The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-08-29

teeth would chatter, and our respiration
would be choked, and our heart would
break. II 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 wanti A swimmer! A
strong swimmerl A swift swimmer !!
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 IL
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
aud it came above the spear-stab in His
side-aye, 1t dashed to the lacerated tenn
pie, the high water mark of His anguish.
Then, rising above the food, III e
stretched forth His hands in the midst OF
them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth
forth his hands to swim"
II you have ever watched a swimmer,
you notice that his whole body is brought
into play. The arms are flexed 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 Om-
niscienne, His goodness, His love, His
omnipOtence-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: 10! / 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 omniscent. heart infinite, arm om-
nipotent. Mighty to saw, even unto the
uttermost. Oh, it was not half a God that
trampled down believing Gennesaret. 1t
was not a quarter OF God that mastered
the demons of Gadara. 1t was not two
thirds Of God that lifted up Lazarus in
to the arms Of his overjoyed sisters. 1t
was not fragment Of 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 / prove it?
On the cross were not both hands nailed?
On the cross were not both feet nailed?
His entire nature involved Ia our re-
demption!
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 a 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 q
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! COZ the
people there was none to help" "All
fOrsOOk Him and fled" 80, it was not a
flotilla 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.
l believe it was in 1913, when there were
six English soldiers of the Fifth Fusi-
leers who were hanging to the bottom Of
a capsized boat-a boat that had been
upset by So uall 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! helpw 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.
II you have been much by water, you
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 every
thing. Immediate help the man wants or
no help at all. Now, that is just the kind
of q relief we want. The case is urgent,
immediate, instantaneous. See that soul
sinking. Son of God, lay hold of him.
Be quick! be quick! Oh, wish you all
understood how urgent this Gospel is
There was a man in the navy at sea who
had been severely whipped for bad be-
havior, 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 drowning man, brought to his
senses, seized hold of the albatross and
held on. The fluttering of the bird kept
him on the wave until relief could come.
Would now the dove of Gods couvicting,
converting and saving spirit might fash
from the throne upon your soul, and that
you, taking hold of its potent wing, mi ;ht
live and live fCrever.
want to persuade you to lay hold of
this strong swimmer. "No," you say,
cit is always disastrous for q drowning