LAUGHTER, Risus. Laughter is an Indication of Joy, Insult, Mockery, Assurance, or Admiration. Sarah in the Transport of her Gen. xxi. 6. Luke vi. 25.Joy called her Son Isaac, that is to say, Laughter. Wo unto them that laugh now, says our Saviour, for they shall weep. At Destruction and Famine thou shalt laugh; thou shalt not fear it, thou shalt be perfectly secure against these Evils. God laugheth at the wicked; he despises their vain Efforts, he laughs at them in the Day of their Destruction. Ego quoque interitu vestro ridebo. Prov. i. 26. Gen. xxi. 9. Gal. iv. 30.Ishmael laughed at Isaac, he insulted him, he treated him ill according to Saint Paul’s Explanation. A Fool looks upon it as Matter of Laughter, as Sport, to commit Abomination. Quasi per risum stultus operatur scelus.
Laughter in general is used for Rejoycing. There is a Time to laugh, and a Time to weep, says Solomon; a Time to rejoice, and a Time to be afflicted. Blessed are they who weep now, Prov. x. 23. Luke vi. 21. 25. Eccles. ii. 2. James iv. 9. Eccles. viii. 8.for ye shall laugh. I said of Laughter, of Joy, Pleasure, it is mad. Your Laughter shall be turned into Mourning, your Joys shall terminate in Sorrow, in Repentance, in Remorse.
Laughter does not become a wise Man. A Fool lifteth up his Voice with Laughter, but a wise Man doth scarce smile a little. The Laughter of a Fool is as noisy as the crackling of Thorn. Sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub illa, sic risus stulti.
Gen. xvii. 17.Abraham’s Laughter, when God promised him a Son, was a Mark of Admiration and Gratitude, not of Doubt: The Scripture which relates it, does not disapprove of it, as it does of Sarah’s.