The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-02
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
svAnAY's DISCOURSE Blythe NOTED
DIVINE.

Subject: An Ancient Epigram-An Old
Saying Used to illustrate the Ludlcrous
Behavior of Those Who Magnify Small
Sins and Ignore Great Ones.
Copyright, Louis Klopsch, 1897
WASHINGTON, u. C.-In this discourse,
founded on an ancient epigram repeated
by Christ, DR.. Talmage illustrates the folly
Of being very particular about insignificant
things, while neglectful OF vast concerns.
The text is Matthew xxiiI.. "a: ''Ye blind
guides, which strain at gnat and swallow
camel"
A proverb is compact wisdom, knowledge
In chunks, o library In sentence, the cleo
tricity Of many clouds discharged In one
bolt, river put through mill rnce. When
Christ quotes the proverb OF the text, He
means to set forth the ludicrous behavior
Of those who make great bluster about
small sins and have no appreciation OF
great ones. In my text O small insect and
large quadruped are brought intoco
parison-a gnat and q camel. You have in
museum or on the desert seen the latter, a
great awkward, sprawling creature, with
back two stories high and stomach having
collection 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
ext is in the grub form. 1t Is born in pool
or pond, after a few weeks becomes
,hrysalis and then after few days be-
comes the gnat as we recognize 1t. But
tho insect spoken OF In the text Is In It's
very smallest shape, and 1t yet inhabits the
water. for my text Is misprint and ought
to read "strain out gnat."
My text shows you the prince OF incon-
sistencies. A man after long observation
has formed the suspicion that In cup OF
water he is about to drink there Is grub
or the grandpnrent Of gnat. He goes
water and pours 1t through the sieve In tie
broad light. He says. II would rather do
anything almost than drink this water un-
til thi. Iarva be extirpated." This water
Is brought under inquisition. The expert
ment is successful. The water rushes
through the sieve and leaves against the
side of tho sieve the grub or gnat. Then
the man carefully removes the insect and
drinks the water in placidity. But going
out one day and hungry, he devoIrs
"ship OF the DESERT" the camel, which the
Jews we're forbidden to eat. The gastron.
omer has no compunctlons OF conscience.
BE suffers from no indigestion. He puts
the lower jaw under the 'camel's forefoot
and his upper Jaw over the hump OF the
,amel's back and gives one swallow, and
dromedary disappears forever. He strained
out gnat; he swallowed camel.
While Christ's audience was yet smiling
at the oppositeness and wit OF His illustra-
tion-for smile they did, unless they were
too stupid to understand the hyperbole-
Christ practicalI said to them, "That Is
you." Punctilious about small things;
reckless about affairs OF great magnitude.
No subject ever WINGED under surgeons
knife more bitterly than did the Pharisees
ander Christs scalpel Of truth. As an an
atomist will take q human body to pieces
and put the pieces under q microscope for
examination, 50 Christ finds His way to
the heart OF the dead Pharisee and cuts It
out and puts 1t under the glass OF inspec-
lion for oil generations to examine. Those
Pharlsees thought that Christ would flatter
.hem md COTE pliment them, and how they
must have wrIthed under the redhot words
as He said, "Ye fools, ye whited sopulchers,
ye blind guides, which strain out gnat
and swallow a camel"
There are in our day great many gnats
strained out and q great many camels swal-
lowed, and 1t is the object OF this sermon
10 sketch few persons who are extensive
ly engae ed In that business.
First, remark, that all those ministers
Of the gospel who nre very scrupulous
about the conventionalities OF religion, but
put no particular stress upon matters OF
vast Importance, are photographed In the
.ext. Church services ought to be grave
and solemn. There Is no room for frivolity
In religious onTocation. But there are H.
Iustrattons, and there are hyperboles like
.hat Of Christ in the text, that will irradi-
ate with smiles any intelligent audience.
There are men like those blind guides OF
the text who advocate only those things In
religious service which draw the corners
of the mouth down and denounce all
those things which have tendency to
irnw the corners OF the mouth up, and
these men will 60 to installations and to
presbyteries and to conferences and to
associations, their pockets full OF fine
sleeves to strain out the gnats, while In
their own churches ut home every Sunday
there are fifty people sound asleep. They
make their churches great dormltory,
and their somniferous sermons are cradle
and the drawlcd out hymns lullaby,
while some wakeful soul in pew with her
fan keeps the flies or unconscious persons
approximate. Now, I say 1t Is worse to
sleep in church thun to smilo in church,
Tor the latter implies at least attention,
while the iormor implies the indifference
Of the hearers and the stupidity OF the
speaker.
In old age or from physical in6rmity or
from long watching with the sick drowsi-
ness will sometimes overpower one, but
when a minister Of the gospel looks on
upon an audience and finds healthy and
Intelligent people struggling with drowsi-
ness It is time for him to give out the
doxology or pronounce the benedlction.
The great fault OF church services to-day
Is not too much vivacity, but too much
somnolence. The one is m irritating
gnat that may be easily strained out; the
Other Is a great, sprawling and sleepy
eyed camel OF the dry desert.
I take down from my library the biogra-
phies OF ministers and writers OF the past
ages, inspired and uninspired, who have
done the most TO bring sous to Jesus
Christ, and find that without n single ex-
ception they consecrated their wit and
their humor to Christ. Elijah used 1t when
he advised the Baalites, as they could not
make their god respond, to call louder, as
their god might be sound asleep or gone
a-hunting. Job used 1t when he said to
his self-colccited comforters, Wisdom
will die with you" Christ not only used
It 10 the text, but when He ironically COM
plimented tho corrupt Pharisees, sayiug.
THE whole need not a PHYSICIAN" and
when by one word He described the cum
ming OF Herod, saying, $50 ye and tell that
fox" Matthew enry's commentaries from
tho first page to tue lust corruscated with
humor, as summer clouds with heat light
ming.
Again, my subject photographs all those
who are abhorrent OF small sin, while they
are reckless in regard to magnificent thefts.
You will find many merchant who, while
he is so careful that he would not take
yard OF cloth or spool Of cotton from the
with win
send in roll OF bills $5 too much, would
dispatch messenger In hot haste to re-
., rn the gu rIlus vat wkn will 20 into q