The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-07-26
LESSONS OF A LAUGH.
Rav. DIR. Talmsge's Discusses AnOihar
Unique Subject.

hNooNh'A' ~ o"'J w. -lpHfs Ii. 1hl-
mage, who is now in Australia on his
round the world journey, has selected as
the subject for his sermon through tho
press today Slaughter" The text being
taken from Psalm cxXvi, 2, "Then was
our mouth filled with laughter" and
Psalm ii, 4, "IIe that sitteth in the heay-
enc shall laugh"
ThlrtY-eight times does the Bible make
reference 10 this coniguration OF the feat.
ures and quick expulsion of breath which
we call laughter. Sometimes it is born
of the sunshine and sometimes the mid
night. Sometimes it stirs the sympa-
thies Of angels, aud sometimes the each
mnation OF devils. All healthy people
laugh. Whether II plcasea the Lord or
displeases him, that depends upon when
we laugh and at what we laugh. NV
theme today is the laughter OF the Bible
namely, Sarah's laugh, or that of
skepticism; David's laugh, or that Of
spiritual exultaton; the FOOLS laugh, or
that OF sinful merrlment; Gods laugh,
or that OF Infinite condemnation; heaven g
laugh, or that of eternal triumph.
Scene, an oriental tent; tho occupants,
old Abraham and Sarah, perhaps wrnk
led and decrpt. Their three guests
are three angels-the Lord Almighty
one of them. In return for the hopitull-
ty ehown by the old people God promises
Sarah that she ahall become the ances-
tress OF the Lord Jesus Christ. Sarah
Laughs in the face of God. She does not
believe it. She is atlirighted at what
she has done. She denies it. She says,
II didn't laugh" Then God retorled,
with an emphasis that slenced all dis
putation, but thou ddst Taught" My
friends, the laugh of skcptcism; in all
ages, is only the echo Of Sa.
rah's laughter. God says no will &C.
complish a thing, and men say II can
not be done. A great multitude laugh
at the miracles. They say they are con
trary to the laws Of nature. What is a
law OF nature? II is Gods way of doing
thing. You ordinarily cross river at
one Terry. Tomorrow you change for
one day, and you 90 across another ferry.
You made the rule. Have you not the
right tochange il? You ordinarily come
in at that door OF the church. Suppose
that next Sabbath you should come in
nj the other dool? II is a. habit YOU have!
Aave you not a right TO change your
his way of dong things. Ii he makes
Inc law, has he not right to change 1t
at any time hewants TO change il? Alas.
Tor the folly of those who laugh at God
when he says. 81 will do thing" Lhey
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 Ger
man univera'ties laugh; Harvard laughs
softly! A great many of the learned
institutions, with long rows OF protes
sors seated on tho fence between Chris
tianlty and inlldeliLy, laugh sofly. Thov
say, 1--WE didn't laugh"
That was Sarah's trick. God thundcrs
from the heavens, "But thou didstlaugh!
The garden OF Eden W0s only fable.
Ihere never was any ark built, or if II
was built it was too small to have two
OF every kind. The pillar Of fire by night
was only the nothern lights, the 10 plo
CUES of Egypt only brilliant specimen
OF lugglerY. 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 ladder was only
horizontal and picturesque clouds. The
destroying angel smiting the the Grstborn
IN Egypt was only cholera infantumc be-
como epidemic. The gullet of tho
whale, by measurement, was too,
small to swallow aprophet the
story of the immaculate concep
tion shock TO all decency. The
lame, the dumb, the blind, tho halt cured
by mere human surgery. The resurre &C
ton OF Chrlst's friend only beautiful
tableau. Christ and Lazarus and Mary
and Martha acting their parts woll.
MY friends, there is not doctrine or
statement of Gods holy word that has
not been derided by the skeptcism of
the day. I take up this book of King
James' translation. l consider it a
perfect Bible, but hero are skeptics who
want 1t torn TO pieces. And now. with
this Bible in my hand, let me tear ont
a!l those portions which the skepticjsm
OF this day demands shall be torn out.
What shall 60 first2 "Well," saws some
one In the audince, stake out all that
,o",4 "uou' GrSatlon and about the first settle
"ShS s.Mn OF the world" Away goes Genesis.
,Nows" says some one, stake outall
tha thet oSD snout the miraculous guidance of
Inc cnildren OF Israel in the Wilderness. -
Away goes Exodus. .sNow.U sovs
some one else in the audience, s.theye
are things In Deuteronomy and Kings
that are not fit to be read.'' AWAY 90
deuteronomy and the Kings. "Now.H
saysssome one, "tho book Of job Ia q
fable that ought to came out.n Hwa~ W
goes the book of Job. "Now.n savs
some one, "those passages in tho Nav
Testament which imply the divinity Of
Jesus Christ ought TO come out" Awav
60 tho Evangelists. "Now," says some
one, "the book of Revelation-how pre-
poster0usl It represents man with
the moon under his feet and sharp
sword iD his hand" Away goes the
book OF Revelation. Now there are o
few pieces left. What shall we do with
them2 "Oh," says some man in the audi
ence, II don't believe q word In the
Bible, from one end to the other" We'll,
Il is all gone. Now you have put out
The last light for the. nation. Now it is
The pitch darkneess of>eternal midnight.
How do you like itp y.
But 1 think, my friends, we had bot