Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-28

days becomes the gnat as we recognize
it. But the insect spoken of in the
text is in its very smallest shape, and
it yet inhabits the water-for my text
is a misprint and ought to read strain
out gnat.'
NJ text shows you the prince of in
conSistencies. A man after long OBJ
SER = has formed the suspicion
tt cup of water he is about to
q is a grub or the grand
/ gnat. He goes and gets
s. trainer. He takes the water
it through the sieve in the
b mt. He says, Il would rather
do ching almost than. drink this
until this larva be extirpated."
This water is brought under inquisi-
top. The experiment is successful. The
water rushes through the sieve, and
leaves against the side OF the sieve the
grub or gnat. Then the man carefuiy
removes the insect and drinks the
water in placidity. But going out one
day, and hungry, he devours ship of
the desert" the camel, which the Jews
were forbidden to eat. The gastrOn-
Omer has no computations of con-
science. He suffers from no indiges-
ton. He puts the lower jaw under the
camel's forefOot, and his upper jaw
over the hump of the camels back
and gives one swallow and the drOm-
edary disappears forever. He strained
out gnat he swallowed a camel.
While Christ's audience was yet
smiling at the appositeness and wit of
his illustration-for smile they did, I'M
less they were too stupid to understand
the hyperbole-Chr practically said
TO them, THAT is YOU" PunctiliOus
about small things; reckless about af-
fairs of great magnitude. No subject
ever WINGED under a surgeons knife
more bitterly than did the Pharisees
under Christ's scalpel of truth As an
anatomist will take human body to
pieces, and put the pieces under a
microscope for examination, so Christ
finds his way to the heart of the dead
Pharisee, and cuts it out, and puts it
under the glass of inspection for all
Il
sees thought that Christ would fatter
them and compliment them, and how
they must have writhed under the red
hot words as he said: 'Ye fools, We
whited sepulchres, We blind guides,
which strain out a gnat and swallow a
camel
There are in our day a great many
gnats strained out and a great many
camels swallowed, and it is the object
of this sermon to sketch a few persons
who are extensively engaged in that
business.
First, remark, that all those minis
tiers of the Gospel who are very
scrupulous about the conventionalities
of religion, but put no particular stress
upon matters of vast Importance, are
photographed in the text. Church
services ought to be grave and solemn
There is no room for frivolity in relig-
ious convOcatiOn. But there are illus
trations, and there are hyperboles like
that of Christ in the text, that will ir-
radiate with smiles any intelligent au,
dience. 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 whicn
have tendency to draw the corners OF
the mouth up, and these men will &c
to installations and to presbyteries and
to conferences and to associations
their pockets full Of fine sleeves tC
strain out the gnats, while in their owl
churches at home every Sunday there
are fifty people sound asleep. They
make their churches great dormitory
and their somniferous sermons are Z
cradle, and the drawled-out hymns
lullaby, while some wakeful soul in
pew with her fan keeps the flies off I'M
conscious persons approximate Now
say 1t Is worse to sleep in church thar
to smile in church, for the latter inn
plies at least attention, while the for
Iner implies the indifferences of the
hearers and the stupidity Of tn,
speaker.
In old age, or from physical infirm
ity, or from long watching with the
oiCh, ulOWSlHcoS Will over
power one; but when a minister OF thu
Gospel looks off upon an audience anC
finds healthy and intelligent peopl,
struggling with drowsiness. It is tim,
for him to give out the doxology. OF
pronounce the enedictiOn. The grea
fault of church services today, is no
too much vivacity, but too much som
Violence. The one is an irritating gna
that may be easily strained out; the
other Is great, sprawling and sleepy.
eyed camel of the dry desert. In al
our Sabbath schools, in all our Bible
classes, in all our pulpits we need to
brighten up our religious message witt
such Christ-like vivacity as we find in
the text
l take down from my library the
biographies of ministers, and writer:
OF the past ages, inspired and unin
spired, who have done the most tc
bring souls to Jesus Christ, and I find
that without single exception. they
consecrated their wit and their humol
to Christ Elijah used it when he adj
Tised the Baalites, as they could MOI
make their god respond, to call louder
as their god might be sound asleep. OF
goas a-hunting. Job used it when h