Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-08-02
LAUGHTER.
Theme of Rev. DIR. Talmage's Ssr.
mon Through the Press.
Angels and Devils Are Alike Moved n,
the Merriment of Mortals Il The
Laughter of the Bible = The
Fools Laughter and the
Laughter OF Gods
Condemnation.

Australla, selected as the subject o.
his sermon through the press the cur
rent week, Laughter" the text beino
taken from Psalm 1876, 2: 'sTheu wa,
our mouth filed with laughter" AND
Psalm 2, 4; ''He that stitch in the
heavens shall laugh"
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 of the midnight. Some
times it stirs the sympathies of angels
and sometimes the exclamation of
devils. All healthy people laugh.
Whether it pleases the Lord or dis.
pleases Him; that depends upon when
we laugh and at what we laugh. Nv
theme to-day is the laughter of the
Bible namely: Sarahs laugh. or that
Of scepticism; David's laugh. or that Of
spiritual eXultation; the fools laugh.
Or that Of sinful merriment: Gods
laugh or that Of infinite condemna-
tiN Heavens laugh, or that of eternal
triumph.
scene; An Oriental tent: the occu-
pants, old Abraham and Sarah, perhaps
wrinkled and decrepit. Their three
guests are three angels-the Lord Al
mighty one of them. In return for the
hospitality shown by the old people.
God promises Sarah that she shall be-
come the ancestress of the Lord Jesus
Christ Sarah laughs in the face of
Cod she does not believe it. She is
/ attrghted 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 lie will accomplish thing: and
men say 1t cannot be done A great
multitude laugh at the miracles.
|Ihey say they are contrary to the
laws of nature. What is law of nature?
i is Gods way of doing thing. You
ordinarily cross river at one ferry.
Tomorrow you change for one dav.
and You go across another ferry. You
|made the rule. Have you not the right
10 change it? You ordinarily come in
lat that door of the church. suppose
|that next Sabbath you should come in
|at the other door? 1t is a habit YOU
have Have you not the right to change
|your habit? A law of nature is Gods
|habit-His way of doing things. If lie
makes the law has He not right to
|change it at any time He wants to
change it? Alas. for the folly of those
|Tho laugh at God when lie says, Il
|will do thing they responding,
You can't do it." God says that the
IBible is true-it is all true. Bishop
|olento laughs; Herbert Spencer
laughs; Stuart Mill laughs; great
German universities laugh; Har-
yard laughs-softly! A great many of
Pie learned institutions with long
fows of professors seated on the fence
between Christianity and infidelity,
laugh softly. They say: "We didn't
laugh" That was Sarah's trick. God
fhunders from the heavens: "But thou
Fiidst laugh" The Garden of Eden was
pnly fable. There never was any Ark |
built, or if 1t was built. it was too small |
70 have two of every kind. The pillar |
p fire by night was only the Northern
fights. The ten plaques of Egypt only |
brilliant specimen of jugglery. The
pea parted, because the wind blew vio-
Gently great while from one direction.
EThe sun and moon did not put them
felves out of the way for Joshua.
Jacobs ladder was only horizontal and
picturesque clouds The destroying
Pngel shifting the first-born in Egypt
pas only cholera infantum be-
fome epidemic. The gullet of the
lVhale, by positive measurement.
200 small to swallow a prophet
The story of the immaculate conception
4 shock to all decency. The lame, the
|iumb, the blind, the halt, cured by
'nere human surgery. The resurrec-
flon of Christ's friend, only beautiful
fableau; Christ, and Lazarus, and Mary,
end Martha acting their parts well.
Fly friends, there is not doctrine or
ftatement of Gods holy word but has
Ieen derided by the scepticism of the
pay ] take up this book Of King
ames' translation. consider it per-
Feet Bible; but here are sceptics who
Pant il torn to pieces. And now, with
his Bible in my hand, let me tear out
/ 4 those portions which the scepticism
this day demands shall be torn out.
What shall go first? "Well." says some
ne IN the audience, ''take out all that
bout the creation, and about the first
lettlement of the world" Away goes
Fenesis, Now says some one, take
Fat all that about the miraculous
guidance of the children of Israel
the wilderness Away goes
Exodus. Now" says some one
Sc in the audience, there are
pings in Deuteronomy and Kings that
e not ut to be read" Away goes
leuteronomy and the Kings. Now"
lys someone, 1.-The book of job is a
aoe that ought TO come out" Away
oes the book of Job. Now" says
'neone. those passages in the New
esiament which imply the divinity OF