Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-07-19
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
A SERMON APPROPRIATE TO
THE TIMES
He that Stitch I'm the Heavens Shall
Laugh"-"Then Was Our Mouth Filled
with Blessed Are the
Weak; They'll Laugh.


round the world journey, has selected
as the subject for his sermon through
the press to-day, Laughter" the text
being taken from Psalm 1875: 2: Then
was our mouth filled with laughter"
and Psalm 2: A. HE that sitteth in
the heavens shall laugh"
Thirty-eight times does the Bible
make reference to this CONFORMATION
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 cachinnation of devils.
All healthy people laugh. Whether it
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 scepticism;
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-
pants, old Abraham and Sarah, per-
haps wrinkled and decrepit. Their
three guests are three angels-the
Lord Almighty one of them. In return
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 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
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 a
thing You ordinarily cross a 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 it? You ordi-
narily 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
doing things If he makes the law,
has he 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: Il will do thing;"
they responding: You can't do it."
God says that the Bible is true-it is
all true. Bishop Colenso laughs; Her
bert Spencer 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 between Christianity and
infidelity, laugh softly. They say:
I'VE didn't laugh" That was Sarah's
trick. God thunders from the heav-
ems: But thou didst laugh" The
Garden of Eden was only fable.
There never was any ark built; or if it
was built it 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 bril-
liant specimen of jugglery. The sea
parted, because the wind blew vio-
lently great while from one direc-
ton. The sun and moon did not put
| themselves out of the way for
Joshua. Jacobs ladder was only hori-
zontal and picturesque clouds The
destroying angel shifting the first born
in Egypt was only cholera infantum
| become epidemic. The gullet of the
whale, by positive measurement, too
small to swallow prophet The
| story of the immaculate conception a
shock to all decency. The lame, the
dumb, the blind, the halt, cured by
mere human surgery. The resurrec-
ton of Christ's friend, only beauti-
| full tableau; Christ, and Lazarus, and
Mary, and Martha acting their parts
well. Ny friends, there is not doc
trine or statement of Gods holy word
That has not been derided by the scep-
ticism of the day. take up this book
of King James's translation. / con-
slider it a perfect Bible; but here are
sceptics who want it torn to pieces.
| And now, with this Bible in my hand,
let me tear out all those portions
which the scepticism of this day de-
mands shall be torn out. What shall
90 first? well" says some one in the
audience, take out all that about crea-
ton and about the first settlement OF
! the world. Away goes Genesis. Now, y
SAYS some one, take out all that
about the miraculous guidance of the
children of Israel in the wilderness y
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 &C
Deuteronomy and the Kings 'Now, y
says some one, the Book of Job is q
fable that ought to come out" Away
goes the Book of Job. Now" says
some one, 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, 1.-The Book of Revela
tion-how preposterous! 1T represent:
a man with the moon under his fee
aud sharp sword in his hand" Away