Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-07-21

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1t has done pretty we'll for good many
years. Then there are old people who
ind IT comfort to have u on their
laps, ana chiiuren ike the STORIES IN IL
Let Us keep It Tor curiosity anyhow
II the Bible u to be thrown out OF the
school and out OF the courtroom, SO that
men no more swear ~ u, and u IS 20
be put IN DARK corridor OF the CITY IL
brary, tho Koran on one side and the
writings OF Conluclus on the other tnen
let Us each one keep copy Tor himself,
Tor we might have trouble, and we
would want 10 De unoer the aeinslons OF
ifs consoiations, ana we mlgnt dle' ana
we would want the delusion OF the ex-
allied residence OF Gods right hand,
which 1t mentions. Oh, what an awful
thing It Is to laugh IN GODS race and
hurI MS heveiation BACK az MIMI AFTER
awhlle the DAY Will come when tney
Will say they did not laugh Then all
the hypercriticisms, all the caricatures
ana all the learned sneefs IN the quar-
teriy reviews VIII De brought 20 1udg-
ment, and amid the rocking OF every
---~-~o - T- - 7----~--f5
everything above God Will thunder,
but thou didst iaughf ! tnink the
most Iascinatlng iaugher at Cnristlan-
lty ever remember was man IN New
England he made the word OF GOD
seem ridiculous, ana he laughed on at
our holy religion until ne came 10 die'
and then ne said: MY lie mas been
faliure-a failure domesticaiiy. nave
no children. A failure socially, Tor l
am treated III the streets ike pirate.
A failure professionally because l know
but one minister that mas adopted my
sentiments. For q quarter OF CEN
fury he laughed at Christianity, and
ever since Christianity has been laugh
ing at MIN. NOW, IL Is mean tnlng 10
go into mans house and steal his
goods, but tell you the most gigantic
burglary ever invented Is the proposition
to steal these treasuers OF our holy re-
liglon. The meanest laughter ever ut
tered is the laugh OF the skeptic.
bavid's Laugh.
The next laughter mentioned in the
Bible Is David's laughter, or the express
sion OF spiritual exuitation. Then was
our mouth filled with laughter. He
got very ruch down sometimes. but
there are other chapters where for four
or five times he calls upon the people to
praise and exult. 1t was not mere
twitch OF the lips-lt was a demonstra-
ton that took hold OF his whole physical
nature. Then was our mouth filled
with laughter. My friends, this world
will never be converted to God until
Christians cry less and laugh and sing
more. The horrors are poor bait If
people arc to be persuaded to adopt our
holy religion, 1t will be because they
have made mp their minds it is happy
religion. They don't like morbid
Christianity. l know there are morbid
people who enjoy funeral. They come
early to see the friends take leave of the
corpse, and they steal ride to the ceme-
terry, but all healthy people enjoy a
wedding better than they do burial.
NOW, you MAKE the religloh Oh Chrlst
sepnichrai ana hearselike. and you
make IL repuisive. say plant the rose
OF sharon along the church walks and
columplne TO Chamber over the church
WALL ana nave smile on the lip ana
nave the month hiiea with hoiy laugh
Ter. ihere Is no man IN the worid, ex-
cept the Christian, that has the right to
ieei an untrammeied giee. he is prom
lsed everything is to be for the best
here and he IS on the way to delight
which Will take all the professions with
palm branches ana all the orchestras
harped ana cympaled and trumpeted TO
express Oh, you say, Il have so
much trouble. Have you more trouble
than Paul hads What does he say!
"Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. Poor.
yet making many rich. Having moth
ing. yet possessing all things. Z" The
merrlest laugh thlnk nave ever heard
has been III the slckroom OF Gods dear
children. When Iheodoslus was put
upon the rack, he suffered very great
torture at the nrst-
Somebody asked him how he endured
all that pain on the rack. He replied:
when was first put ON the rack,
suffered great deal, but very soon a
young man in white stood by my side,
and with soft and comfortable hand
kerchief he wiped the sweat from my
brow, and my pains were relieved. 1t
was punishment for me to get from
the rack, because when the pain was all
gone the angel was gone. Oh, rejoice
evermore! You know how it is in the
army-an army in encampment If to-
day news comes that our side has had
a defeat. and tomorrow another portion
of the tidings comes, saying we have
had another defeat, it demoralizes all
the host. But if the news comes of vic
tory today and victory tomorrow the
whole army is imprisoned for the con-
test. Now, in the kingdom of our Lord
Jesus Christ report fewer defeats tells
us the victories-victory over sin and
death and hell. Rejoice evermore, and
again | say rejoice. | believe there is
moro religion in a laugh than in Il groan.
Anybody can groan, but to laugh in the
midst of Punishment and persecution
and indescribable trial, that required q
David, Daniel, a Paul, modern hero