Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-08-28
DIR. TAIMAeE's SERMON SUNDAY, AUG. 1s.

CEATTLE, W. T., August 18.--The Rev.
y T. De Witt Talnage, ID, of Brook
lyn, preached here to-day. Ills text was
Isaiah XIV, IL: "He shall spread forth his
hands in the midst of them, rs he that
swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to
SWIM" The preacher said:
At this season of the year multitudes of
people wade into the ponds and lakes and
rivers and seas. At first putting out eau
tiously from the shore, but having learned
the right stroke of arm and foUt, they let
the waters roll over them, and III wild glee
dive or float or swim, So the text will be
very suggestive: "He shall spread forth his
hands in the midst of them, as he that
swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to
SWIM"
The fisherman seeks out unfieqnented
hooks. You stand all day on the bank OF
a river in the broiling sun, and fling out
your line, and catch nothing, while the ex-
pert anglers breaks through the jungle and
goes by the shadow of the solitary 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. do not know why we minis.
ters of the Gospel need always be fishing in
the same stream; and preaching from the
same text thst other people preach from.
cannot understand the policy of the minis.
ter who, in Blackfriars, London, Eng, ev-
cry week for thirty years preached from the
Eplstle to the Hebrews. 1t is an exhiara-
ton to me when come across theme
which feel no one else has treated, and my
text is one of that kind. There are paths
in Gods Word that are well beaten by
Christian feet When men want to quote
Scripture they quote the old passages
that every one has heard. When they want
a chapter read they 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 corrador of that opulent gallery of paint
ings. AS you come out your friend says to
you. "Did you sea that Rembrandt
"No." "Did you see that Rubens?" "No. "
s'Did you see that Titian?" "No." "Did
you see that Raphael" 'No." "Well, "
says your friend, "then you didn't see the
Louvre" Now, my friends, think we are
too much apt to confne ourselves to one of
the great corridors of this Scripture truth,
and so much SO that there is not one person
out of million who has ever noticed the
al-suggestive and powerful picture in the
words of my text.
This text represents God as strong
swimmer. striking out to push down mi
quity ard save the souls of men. "He shall
spread forth his bands in the midst of
them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth
his hands to SWIM" The figure is bold
and many-aided. 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 orr r3womanhood, while summer
ing on the beach of the sea. \ ou step
down in tie wave, you 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, and you
push through the water as though you had
been born aquatic. 1t is grand thing to
know how to swim, not only for your
self, but because you will after
a while, perhaps, have to help others.
l do not know anything more stirring
or sublime than to see some man like
Norman Mckenzie leaping from the ship
Madras into the sea to save Charles Turner,
who had dropped from the royal yard while
trying to loosen the sail, bringing him back
to the deck amid the huzzas of the passen
gers and crew. If a man has hot enthusi.
asm enough to cheer in such circumstances
he deserves himself to drop into the sea and
have no one to help him. The Royal HUI.
name Society Of England was established
in 1774, its 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 the particulars of thai
bravery recorded in public record, and OF
his breast a medal done in blue and gold
and bronze, anchor, and monogram, and in
scription, telling to future generations the
bravery of the man or woman who saved
some one from drowning. But my friends
if it is such worthy thing to save body
from the deep. 1 ask you if it is not {
worthier thing to save an immortal soul
And you shall see this hour the Son of Goo
step forth for this achievement. ale sbal
spread forth his hands in the midst of them
as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth hi
hands to SWIM"