of nature. What is n law of nature: II
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 ut the other
door. 1t is habit you have. Have you
not right TO change your habit: A law
Of nature is Gods habit-his way of
doing things If he makes the law, has
he not right TO change it Mt any time
he wants TO change it?
Alas! for the folly Of those who laugh
ut God when he says. Il will do a
thing" they responding. lyon 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. \ great
many of the learned institutions. with
long rows Of professors seated on the
fence between Christianity and infidcl-
ity, laugh softly. They say, I'VE didn' {
laugh" That was Sarah's trick. God
thunders from the heavens, but thou
didst Taught The garden of Eden was
only fable. There never was any ark
built, or if il was built it was too small
20 have two of every kind. The pillar
Of fire by night was only the northern
lights. the 10 plaques Of Egypt only n
brilliant specimen Of jugglery. The sea
parted because the wind blew violently
a 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
frstborn 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 n 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 well. 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.
take up this book of King James
translation. Iconsider it a perfect Bible,
but here are skeptics who want it torn
10 pieces. And now. with this Bible in
my hand, let me tear out all those por-
tions which the skepticism Of this day
demands shall be torn out. What shall
20 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 Dcu.
teronomy and the Kings Now" says
some one, "the book Of Job is a fable
that ought TO come out" Away goes
the book of job. Now" says some
one. ''those passages in the New Testa-
ment which imply the divinity of Jesus
Christ ought to come out" Away &c
the evangelists. Now" says some one,
1.-THE book of Revelation-how prepos.
terousl IL represents man with the
moon under his feet and a sharp sword
in his hand" Away goes the book OF
Revelation. Now there are few pieces
left. What shall we do with them:
"Oh, says some man in the audience,
81 don't believe word in the Bible
from one end to the other Well, it is
oil goi.c. Now you have put ont the
last light for the nations. Now il is
the pitch darkness Of eternal midnight.
How do you like il:
But Hiink. my friends, we had bet.
ter keep the Bible little longer intact
IL Won xuant fret cI,ec LII