The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-09-08
LAUGHTER. >
Rev. DR.. Talmage Chooses Vary
ing Subject.

ing 6uu00cbs
The Various Kinds Of Laughter Referred
to In the Bible-The MOST Glorious
of An WIN be Heavens Final
Laugh of Triumph.
The following sermon was selected
ly Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage for publi-
cation this week, during his sojourn in
the antipodes The subject is Laugh
TER being based on the text!
Then was our mouth nlled with laughter
Psalm cxxvL.g
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 sympathies of angels, and
sometimes the exclamation of devils.
All healthy people laugh. Whether 1t
pleases the Lord or displeases Him,
that depends upon when we laugh and
at what we laugh. My theme to-day
is the laughter of the Bible. namely:
Sarah's laugh, or that of skepticism;
David's laugh, or that of spiritual ex-
ultation; the FOOLS laugh, or that of
sinful merriment; Gods laugh. or that
of infinite condemnation; Heavens
laugh, or that of eternal triumph.
Scene: An oriental tent; the occu-
haps wrinkled and decrepit. Their
three guests are three angels-the
Lord Almighty one Of them. In re-
turn for the hospitality shown by the
old people, God promises Sarah that
she shall become the ancestress OF the
Lord Jesus Christ. Sarah laughs in
the face of God; she does not believe
it. She is affrighted at what she has
done. She deniesit. she says: ~ didn't
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.
Sod says He will accomplish thing,
and men say it can not be done. A
great multitude laugh at the miracles.
They say they are contrary to the laws
of nature. What is a 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 an
other 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 should come in at 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 do
ing 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: 81 will do thing" they re-
spending. "You can't do it." God says
that the Bible is true-it is all true.
Bishop Colenso laughs; Herbert Spen-
Ger 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 be-
tween Christianity and infidelity, laugh
softly. They say: 1--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 an ark built;
or, if it was built, it was too small to
have two of every kind. The pillar of
fire was only the northern light; the
ten plaques of Egypt only 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
ladder was only horizontal and pictur-
esque clouds. The destroying angel
shifting the first born in Egypt
was only cholera infatum become
epidemic. The gullet of the whale,
by positive measurement, too
small to swallow prophet. The
story of the immaculate con-
ception shock of all decency. The
lame, the dumb, the blind, the halt,
cured by mere human surgery. The
resurrection of Christ's friend only n
beautiful tableaux, Christ and Lazarus
and Mary and Martha acting their
parts well. My friends, there is not a
doctrine or statement of Gods holy
word that has not been derided by the
skepticism of the day. take up the
book of King James translation.
consider it perfect Bible; but here
are skeptics who want it tore to pieces.
And now, with this Bible in my hand,
let me tear out all those portions which
the skepticism of the 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 set
Element of the world" Away goes
Genesis. Now" says someone, take
out all that about the miraculous
guidance of the children of Israel in
in the wilderness" Away goes Exc
dus. Now says someone else in
the audience, "there are things in
Deuteronomy and Kings that are not
fit to be read" Away go Deuteronomy
and the Kings. Now" says someone,
''the Book of Job is 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
Evangelists. "Now," says some one,
s'the Book of Revelation-how prepos-
ferrous! 1t represents man with the
moon under his feet and sharp sword