West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-08-29

from His locks, He came ON and on until He
20 now within the reach OF every one here.
Ego omniscient, heart infinite, arm omnipo-
tent. Mighty TO save, even unto the utter
most. Oh, 10 was not half a God that
trampled down believing Gennesaret It
was not quarter Of a God that mastered
the demons OF Gadara. IL was not two-thirds
OF a God that lifted up Lazarus into the arms
OF his overJoyed 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 omnipotencc and His eternity
into this one act. lt took both hands of God
TO save us-both feet. How do / prove itg
On the cross, were not both hands nailed?
On the cross were not both feet nailedy His
entire nature involved in oar redemptionl
III you have lived much by the water, YOU
notice also that IL any one is going out 10 the
rescue OF the browning he must be independ-
ent, self reliant, able 10 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 mp, and bear another up, lie will
sink, and instead of dragging ono corpse
out oil the torrent You will have two To
drag out. When Christ sprang out
into the sea to deliver MS He had no
life buoy: His father did not help Him. Alone
IN tho darkness. Atoms I'm the mountain
Alone in the sea. o, il He saves us He shall
have all the credit for there was mono to
~ ladder.
When Nathaniel Lyon fell in the battle
charge in front of his troops, he had a whole
army 10 cheer him. When Marshal New
sprang into the contest and plunged in
the spurs till the horses TANKS spurted blood.
oil France applauded him. But Jesus alonei
''Of the people there was none to help.D
"All forsook him and fed" o, it was not n
hotilla that sailed down and saved us It
was not a cluster of gondolas that came over
the wave. 10 was ons person, independent
If..r- IT,
us as swimmer spreadeth forth his hands
10 swim.n
Behold then, today, the spectacle of a
drowning soul and Christ, tho swimmer /
believe 1t was in 1913, when there were six
English soldiers of the Fifth Fusiliers, who
were hanging TO the bottom of capsized
boat-a boat that had been upset by squall
three miles from shore. IL was in the night.
put one man swan nightly for the bosch
guldeI by the dark mountains that lifted their
TOP through the night He came TO the beach
ne found shore man that consented to 90
WIN him and save tho other men, and thew
put out. 1t was some time before they could
md the place where the men were, but after
awn , they heard their cry: "Helpl Helpp
and they bore down to them, and they saved
them, and brought them TO shore. Oh, that
TINS moment our cry might be lifted long
loud and shrill, till Christ the swimmer shalt
come and take us lest we drop thousand
fathoms down.
II you have been much by water Won
know very we'll that when one Is in peril
help must come very quickly, or it will be of
no use. One minute may decide everything
immaculate help the man wants or no help at
All. NOW, that is just the kind of n relief wa
want. The case is urgent, imminent instan
taneous. See that soul sinking. Son OF
Tod, lay hold of him. Be quicki be quick
Oh, wish You all understood how urgent
TINS 1ospel Is There was a man in the
navy at sea who had been severely whipped
for bad behavior, and he wns maddened
by 1t, and he leaped into the sea. and no
sooner had he leaped into the sea than. ouick
as lightning, an albatross swooped upon him.
ss cue dTSo N,t man. brought to his senses
nutterlng OF the bird kept him on the wave
until relief could come Would now the dove
OF Gods convicting, converting and saving
spirit might Hash from the throne upon your
soul, and that you, taking hold of its potent
wing, might live and live forever.
want to persuade you to lay hold of this
strong swimmer. No" you saw ''it is al
ways disastrous for drowning man 10 Law
hold OF a swimmer" There is not a river or
lake but has calamity resultant from the
fact that when strong swimmer went out
10 save sinking man, the drowning man
clutched him, threw his arms around him
plnioned his arms, and they both went down
tosother. when you are saving man in the
water you do not want to como up by
ms face; you want to como up by his back
You do not want him 70 take hold of Won
while you take hold of him But. blessed be
1od, Jesus Christ is 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 RICH teousness.
T Tnrns' only Ca, can give you transportation
martyr, did in olden days when
he cried out: None but Christ None but
Christi Jesus has taken millions to the
land, and lie is willing to take you there
On, what hardness to shove Him back when
lie has been swimming all tho 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 spectacle the ocean bed will
present when i'm the last day the water
Is all drawn of. il will De a limo OF
wrecks from beach TO beach. There Is
where the harpoons went down
There is where tho line of battle sbins
went down. There is where tho merchant
men went down. There is where the steam
ers went down. long line of wrecks from
beach TO beach What e spectacle I'm the
Inst day whom the water is drawn off, But
Oh, how much moro solemn il we had an eve
70 SEQ tho spiritual wrecks and the places
where they foundered You wouId find
thousands along our roads and streets
Christ came down in their awful catas-
trophe, putting out for their souls Spreading
l0rth Ills hands as a swimmer spreadetb
iorth his hands to swim" but they thrust
Him IN tho sore heart and they srnofe His
fair check, and tho storm and darkness
swallowed them up. ] ask you TO lay hold
OF this Christ and lay hold of Him
now. You viii sink without
Him From horizon 20 horizon NOT
one sail IN sight Only one strong swimmer.
with head flung hack and arms outgpread. I
hear q great many in the audience saving.
'Neil, ] would ike 10 be q Christian. i am
going 20 work 10 become a Christian Nv
brother you begin wrong. When a man Il
drowning, and a strong swimmer comes ont
~ help him, be says 10 him. Now be Quiet
iut your arm on my arm or ON my shoulder
ont don't struggle, don't try 10 help vour.
sclf. and III take you ashore The more Won
struggle and the more you try 90 help y0ur-
seit The more You impede mo Now bo
quiet aud IH take you ashors1 When
Chris1 the strong swimmer, comes out 10
save soul, the sinner says. That's right
! ON glad % zee Christ and j am 0oing ~
help Him in tho work Of my redeTnufiop
am gong ~ pray more and that VIII helm
HIM, and ] am going 10 weep extravaqauttv
over my sins aud That viii helD Him n 10
ny brother. 70 VIII nos. Stop your doirss.
christ viii DO Oh on none. You cannot ne
an ounce you cannot move an inch in his
matter or your redemption.
Ihis is the difficulty which kcapl thoueaDgs
NJ souls out ~ the kingdom of heaven Tfis