West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-08-29
TALMAGE'S SERMON
HELP FOR A DROWNING WORLD
Christ alone can Save Man From
Sinking I'm the Sea OF Sin.

TEXT: "Hc shall spread forth His hand,
IN the midst of them, as he that stUinanteth
spreddch forth his hands 20 si1im. "-Isaiab
XIV, IL.
At this season OF the year multitudes OF
people wade into the ponds and lakes and
rivers and seas. AT first putting out cati-
uousiy from the shore, but having learned
tne right stroke OF arm and foot, they let the
waters roll over them, and in wild glee dive
or hoat or swim. SO the text will be very
suggestive: He shall spread forth His hand
IN the midst of them, as he that swimmeth
spTsadeth forth his hands TO swim"
Inc fisherman seeks out unfrequented
hooks You stand all day ON the hanI
OF river in the broiling sun, and fling
out your line, and catch nothing, while
the expert angler breaks Through
tse jungle and goes by the shadow
ol 'ne sohtary rock, and In place where
no fisherman has been for ten years,
throws out his line and comes home at
night his face shining and his basket full
4 do not know why we ministers of the
gospel need always bo fishing in the
. same stream and preaching from the sam,
text that other people preach from. can.
not understand the policy Of the minister
who, In Blackfriars, London, England. every
week Tor thirty years preached from the
Eplstle to the Hebrews. 1t is an exhiliara.
non 20 me when come across n theme which
feel no one else has treated and my text is
one OF that kind. There are paths in God,
Word that are well beaten by Christian feet
When men want TO quote Scripture, they quot.
tn, the old passages that every one has heard
When they want chapter read the1
read chapter that all the other PEOPLE have
been reading, so that the church to-day Is
ignorant OF three-fourths of the Bible You
go into the Louvre at Paris. You confine
yourself to one corridor of that opulent gal.
Tsesy VL paintings. AS you come ont your
friend says to you: did you see that Rem.
brandtp No" "Did you see that Ru-
bensf No "Did you see that TitianY'
No. Dld you see that Raphaelg'
chen Won, d;dn,. says your friend;
Now, my friends, think we are too much
apt to confine ourselves to one of the great
Corridors OF this Scripture truth and so
much so that there is not one person out of n
million who has ever noticed the all suggest
text. ny
This text represents God as a strong swim
mer, striking out to push down iniouity and
save the souls of men. HE shall spread
forth His hand in the midst of them. as he
that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands 10
swim" The figure Is bold and many sided
Most OF you know how to swim Some of
you learned it In the city school, where this
art is taught; some OF you In boyhood, in the
river near your fathers house; some of you
SINCE you came to manhood or yo-
manhood, while summering on the beach of
tne sea. You step down in the wave. Won
throw your head back, You bring your elbows
TO the chest, you put the palms of your hands
downward and the soles OF your feet outward.
an9 you push Through the water as though YOU
nad been born aquatic. 1t is grand thing to
know eow TO SWIM not only for yourself.
nut because you will after a while perhaps
nave TO help Others, do not know ANYTHING
more stirring or sublime than to see some man
IKE norman Mckenzie leaping from the
ship Madras into the seq to save Charles
Turner, who dropped from the royal ward
while trying to loosen the sail bringing him
back TO the deck amid the huzzas OF the mas
sengers and crew. If man has not enthu-
slash enough 20 cheer in such circumstances
ne deserves himself to drop into the sea and
have no one to help him. The ROYAL HUI
name Society of England was established i'm
Ir4, It's object TO applaud and reward those
who should pluck up life from the deep.
any one who has performed such a
deed of daring has all tho particulars
OF that bravery recorded in a public
record, and on his breast q medal done in
blue, and gold, and bronze; anchor. and
monogram, and inscription, telling TO future
generations the bravery Of the man or woman
VINO saved some one from drowning. But.
my friends, il it is such worthy thing 10
save body from the deep ask Won IL IL is
not worthier thing 20 save an immortal
soulf And you shall see this hour the Son of
Jod step forth for this achievement He
snnli spread forth His hand in the midst Of
them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth
his hands to swim.n
In order 10 understand the full force Of this
figure, you need TO realize, first of all that
cur race IS IN sinking condition. You
sometimes hear people talking of what thew
consider the most beautiful words in our Ian
suage One man says IL is home another
says Il Is the word mother another savs r.
- inc word Jesus but will tell YOU tho
ntterest word in MI our language the
word most angry and baleful tho word sat-
ureted with the most trouble, the word that
accounts for all the loathsomences. and tho
pang, aud the outrage and the narrowing.
and that word IS sin You spell IL with
lhrsc letters and yet those three letters de
hefips the circumference and pierce the
diameter Of everything had in the universe
cihi ~ - abiiant word. You cannot
pronounce 70 without giving tho
Ess 81 the flame or tho hiss OF
ne serpent SIM And then N YOU add
tnree letters - that word 10 describe. every
one ~ us hy naturc-sinncr We have ont
RACED The law n God not occasionally or
nov and then, bat pcFpetunlly Tho Bible
neelares y. Hark 10 thunders two clapg:
The heart u deceitful above AN n ing ond
desperately wicket .rrhe soul tbat si,,,eii,
shau die What tho Bible says our own
conscience afiirmV. After Julre MORGAN
had senteucei Lady Jane GRAY 10 death bir
.eisf lence trnuhlc'i him so much Tor the deed
sael ~ o',carle insane, and AT through his
sneenity De- kept saying "Tnko her nwnv
from me LAZY Jane Grew Tako nor
eway Lady Jane grsy.r n was 10 yoics
or his c4ilseicnee AMI no mao ever dos
any ming wrong however great OIL small but
me- conecirnc' hfiuer chat maft.r before MN
ena or every step az hls misi,shtyiorit avs.
WronE wrong sinsa leufosy sln H.
paraiysis si1 b. rmrluiutiln. sin 4
pollution, s.n b. death Give b Fair
cnance and f wiH swamp Fau b,Iv
MIMI AMI soul Forever. No this world IL rnlv
tife3 q faint utiw1tiun RI i-f v.ruilure Won
80 patient bon che nrsf STAGES ~ tgplaid
teFer Tie chees D. e1nsah1t nn.sed tbe
hands slnrwhaf boz pr riri bg n siiFhf
cnL why, y1u uE tyrhfit fercr does
not Seem io D. much ri q dI.rr.s" gni .v-is
until t1r patient h7e bnen SIS -rt & urio- IL
and az hls enerEics have been vrnng ono AMI
~ o. tou weaE ~ goo bis Ifift Gos..-
40 ~ intellect gone fhrn y9u zee
an Oh this world D. nr auusnt
which o. only in BEL very Graf stages. Hrt ~
g eei under full way ani De- U.s. an aiI ...f,i-
ing tFPloA bh. % ue could 80 QUE unfar-
d0ned sins 81 Col ssfs than 1uf fs.-h r.gil
chatter and our knees uluii kna-. farsi.,a-
ana our respiration elu1 o. .Irf..I AMI
our heart would hfc7k ff Voar .n are
ahiofHiFeu they rra lenr,nr down or ,r-,
ana YOU Ore sinking ..IutInr ra fr,,r
happineH sinking way from Cod tfre
away from eFervfHns Maf ll1I anil
Then bat DO ec eauf .sirr,..t
tfohe ."immT' a swift .uimmrrt had
blessed De COL in mF f.rf IA. i.re lI.,--
mnuUrrfI = .f..|f j q 80.