The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-10-24

chance, and it will swamp you, body,
mind and soul, forever. In this world it
only gives faint intimation of its viru-
lence. You see patient in the first
stages of typhoid fever; the cheek is
somewhat flushed, the hands somewhat
hot, preceded by a slight chill. ''Why,"
you say, typhoid fever does not seem to
be much of a disease" But wait until
the patient has been six weeks under it,
and all his energies have been wrung out
and he is too weak to lift his little finger,
and his intellect is gone; then you see
the full havoc of the disease.
Now sin in this world is an ailment
which is only in its first stages; but let it
get under full way and it is an all-con-
Stunning typhoid. Oh if we could see our
unpardoned sins as God sees them, our
teeth would chatter, and our respiration
would be chOked, and our heart would
break. If your sins are unforgiven, they
are bearing down on you, and you are
sinking-sinking away from happiness,
sinking away from God, sinking away
from every thing that is good and blessed.
Then what do we want? A swimmerI A
strong swimmer! A swift swimm err |!
And, blessed be God, in my text we have
Him announced. HE shall spread forth
His hands in the midst of them as he
that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands
to SWIM" You have noticed that when a
swimmer goes out to rescue any one he
puts off his heavy apparel. He must not
have any such impediment about him if
he is going to do this great deed. And
when Christ stepped forth to save us He
shook off the sandals of Heaven, and His
feet were free; and then He stepped
down into the wave of our transgressions,
and it came up over His wounded feet,
and it came above the spear-stab in His
side-aye, it dashed to the lacerated tenn
pie, the high water mark of His anguish.
Then, rising above the flood, HE
stretched forth His hands in the midst of
them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth
forth his hands to swim"
If you have ever watched a swimmer,
you notice that his whole body is brought
into play. The arms are hexed, the hands
drive the water back, the knees are act
i've, the head is thrown back to escape
strangulation, the whole body is in pro-
pulsion. And when Christ sprang into
the deep to save us, He threw His entire
nature into it-all His Godhead, His ON
niscience, 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 leaped
out for our rescue, saying: 'LoI come
to thy WILL" 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 saving others
would Himself perish; but putting His
breast to the foam and shaking the surf
from His locks He came on and on, until
He is now within the reach of every one
here.
Eye omniscient, heart infinite, arm ON
nipotent. Mighty to save, even unto the
uttermost. Oh, it was not half God that
trampled down believing Gennesaret. 1t
was not quarter of God that mastered
the demons of Gadara. 1t was not two
thirds of a God that lifted up Lazarus in
to the arms of his overjoyed sisters. It
was not a fragment of q 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 I prove it?
On the cross were not both hands nailed?
On the cross were not both feet nailed?
His entire nature involved in our re-
demptionl
If you have lived much by the water
you notice also that if any one is going
out to the rescue of the drowning he must
be independent, self-reliant able to go
alone. There may be time when he
must spring out to save one and he can
not get life boat, and he goes out and has
not strength enough to bear himself 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 into the sea to deliver us He had no
life buoy. His Father did not help Him.
Alone in the wine press. Alone in the
darkness. Alone in the mountain. Alone
in the sea. o, if He saves us He shall
have all the credit, for ''there was none
to help" No oar. no wing, no ladder.
When Nathaniel Lyon fell in the battle
charge in front of his troops he had
whole army to cheer him. When Mar
shall Ney sprang into the contest. and
plunged in the spurs till the horses
TANKS spurted blood, all France APP
plauded him. But Jesus alone! ''Of the
people there was none to help" "All
forsook Him and fed" 80, it was not a
hotilla that sailed down and saved us. 1t
was not a cluster of gondolas that came
over the wave. 1t was one person, indie
pendent 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
1 believe it was in 1S4S, when there were
six English soldiers of the Fifth Fusi-
leers who were hanging to the bottom of
capsized boat-a boat that had been
upset by squall three miles from shore
1t was in the night but one man swan
nightly for the beach, guided by the
dark mountains that lifted their tops
through the night. He came to the
beach. He found a shore man that con-
sented 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: Help! help" 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 a
thousand fathoms deep.
If you have been much by water, you
know very well that when one is in peril
helm must come very ouiekIv or If will he