Laughed At | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 7, 1863

Laughed At.

The Prophetic Times thus discourses upon what is to many a powerful hindrance to their receiving the truth, namely, the fear of being laughed at:

“LAUGHED AT!”—A conclusive argument, surely! Who “laughed at?” Conscientious ministers of Jesus Christ—men of the highest position and reputation in the churches—religious guides, chosen and sustained as such by the most intelligent and virtuous portions of the communities in which they live.

“Laughed at!” By whom? By anonymous newsmongers, employees of the secular daily press!

“Laughed at!” As if that were the thing above all to be dreaded by a faithful expositor of the revelation of God.

“Laughed at!” And what else would be expected in an age so degenerate as this? Was not Noah laughed at, and Christ pronounced a demoniac, and Paul declared beside himself? Does not inspiration say the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, and that “there shall come in the last days scoffers ["with such a zealous laughter so profound"], saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” And, with these forewarnings, “shall quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain (especially such small ones), awe a man from the career of his” sworn fidelity?

“Laughed at!” A full Pandemonium of such laughers may strain their cheeks to the remotest period to which they fondly postpone the day of doom, and it will be but idle merriment as respects our modification of one iota of what we find written in the holy evangelgy of Almighty God. We would advise these laughers to look at Acts xiii, 40, 41, and to lay to heart the apostolic words, “Beware lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets : behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”