Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-08-29

and blessed.
Then what do we wantl A swimmer!
A strong swimmer A swift swinmesI
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 impeachment about him If
he is 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 transgressious, and
it came up over His wounded feet and it
came above the spear stab in the side
aye it dashed to the lacerated temple, the
high water mark of His anguish. Then,
rising above the food, "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 fexed, the hands
drive the water back, the knees are active,
the head 5 thrown back to escape strangu-
lation. the whole body is in propulsion.
And when Christ sprang into the deep to
save us He threw His entire nature into
into it-all His Godhead. His omnis-
cience, His goodness, His love, His
omnipotence-head, heart, eyes. hands,
feet. We were far out in the sea and
so deep down in the waves and so far
out from shore that nothing short Of All
entire God could save US. Christ leaped
out for our rescue saying: 10! ] come to
do 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
omnipotent Mighty to save even to the
uttermost. o, it was not half God that
trampled down believing Gennesaret. 1t
was not a quarter Of a God that mastered
the demons of Gadara. 1t was not two
thirds of God that lifted up Lazarus into
the arms of bis oveTjoyed sisters. 1t was
not fragment of a God who offered par
don and peace to all the race. No This
glory, His might His wisdom, His omnip-
otence 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 nat
ure was involved in our redemption!
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 70 go
alone. There may be a 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 in the dark
ness. 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 a
whole army to cheer him. When Marshal
Ney sprang into the con test and plunged
in the spurs till the horses TANKS spurted
blood all France applauded him But
Jesus alone! 'Of the people there was
none to help. All forsook Him and fed. "
o, it was not a fiotilla that sailed down
and saved US. 1t was not a cluster OF
gondolas that came over the wave. II
was one person, independent and alone,
spreading out his hands among us as a
swimmer sDreadeth forth his hands to
swim"
Behold them to-day, the spectacle of a
drowning soul and Christ the swimmer.
l believe it was 1913, when there were six
English soldiers of the Fifth Fusiliers
who were hanging to the bottom of a cap
sized boat-a boat that had been upset BY
a squat three miles from shore. 1t was
in the night, but one man swan nightly
for the beach, guided by the dark mount
aims that lifted their top through the
night. He came to the beach. He found
a shoreman 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: Help.
HeIp!" and they bore down to them, and
shore. o, 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 down.
II 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 every
thing. 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, instantaneous. See that soul
sinking. Son of God. lay hold of him. Be
quick! be quick! o, 1 wish you all under
stood how urgent this Gospel is. There
was a man in the navy at sea who had
been severely whipped for bad behavior,
and he 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 drown
ing man, brought to his senses, seized hold
of the albatross and held on. The flutter-
ing of the bird kept him on the wave until
relief could come. Would now the dove
of Gods convicting, converting and saw
ing spirit might fash from the throne up
on your soul, and you, taking hold OF
its potent wing. might live and live for
ever.
Iwant to persuade you to lay hold OF
this strong swimmer. ''No," you say, cit
is always disastrous for a drowning man
to lay hold OF a swimmer" There is not
river or lake but has calamity result
ant from the fact that when a strong
swimmer went out to save a 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 a man in the water you do
not want to come up by his face, you want
TO ccms up by his back. You do not want
him 10 take hold of you while you take
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