Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-08-29

you notice that his whole body IS brought
into play. The arms are fexed, the hands
driYe the water back, the knees are
active, the head Is thrown back to
escape strangulation, the whole body is in
propulsion. And when Christ sprany
into the deep to save us He threw His
entire nature into it-all His Godhead.
His omnisclence, His goodness, His love,
his mnipotence-head, heart eyes hands.
feet. We were far out on the sea and so deep
down In the waves and so far out from the
shore that nothing short of an entire God
could save US. Christ leapel out for our
rescue, saying: "Lol come to do thy will. n
and all the surges Of human and satanic hate
beat against Him. and those who watched Him
from the gates Of heaven feared He would
go down under the wave, and instead of saw
ing others would Himself perish; but putting
His breast to the foam, and shaking the surf
nom His locks, He came on and on until He
IS now within the reach of every one here.
Eye omniScient, heart infinite arm omnipo-
tent. Mighty TO save, even unto the utter
most Oh, it was not half a God that
trampled down believing Gennesaret. It
was not a quarter Of God that mastered
the demons Of Gadara. 1t was not .two-thirds
OF q God that lifted up Lazarus into the arms
OF his overjoyed sisters 1t was not fire. gment
Of 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. 1t took both hands of God
to save us-both feet. How do prove it?
On the cross, were not both hands nailed?
On the cross were not both feet nailed? His
entire nature involved in our redemptionl
If you have lived much by the water, you
notice also that if any one is going out to the
rnSp1Ia of fhp CrOwniOp 10 muSf ha indaDap1-
ent, self reliant, able to go alone. There may
be time when we must spring out to save
one and he cannot get lifeboat, and he goes
out and has not strength enough to bear
himself up, and bear another up, he will
sink, and instead of dragging one corpse
out of the torrent you will have two to
drag out. When Christ sprang out
life buoy. His father did not help Him. Alone
in the wine press. Alone in the pang. Alone
in the darkness Alone in the mountain.
Alone in the sea. o, if He saves us He shal,,
have all the credit for 'there was none to
When Nathaniel Lyon foil in the battle
charge in front of his troops he had whole
army to cheer him. When Marshal Ney
sprang into the contest and plunged in
the spurs till the horses fanks spurted blood,
all France applauded him. But Jesus alonei
"Of the people there was none to help"
"All forsook him and fed" o, it was not a
fotilla that sailed down and saved us. It
was not a cluster Of gondolas that came over
the wave. 1t was one person, independent
and alone, spreading out His hands among
us as a swimmer spreadeth forth his hands
to SWIM"
Behold then, to-day, the spectacle of a
drowning soul and Christ, the swimmer. I
believe it was in 1913, when there were six
English soldiers of the Fifth Fusiliers who
were hanging to the bottom Of capszed
boat-a boat that had been upset by squall
three miles from shore. It 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 a shore man that consented to go
with him and save the other men, and they
put out. 1t was some time before they could
find the place where the men were, but after
awhile they heard their cry: "Helpl Helpw
and they bore down to them and they saved
them, and brought them to shore Oh, that
this moment our cry might be lifted long,
loud and shrill, till Christ the swimmer shall
come and take us lest we drop thousand
fathoms 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 everything.
Immediate help the man wants or no help at
all. Now, that is just the kind Of relief we
want. The case is urgent, imminent, instan-
taneous See that soul sinking. Son of
God, lay hold of him. Be quick! be quick
Oh, l wish you all understood how urgent
this Gospel is There was man in the
navy at sea who had been severely whipped
for bad behavior and lie was maddened
by it, and he leaped into the sea, and no
sooner had he leaped into the sea than, quick
as lightning, an albatross swooped upon him.
The drowning man, brought to his senses.
seized hold OF the aloaJross and held on. The
futtering of the bird kept him on the wave
until relief could come. Would now the dove
Of Gods convicting, converting and saving
spirit might flash from the throne upon your
soul, and that you, taking hold of its potent
wing, might live and live forever
Iwant to persuade you to lay hold of this
strong swimmer. "No," you say, ''it is al
ways disastrous for a drowning man to lay
hold of a swimmer" There is not a river or
lake but has q calamity resultant from the
fact that when strong swimmer went out
to 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 man in the
water you do 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
God, Jesus Christis so strong a swimmer, He
comes not to our back, but to our face, and
He asks us to throw around Him the arms of
our love- and then promises to take us to the
beach, and He will do it. Do not trust that
plank Of good works. Do not trust that
shivered spar of your own Righteousness.
Christ only can give you transportation.
Turn your face upon Him as the diving
martyr did in olden days when
he cried out: 'None but Christi None but
ChristW Jesus has taken millions to the
land, and He is willing to take you there.
Oh, what hardness to shove Him back when
He has been swimming all the way from the
throne of God to where you are now, and is
ready to swim all the way back again, taking
your redeemed spirit. I have sometimes
thought what a spectacle the ocean bed will
present when in the last day the water
Is all drawn Off. 1t will be line of
! wrecks from beach to beach. There is
| where the harpoons went down.
There is where the line of battle ships
went down. There is where the merchant
men went down. There is where the steam
ers went down, a 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 If we had an eye
to 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 catas
trophe, putting out for their souls spreading
| forth His hands as 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 I'D / ask Won to Law hold