Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-11-09

break. II your sins are unforgiven, they
are bearing down on you, and you are
sinking away from God, sinking away from
| everything that is good and blessed
Then what do we wantp A swimmers
strong swimmer, q swift swimmerl And
blessed be God in my text we have him
hands in the midst of them. as he that
| swimmeth stretcheth forth his hands to
SWIM" You have noticed that when a
swimmer goes to rescue any one he puts
off his heavy apparel. He must not have
| 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
over his wounded feet, and 1t came above
the spear stab in his side-aye, it dashed
| to the lacerated temple, the high water
mark Of anguish. Then, rising above the
| flood, "He stretched forth his hands In the
midst OF them, as he that swimmeth spread.
eth 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 fiexed, the hands
drive the water back, the knees are active,
the head Is 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 tt
all His godhead, His omniscience. His good.
ness. His love, His omnipotence, head,
heart, eyes, hands, feet. We were far out
and so far out from the shore that nothing
short Of an entire God could save US.
| Chi ist leaped out for our rescue, saying,
"Lo, 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 waves and instead OF
| saving others would Himself perish; but,
putting His breast to the foam and shak-
Ing 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
| On, 1t was not half God that trampled
| down believing Gennesaret; 1t was not a
| quarter Of God that mastered the de.
mons OF Gadara; 1t was not two-thirds Of
| God that lifted up Lazarus into the arms
OF his oyerjoyed sisters; 1t was not u frag.
ment 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 omnipotence
both hands OF God to save us-both feet.
How do I prove it2 On the cross were
| not both hands nailed? On the cross
were not both feet spiked2 His entire
nature involved In our redemption!
II you have lived much by the water,
y
to the rescue Of the drowning he must be
independent, self-reliant, able to go alone.
| There may be time when he must spring
| out to save one, and he cannot get life
boat. and II 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 billows
| you will have two to drag out. When Christ
sprang out into the sea to deliver US, He
had no lie buoy. His Father did not help
In nxrtp nI1 !
| pang, alone In the darkness, alone on the
mountain alone In the seal Oh, II He saves
US He shall have all the credit for "there
| was mono to help" no oar, no wing, no
ladderi 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 contest and plunged
In the spurs till the horses flanks spurted
blood, all France applauded him. But Jesus
alone! "Of the people there was none to
help" "All forsook him and fed" Oh, 1t
was not dotilla that sailed down and
saved US. 1t was not cluster of gondoas
that came over the wave. 1t was one per-
son, Independent and alone, "sprending
out His hands among us as swimmer
spreadeth forth his hands to SWIM
Behold, then, the spectacle OF a drown
ing soul and Christ the swimmer! l believe
1t was In 1s4s when there were six English
soldiers Of the Fifth fusleers who were
hanging to Il capsiZed boat-a boat that
had been upset by squall three miles
from shore. 1t was in the night, but one
man swan nightly for the beach, guided
by the dark IN fountains that lifted their tops
through the night. He came to the beach.
He found 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, helpl" and they bore down to them,
and they saved them and brought them to
shore.
II you have been much by the water, you
know very we'll that when one Is in peril
| help must come very quickly, or 1t will be
thing. Immediate help ehe 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 Oh, wish you oil
There was a man In the navy at sea
who had been severely whipped for
bad behavior, and he was maddened
by 1t and 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
that the dove of Gods conyicting, convert
lnR anu SbViuR SplTlts uliBut HASH IrOlu tuo
throne upon your soul and that you, TAX
ing hold Of its potent wing, might live and
live forever.
The world has had stroag swimmers be-
sides the one OF the text, perhaps the
greatest among them Matthew Webb, Of tho
British mercantile marine service. He
| leaped from the deck of The Russia, the Gun
ard steamer, to save the life Of Il sailor who
had fallen overheard. No wonder the
passengers subscribed for him large re-
ward and the Royal Humane Society of
London decorated him with honors.
mighty swimmer was he, by the strength
! OF his own arm and foot pushing through
| the waters from Blackwall pier to Graves
end pier, eighteen miles, and from d over to
Calais. SO miles, where he crossed. yet he
was drowned at last In our Niagaras
whirlpool But the strong swimmer OF my
| text put out alone to swim wrathier sea
and for vaster distance, even from world
to world, to snve us who were swamped In
guilt and woe, and brought us to the shore
| OF safety although He at last went down