Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-10-28

midst OF them. aS he that swimmeth
spreadeth forth his hands 10 SWIM
In order TO understa nd the full force
Of this figure. YOU need TO realize that
our race is in sinking condition. You
sometimes hear people talking Of what
they consider the most bt sutiful words
in our language. One man says II is i
home" another man SAYS II is the word 4
mother" another SAYS il Is the word I
Jesus but 7 tell you The bittercst /
word in all our language. the most an
CRY and laieful. the word saturated /
with the most trouble. the word that ac-
counts for all the loathsomeness and
the pang and the OUTRAGE and thc har-
rowing. and that word Is sin" You
spell IL with three letters. and vet those
three letters describe the circumference
and pierce the diameter Of everything
bad In the universe. Sin Is a sioi,aat
word. You cannot pronounce II with
out giving the siss Of the flame or the
hiss Of the sr-pent. Sirl And then IL
you add tArce letters 20 that word
IL describes everyone OF us 10y nature
sinner. Wehave outraged the law ofCod.
not occasionally. or now and thon. but
pcrpctuaGy. The Bible declares 10.
Harki II thuuCcrs two claps, THE
heart is dcccitful above an things and
desV cratcly wicked" THE soul that
sinncth. IL shall die" What the Bible
SAYS our own conscience aairms.
Aftcr Judge Morgan had sentenced
LADY Jane Grey 90 death his conscience
troubled J .l so much for the deed that
he became insane. ard all through Lis
insanity he kept saying: Take her
away from me, Lady Jane Grey, Take
her away Lady Jane Grey" II was
the voice OF conscience. And no man
ever does anything wrong. however
great or small. but his conscience bri ir rs
that matter before him. and Il every
step OF his r,isbehavior IL saws: Wrong.
wronC!" Sin is a lcprosy; sin is n par
alvsis; sin Is a consumption: sin is
pollution: SIN is death. Give il a fair
chance. and IL will swamp you and nsc.
body. uird and soul. forever. In this
world il only gives a faint intimation
Of its virulence. You see patient in
the first stages Of typhoid fever. The
cheek il somcwhat flushed. the hands
somewhat hot. percccded by slight
does not seem 10 DC us..,i Of a disease"
But wait until the patient has heea six
weeks under IL. and all his energies
have been wruug out. and he is too weak
20 lift his little finger, and ais iatcuect
gone. then YOU see the fun havoc of
the disease Now. sin in this world Is
an ailmcnt which is only in its first
stages. but let IL Get under fun way
. and IL Is IN all-consumlng typhoid. Oh,
IL we could see our unPardoned sins as
/ God secs them. our teeth woOhd chatter
and our knees would knock together
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
everything that l. good and blessed.
Then what do We want? 4 swimmer
"a strong swimmer. n swift swimmer
And blessed be God. in my text We Lav'
him snnounced. He shall spread fortl
His hands in the midst OF them. as III
that swimmeth stretchcth forth hi
hands 20 swim" You have noticed tha
when swimmer goes 20 rescue anyon
he puts of his heavy apparel lie mus
not have any such impediment abou
him If he is going % do this great deed
And when Christ stepped forth TO saw
us He shook of the sandals OF HeaveI
and His feet were free. and then II
stepped down into the wave Of on
transgressions. and IL came over III
= wounded feet. and IL came above III
spear stab in His side-aye. il dashe
: 10 the lacerated temple. the high-wate
mark of His anguish. Then, risin
: above the food, He stretched forth ii
: hands in the midst OF them, as he ths
1 swimmeth spreadeth forth his hand
20 swim"
. II you have ever watched swimme
: YOU notice that his whole body
!, brought into play. The arms are fexe'
] the hands drive the water back, n
r knees are active the head Is throw
a back 10 escape strangulation. the who
c body is in propulsion. Aud when Chri
q sprang into the deep 20 save us Y
Z threw His entire nature into it-an II
Z Godhead. His omniscieuce, His goo
! ness. His love, His omnipotence. hea
heart. eyes, hands. feet. We were Il
e out on the sea and so deep down in q
e waves and so far out from the shore I'll
e nothing short Of an eatire God cou
IS save us. Christ leaped ont for our re
= cue. saying: 40, i come 10 do II
J, Will" and all the surges OF human al
ie satanic hate beat against Him, al
II those who watched Him from the gat
10 of Heaven feared He would go dov
E under the wave. and instead OF savil
ID others would Himself perish, but. pl
n ffDcr His hreaSt 10 the foam and Sha Xii