Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-07-22
STREAMING AT CHATS
Or. rALMAoG breaches ON HUMAN
INCONSISTENCY.

Makes Use of an Ancient EpiSram a.
illustrate the Folly 90 Mankind
Prone 10 Magnify small Tn ngs.
Needless of the Great.
Copyright. Louis of,sch. Isal
WASHINGTON. July IL In this dis
course. founded on an ancient epigram
repeated by Christ. Br. Talmage illus
trates the folly If being very particular
about inSign iicant n-s VII H. uegle iful
Of vast concerns. The text j. Matthew
xiii. -. "fe blind guides. which strain
at a gnat and swallow camel.
4 proverb is compact wisdom. knowl
edge in chunks. library in a sentence.
the electricity of many clouds discharged
in one bolt. a river put through mill
race. When Christ quotes the prnverh Of
the text he means to set forth the In
dicrous behavior uf those who make n
great buster about small sins and have
no appreciation of great ones In my
text q small insect aud a large quadruped
are brought into comparisnn-n gnat aud
n camel iou have in museum or on tine
desert seen the latter. a great awkward.
sprawling creature. with back two sto-
ries high and stomach having collec
ton Of reservoirs for desert travel. an
animal forbidden to the Jews rs food
and in many literatures entitled the
ship Of the desert" The gnat spoken Of
in the text is in the grub form. II is
born in pool or pond. after a few weeks
becomes n chr, sails and then after a few
days becomes the gnat as we recognize
IL. But the insert spoken Of in the text
Il in its very smallest shape. and il yet
inhabts the water. for my text is n mis-
print and ought 10 read strain ont a
gnat"
Ny text shows you the prince of incon-
sistencieS man after long ohserva-
ton has formed the suspicion that ia a
Gun 81 water h. is about Ia drink. there
is a grub OF the grandpareni 81 n gnai.
He goes aud gets sieve or strainer. He
takes the water and pours il through the
sieve In the broad light. lie says. Il
would rather do anything almost than
drink this water until this larva he cxtir
pated" This water is brought under in
--.s;isr-fiaE. The experiment i successful.
fne water rushss through the sieve and
leaves against the side Of the sieve the
grub or gnai. Then the man carefully
removes the insect and drinks the water
IN placidity. But going out one day. and
hungry. he devnurs . ship Of the DIES
ert. the camel. which the Jews were
forbidden to eat. The astronomer has
no cumpunetions Of conscience. lie snf-
fers from ma Indigestion. lie puts the
lower Jaw under the camers forefnot.
and his upper jaw over the hump of the
eamel's back. and gives one swallow and
the dromedary disappears forever. lie
strained out "A gnai. he swallowed
camel.
Christ hid Not Platter.
While ChriSi's audience was yet smil
Ing nj the appositrness and wit of his H.
lustration for smile they did. unless
they were too stupid Ia understand the
hyperbole Christ practically said to
them. THAT i you" Punctilious about
small things: reckless about affairs ~
great magnitude M subject ever WINGED
under surgeons knife more bitterly
than did III. Pharisees under christ's
scalpcl ~ truth As an anatomisi viii
take human body Ia pieces and put the
pieces under microscope for examina
ton. So Christ finds his way 10 the heart
% the dead l'hariscc and cuts il out and
puts II under tho glass uf inspection for
all generations e. examine. Those phari.
sees thought that Christ would fiaiter
them aud compliment them. and how
they must have writhed under the red
hot words NJ he snid. we fools 81 whted
sepulrhers. y. blind guides. which strain
out guat and swallow camel.
There ARE IN unr day great many
gnats strained out and great many
camcls swallowed. aud Il Is the object ~
this sermon I" sketch few persons who
are extensively engaged IN that business.
First | remark that all those ministers
~ the GOSPEL who are very scrupulous
about the conventiunaltics ~ religion.
hnt put No particular stress upon matters
~ vast Importance. ar, photographed 10
the text. Church services ought Ia hc
grave aud solemn There il nn room for
frivolity IN religious conversations hut
there are Illustrations and there arr by
perlinles like that ~ Christ IN the text
that viii irradiatc with smiles any intel
ligent nudience. There are men like
those blind guides ~ the text who adyn-
cate only ihoS, things in religious service
which draw the corners nf the month
down aud denaunc. all those things
which have tendency 81 draw the cor.
ners ~ the mouth M. and thes. men win
go to installations. and ~ pr"shytofies.
and o. conferences and To associations.
their pockets full of tine sleeves to strain
out the gnats. while Ia their own churches
NJ home every Sunday there ARE ~ peo.
Pile sound asleep. They mak" their
churches n gfUat dnrmitnry. and their
somniferons sermons are n cradle and
the drnwled out hymns n lullaby. while
some wakeful soul 10 pew. with her
fan. keeps the ilies III unconscious per
sons approximate Now. shy Il i
worse ta sleep In church than Ca smile in
.'hurch. for the latter implies NJ least NJ
teuiion. while the former implies the ia
difference of the hearers and the stupid
ity II the speaker
In old age. or from physical inhrmity.
or from long watching with the sick.
drowsness will sometimes overpowcr
one. but when minister ~ tho gospel
looks an upon IN audience aud finds
healthy and Intelligent people struggling
with drowsinrss II j. time for him a. give
ont the doxalpgy or pronounce the henn
diction. The great fault u church serv
ices today Is not too much vivarity. but
too much s"mnolence. The one II an irr
tnting Tuai that may be- easily strained
ont. The other IL n great. sprnwing and
sleepy eyed camel of the dry dessert IN
NIL our Sahh IA schools IN NIL or Rhle
CLASSES. IN ~ our pulpiis. We need a.
brighten M our religious message with
such christli' . vivacity ny we find 10 The
text
take dow from my library the hing
raphies ~ ~ nisiers and tiers ~ the
past ages, Ia pired aud uniuspncd wh
have done thu moSt 20 htins souls H. IT,
sus Christ NJ ! find that. wit out u sin
he exception, they coasccfntrd their Wit
and their hur y 10 Christ vi iah nsel
II when he tisrd the Baaiiies a. ihry
could not ma their god respond Ia call
louder. M IN, god might hc sonpt aslucp
sr gone a.hu ng. Job use II when ne
said "a his IL conceiied camfnrters
"wisiom vii Tie with you" Christ nj
only used Il h. text. but when h. iron
ically complt .nted the corr npt pharisee
saving. "fhe whole need uat a phyNi
clan" and y N, by one word. he lie