Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-20
Observation-Disclosures
REV. DR.. TALMAGE ON THE LAUGH
TER OF THE BIBLE.

sarah's Laugh and DaviG's smile-The Mer-
riment Of Dissipation The Laugh OF Tri-
,u.ni. ond the Laugh of sicorn-skepti-
ci.,a, F-uitation and Triumph.
D.c0KL.N, July 15.-Rev. DR.. Tai
maze. wLo is now in Australia On his
round tie world journey, has selected
as the subject for his sermon through
tho press today Laughter, the text
being taken from Psalm cxxvi, 2,
'Then was our mouth filled with laugh
ter" and Psalm ii, 4, ''He that stitch
in the heavens shall laugh"
Thirty-cight times does the Bible
mako reference to this confguration Of
TIE features and quick expulsion Of
breath which we call laughter Some
times it is born of the sunshine and
son times tho midnight. Sometimes it
sir, the sympathy of angels and some
times the exclamation of devils. All
healthy people laugh. Whether it pleases
the Lord or displeases him, that de-
ponds upon when we laugh and at what
vs laugh. My themo today is the laugh
t,r oftho Dible-namoly, Sarah S laugh
o.. f.at Ct skepticism; David's laugh or
flat c. spiritual cxultation; the tooI ;
l.r p. or that Of sinful merrimeh''
cod. laugh, or thatof infinite conuem-
r-fioY: heavens laugh, or that Oh e'er-
nal triumph
various Kinds of Laughter.
s.onc. an oriental tent. The occu-
,ants. old Abraham and Sarah, per
haps wrinklcd and decrepit. Their three
nests 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 anccstress Of the Lord Jesus
Christ Sarah laughs in the face Of Cod.
She does not believe it. She is alright
I'd 1T what she has done. She denies it.
She saws, Il did not laugh. " Then God
ra.orted with an emphasis that silenced
oil disputation, But thou didst laugh. ~
Nv friends, the laugh Of skepticism IN
ali ages is only the echo Of Sarah 5
laughter God says he will accomplish
thing. and men say it cannot be done
4 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 or
dinarilv cross river at one ferry. To
morrow Won change for one day, and
YOU go across another ferry. You mado
the rule. Have you not the right to
change it? You ordinarily come in at
flat door Of the church. Suppose that
next Sabbath YOU come in at the other
door. 1t is a habit you have. Have yon
lot O. right to change your habit? A law
of mature is Gods habit-his way OF
d1in. things. If he makes the law, has
.c-.ot right to change it at any time
he wants to change it?
Alasl for the folly Of those who laugh
q. God when he says. Il will do a
thing" they responding, you can't
. TO 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. A great
many Of the learned institutions, with
. long rows of professors seated on the
fence between Christianity and intdel'
itv, laugh softly. They say, I'VE ddn
laugh" That was Sarah's trick. God
thunders from the heavens, "But thou
6idst laughr' The garden Of Eden was
only a fable. There never was any ark
built. or if it was built it was too small
{, have two Of every kind. The pillar
Of fire ly night was only the northern
LIGHTS. the 10 plaques Of Egypt only a
brilliant specimen Of jugglery. The sea
parted because the wind blew violently
= great while from one direction. The
sun and moon did not put themselves
ont Of the way for Joshua Jacobs lad
dor was only horizontal and picturesque
clouds. The destroying angel shifting the
frstborn in Egypt was only cholera in,
s1ntum become epidemic, The outlet OF
the whale, by positive measurement, toe
small to swallow a prophet. The story
= &C The immaculate conception a shock
70 all decency The lame, the dumb,
the blind. the halt, cured by mere hu-
nan surgery. The resurrection OF
Crri.ts friend only beautiful tableau,
Christ and Lazarus and Mary and Mar
tia 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.
I take up this book of King James
translation. consider it perfect Bible
Int 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? "Wen, 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 al
that about the miraculous guidance OF
the children of Israel in the wilderness. u
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 60 Deu
tcronomy and the Kings. Nov, " says
some one, "the book Of Job is fable
that ought to come out. D." Away goes
the book of Job. "Now, says some
one. chose passages in the New Tesla
ment which imply the divinity Of Jesu;
Christ ought to come out. Away g
the ovangelists. "Now, " says some one,
1.-THE book Of Revelation-how prepos
torousl 1t 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
eft What shall we do with them
"Oh, " says some man in the audience
81 don't believe word in the Bible
from ore end to the other. " Well, it ii