Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-07-22
STRAINING AT GNATS.
DR.. Talmage breaches on Human
Inconsistency.
makes rre Of an Racient EpIRrau 60
illustrate the Folly OF Mankind
Prone To Magnify Small Things,
Needless OF the Great
Ccopyright. Louis Kiopsch. isso)

very particular about insignificant
things while neglcctful of vast con-
Germs. The text in Matthew 23.2t. Eye .
blind guides, which strain at gnat
and swallow camel"
\ provcrb is compact wisdom. knowl-
edge in chunks, library in a sentence.
the electricity OF many clouds dis
charged in one bolt. n river putthrougb
mill race. Whom Christ quotes the
provcrb of the text. lie means 10 set
forth the ludicrous behavior OF those
who make a great bluSirr about small
sins and have no appreciation OF great
ones. In my text 4 small insect and "a
large quadruped are brought into com
parison-a gnat and "a camel ON
have in museum or on the desert seen
the latter. great awkward. sprawl
ing creature. with back two stories
high and stomach having "a collection
OF reservoirs for desert travel. an ami
NAL forbidden 20 the jews as food. and
in many literaturcs entitled "thc ship
of the desert" The rnat spoken OF in
the text is in the grub form. IL is born
in pool or pond. after few weeks be
comes a chrysalis. and then after a few
days becomes 5he Cnat as we recognize
IL. But tho insect spoken OF in the text
il In it's very smallest shape. and 10 yet
inhabits the water. for my text is a mis-
print. and ought 10 read strain out
gnat"
My text shows YOU the prince Of in
consistencies. 4 man. after long OBJ
scrvation. who has formed tho suspi-
cion that in a cupfui OF wa.er he Is
about 20 drink. there is a grub or the
gr1rdpareut of a gnat. lie goes and
gets sieve or q straincr. lie takes the
water and pours il through the sieve 10
the broad light lie says. Il would
rather do anything almost than drink
this water until this larva De extir-
patel" This water H. brought under
inquisition. The experiment is sue
cessful. The water rushcs through the
sieve and leaves against the side OF the
sieve the grub or gnat Inen ,he man
carefully removes the insect and drinks
the water In placidity. But going out
one day. and hungry, he de,ogrs a
"ship OF the desert" the camel. which
the Jews were forbidden To eat. The
gastronomer has no oompunctions OF
conscience. lie suffers from no indi-
gestion. lie puts the lower jaw under
the camel-s forefoot and his upper jaw
over the hump of the camcls back, and
gives one swallow and She dromedary
disappears forever. lie strained out 4
gnat. he swallowed a camel.
While Christs audience was Yet
smiling at the appositeness and wit OF
his illustration-for smile they did. IN
less they were too stupid 10 understand
the hypcrbole-Christ practically said
about small things; reckless about af
fairs OF great magnitude. No subJec
ever WINGED under a surgeons knife
more bitterly than did the Pharisees
under Christ's scaipel of truth. As aI
anatomist will take human body 4
pieces and put the pieces under a mi
croscOpe for examination. so Chris
finds Ills way 10 the heart of the deas
Pharisee and cuts it out and puts i
under tie glass Of inspection for al
generations TO examine Those phari
sees thought that Christ would fiatte
them and compliment them. and hoy
they must have writhed under the red
hot words as He said: ''lc fools, y
whited sepulchers. We blind guides
which strain out a gnat and swallow
~ camel"
There are in our day great man
gnats strained out and n great man
camels swallowed. and il is the objec
of this sermon 10 sketch few person
who are extensively engaged in tha
business.
First, I remark that all those minis
fers Of the Gospel who are very scrupI
lous about the conventionalities of r.
Iigion, but put no particular stress uI
on matters OF vast importance. an
photographed in the text. Church SER
fcess ought TO bc grave and solemn
There is no room for frivclity in II
hgious convocation. but there are !
lustrations. and there are hyperbOls
ike that OF Christ in The text that WI
irradiate with smiles any inteiiiger
audience. There are men like thos
blind guides of the text who advooa'
only those things in religious servie
which draw the corners of the mout
down and dcnounce all those tbinA
which have a tendency TO draw the co
ners of the mouth up, and these me
will go TO installations. and 20 pre-
bvteries. and TO conferences. and 10 n
sociations, their pockets full OF iii
sicves 10 strain out the gnats. while
their own churches at home every Sn'
dav there are so people sound asiec