The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-09-04

our heart would break II your sins are un-
forgiven, they are bearing down on you, and
you are sinking-sinking away from happi-
from every thing that is good and blessed.
Then what do we wanti A swimmerl A
strong swimmer! A swift swimmer! And,
blessed be God, in my text we have him an
nounced. "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 swimmer goes out
to rescue any one he puts of his heavy ap-
parel. He must not have any such impede
ments about him If heis going to do this great
deed. And when Christ stepped forth to
save us He shook of 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 temple, the
high water mark of his anguish. Then, ris-
ing above the flood, "He stretched forth His
hands in the midst of them, as he that swim
meth spreadeth forth his hands to swim"
If you have ever noticed swimmer you
notice that his whole body is brought into
play. The arms are fiexed, the hands drive
the water back, the knees are active, the
head is thrown back to escape strangula-
ton, the whole body is in propulsion And
when Christ sprang into the deep to save
us, He threw His entire nature into it-all
His Godhead, His omniscience, His good
ness, His love, His COMPLEMENTARY heart,
eyes, hands, feet. We were far out in 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: "Lol / come to
do thy will" and all the surges of human
and satanic hate beatagainst 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 omnipotent.
Mighty to save, even unto the uttermost.
o, 1t was not half q God that trampled down
believing Gennesaret. It was not Aldsrter
Of God that mastered the demons Of
| Gadara.. It was not two thirds Of a. God
that lifted up Lazarus into the arms Of his
overjoyed sisters. It was nota fragment of
God who offered pardon and peace to all
the race. No, this mighty swimmer threw
his grandeur, his glory, his might, his wis
dom, his omnipotence and Ms eternity into
This one act. It took both hands of God to
gave us-both feet. How do IprOve It'll On
the cross, were not both hands nailedl On
the cross, were not both feet nailedl His
entire nature involved in ourredemption
II you have lived much by the water, you
rescue of the drowning he must be indepen.
dent, self-reliant, able to go alone. There
may be time when he must spring out to
save one and he can not 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 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 pang. Alone II
| 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 Ma
thaniel Lyon fell in the battle charge II
front Of his troops, he had whole army t.
cheer him. When Marshal Ney sprang intt
the contest and plunged in the spurs till thu
horses TANKS spurted blood, all France ap
plauded him. But Jesus alonel "Of thu
people there was none to help" "All for
sock Him and He'd" 0, it was not hotilli
that sailed down and saved us, It was no
a cluster Of gondolas that came over thu
wave. It was one person independent ant
alone, spreading out his hands among u
as swimmer spreadeth forth his hands +
SWIM"
Behold then, to-day, the spectacle Of
drowning soul and Christ the swimmer
believe it was in 1S4S. when there were 81,
English soldiers of the Fifth Fusiliers VIII
were hanging to the bottom Of a capsize
boat-a boat that had been upset by squal
three miles from shore 1t was in the night
but one man swan nightly for the beach
guided by the dark mountains that LITE
their top through the night. He came to tn
beach. He found a shoreman who consente
to go with him save the other men, and the
put out 1t was some time before they coul
find the place where the men were, bu
: after awhile they heard their cry: "HelI
! Help!" and they bore down to them, an
they saved them, and brought them to shor'
o, that this moment our cry might be lifte
long, loud, and shrill till Christ the swim
mer shall come and take us lest we drop
thousand fathoms down.
If you have been much by water you kno'
very well that when one is in peril help mus
, come very quickly, or it will be Of no US
One minute may decide every thing. hmm
date help the man wants or no help at al
Now, that is just the kind Of a relief "
want. The case is urgent, immediate, II
Simultaneous. See that soul sinking. Sc
! Of God, lay hold of him. Be quickl I
, quick! o, wish you all understood no
! urgent this gospel is. There was man
4 the navy at sea who had been severe
4 whipped for bad behavior, and he was ma
2 dened by it, and he leaped into the sea, ar
h no sooner had he leaped into the sea, tina
s quick as lightning, an albatross swoop'
Q down upon him. The drowning ma
}, brought to his senses, seized hold of Il
= albatross and held on. The futtering of Il
9 bird kept him on the wave until relief cou
i come. Would now the dove Of Gods co
IS victing, converting, and saving spirit mig
noou iroul tnc OurOuo upou your SouA, o.
7, that you, taking hold of its potent win
Q might live and live forever.
}; Iwant to persuade you to lay hold Of tn
strong swimmer. "No," YOU say, ''it is {
/ ways disastrous for drowning man to l,
IF hold Of swimmer" There is not riv
e or lake but has calamity resultant fro
% the fact that when q strong swimmer we
n out to save sinking man, the drowning nj
q clutched him, threw his arms around hi
:: pinioned his arms, and they both went dcv
:. together. When you are saving man
IS the water you do notw want to come up by
n face; you want to come up by his back. Y
~ do mint him n falro hold Of ,-o,,