Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-08-23
IL IL 10

play. The arms are 1exed, the hands drive
the water back, the knees are active, the
head is thrown back 10 escape strangulation,
the whole body Is in propulsion. Ana when
| Christ sprang into the deep To save US, he
threw his entire nature into it-all his God
head, his omniscience, his goodness, his
| love, his omnipotence- head, heart eyes,
hands feet. We were far out on the sea
| and so deep down in tho waves and so far
out from shore that noting short OF an en-
| tire God could save us. Christ leaped out
for our rescue saying; "Lo! | come 10 do
| thy will, - and ali the surges OF human anu
satanic hate beat against him, and those VINO
watched him from the gates OF heaven fear
ed he would 60 down under the wave and In
stead of saving others would himself perish,
but putting his breast TO the foam and shak-
| ing the surf from his locks, he came on and
on until he is now within the reach OF every
one here Eye omniscent, heart infinite,
arm omnipotent. Mighty 10 save even TO
the uttermost. Oh, IL was not half a God
| that trampled down believing Gennesaret.
liz was not Il quarter Of a God that mastered
the demons of Gadara. 1t was not two
thirds OF a God that lifted up Lazarus into
! the arms of his overioyed sisters. IL was
not fragment of a God who offered pardon
and peace TO all the race. No. This mighty
swimmer threw his grandeur, his glory, his
might, his wisdom, his omnipotence and his
eternity into this one act IL took both
hands OF God 10 save us-both feet. How
do prove it. On the cross, were not both
hands nailedi On the cross, were not both
feet nailedt His entire nature involved IN
our redemption
IL you have lived much by the water, you
notice also that if any one Is going out 10
the rescue OF the drowning he must be In
dependent, self reliant, able TO go alone.
There may be time when lie must spring
out TO save one and nc cannot get lfeboat
and he goes out and has not strength
enough 10 bear himself up and bear an
! other up. he will sink and instead of drag
/ ging one corpse out OF the torrent you Will
| have two 10 drag ont Nhen Christ sprang
| out into the sea To deliver us he had no lie
/ buoy. His father did not help him. Alone
/ in the wine press Alone in the pang.
! Alone in the darkness. Alone in the noun
! tain Alenc in the sea. y If he saves US
! he shall have all the credit for there
! ladder. When Nathaniel Lyon fell in the
/ battle charge in front OF his troops, he had
| n whole army to cheer him. W hen Marshal
! Ney spraug into the contest and plunged In
/ the spurs till the horses tanks spurtet
! blood. all France upplauded him. But Jesus
/ alone! "Of the people there was none TO
/ help. "All forsook him and fed q, IL
| was not tlotila that sailed down and saved
us. IL was not al cluster OF gondolas that
came over the wave. II was one person in
( dependent and alone spreading out his
( hands among US swimmer spreadeth
forth his hands to SWIM
Behold them today the spectacle Of a
drowning soul and Christ the swimmer |
/ English soldiers of the Fifth kuslliers who
were hanging TO the bottom of a capsized
boat-a boat that had been upset by squall
. three miles from shore. lt was in the
night, but one man swan nightly for the
beach, guided by the dark mountains that
lifted their top through the night. He came
| to the beach He found shore man that
| consented 10 90 with him and save the
l other men, and they PIT out 10 was some
time before they could find the place where
the men were, but after awhile they heard
their cry: Help, Help" and they bore
down 10 them, and they saved them, and
| brought them 10 shore. ON that this mo
| ment our cry might be lifted long. loud and
shrill. till Christ the swimmer shall come
and take Us lest we drop a thousand faith
oms down.
If you have been much by water, you
[ know very well that when one is in peril
help must come very quickly, or it will be
/ OF no use. One minute may decide every
/ thing Immediately help the man wants or
no hcl p ut all. Now, that is just the kind
I OF relief we want. The case is urgent,
imminent, instantaneous. See that soul
sinking Son Of God, lay hold of him. BE
4 quick be quick Oh, / wish you all un-
derstood how urgent this gospel is There
was "A man i'm the navy at sea who had been
severely whipped for bad behavior, and he
was maddcned by it, aud he lcaped into the
sea, and no sooner had ne leaped into the
sea than. quick as lightning an albatross
swooped upon him. The drowning man,
albatross and held on. The fiuttering OF
the bird kept him on the wave until relief
could come. Would now the dove of God s
convicting, converting and saving spirit
might flash from the throne upon your soul.
aud take you, taking hold OF its potent
wing might live and live forever.
want 10 persuade you TO lay hold of this
strong swimmer. Mo- you say, ''it is al
ways disastrous for a drowning man TO lay
hold OF a swimmer There is not a river
] 1.1y. lint al f,.,r
the fact that when a strong swimmer went
out 10 save sinking man. the drowning
man clutched him, threw his arms around
him, pinioned his arms, and they both went
down together. When you are saving a
man in tine water you 90 not want to come
up by his face: YOU want to come up by his
back. You do not want him TO
take hold OF YOU while you take hold
OF him. But blessed be Goa, Jesus
Christ is so strong swimmer he
comes not TO our back, but 10 our face. and
he asks Us TO throw around him the arms of
our love, and then prom ses u take US TO
the beach, and he Will do it. DO not trust
that plank Of good works. Do not trust
that shvered spar of your own righteous
ness Christ only can give you transporta-
ton. Turn your face upon him as the dy-
ing martyr did in olden DAYS when he cried
out: None but Christ None but Christ ~
Jesus has taken millions 10 the land, and he
is willing 10 take you there. Oh, what
hardness TO shove him back when he has
been swimming all the way from the
throne OF God 10 where YOU are now, and
is ready TO swim all the way back
again, taking your redeemed spirit. | have
sometimes thought what a spectacle the
ocean bed will present when in the last day
the water is all drawn off. IL will be line
Of wrecks from beach to beach. There is
where the harpooners went down There is
where the line of battle ships went down.
There is where the merchantmen went
down. There is where the steamers went
down, q long line Of wrecks from beach to
beach. What spectacle in the last day
when the water is drawn OFF But oh, how
much more solemn IL we had an eye
10 see the spiritual wrecks and the places
where they foundered. You would find
thousands along our roads and streets.
Christ came down in their awful catastro-
phe putting out for their souls, spreading
forth his hands as a swimmer spreadeth
forth his hands TO swim but they thrust
him in the sore heart, and they smote his
fair cheek, and the storm and darkness
swallowed them up. i ask YOU 10 lay hold
OF this Christ and lay hold OF him now.
You will sink without him. From horizon 10
horizon not one sail in sight. Only one strong
swimmer with head flung back and arms
outspread. hear great many in the audi
ence saving: "Well, ] would like TO be q
Christian. j am going 10 work TO become a
| Christian NV brother Won BEGIN wrong