Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-03
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE STRONG SWIMMER LAST
SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
From Isa., 25:11, as Follows: HE Shall
Spread Forth His Hands in the Midst
of Them, as He That Swimmeth
Spreadeth Forth His Hands,"

Copyright 1899 by Louis Klopsch)
In the summer season, multitudes OF
people wade into ponds and lakes and
rivers and seas, to dive or float or
swim. In a world the most of which
is water, all men and women should
learn to swim. Some of you have
learned the side stroke, introduced by
George Pewters IN 1850, each stroke OF
tuat kind carrying the swimmer a dis
lance of six feet, and some OF you may
use the overland stroke, invented by
Gardener the expert, who by it won
the 500-yard champions hip in Manches
ter in 1862 the swimmer by that stroke
carrying his arm in the air for more
heightened stroke, and some of you
may tread the water as though you
had been born to walk the sea; but
most usually take what is called the
breast stroke. placing the hands with
the backs upward, about five inches
apart under the water, the insides of
the wrists touching tie breast, then
pushing the arms forward coincident
with the stroke of the feet struck out
TO the greatest width possible and you
thus unconscIously illustrate the mean
ing of my text: He shall spread forth
his hands in the midst of them. as he
that swinmeth spreadeth forth his
hands to swim"
The fisherman seeks out unIrequent-
ed hooks. You stand all day on the
bank OF the river in the brOiling sun,
lTr1oc nd aatph
nothing, while an expert angler breaks
through the jungle and goes by the
shadow of the solitary rock, and. in a
place where no fisherman has been for
ten years. throws out his line and
comes home at night, his face shin
ing and his basket full. do not know
why we ministers of the gospel need
always be fishing in the same stream,
and preaching from the same texts that
other people preach from. cannot I'M
derstand the policy OF the minister
who. in Blackfriars. London. England,
every week far thirty years preached
from the epistle 10 the Hebrews 1t Is
an exhilaratiOn TO me vixen | come
across a theme which | feel no one
else has treated: and my text is one
of that kind. There are paths in Gods
word that are well beaten by Christian
feet When men want to quote scrip
ture they quote the old passages that
every enc has heard. When they want
a chapter read. they read a chapter that
all the other people have been reading
so that the church today is ignorant Of
three-fourths of the Bible.
You go into the Louvre at Paris
You cOnfine yourself TO one corridor
of that opulent gallery of paintings. As
you come out, your friend says TO you
Ibid you see that Rembrandt" NO
Ibid you see that Rubens?" No
did you see that Titian?' NO" Did
you see that Raphael?" No" well.
says your friend. then you did not SET
the Louvre Now. my friends. l think
we are too much apt to contine our
selves to one Of the great corridors o.
scripture truth. and so much so thai
there is not one person out of a mil
lion who has ever noticed the all-sug
gestive and powerful picture in the
words of my text.
This text represents God as a strong
swimmer, striking out to push dowT
iniquity and save the souls OF men
he shall spread forth his hands in the
midst OF them. as he that swimmetl
speradeth for.l his hands 20 swim.
The figure is bold and many-sided
Most of you know how 20 swim. Soma
of you learned it in the city school
where this art is taught; some OF yol
in boyhood, in the river near you
fathers house; some of you since yol
came to manhood or wOmanhood Will
summering on the beach of the sea
1t is a good thing to know how t
swim, not only for yourself. but be
cause you will. after while, perhaps
have to help others.
l do not know anything more stir
ring or sublime than to see some ma
like Norman Mckenzie leaping fror
the ship Madras into the sea to say
Charles Turner, who had dropped frOr
the royal yard while trying to loose
the sail. bringing him back to the dec
amid the huZZas Of the passengers an
crew. II a man has not enthusiast
enough 70 cheer in such circumstance
he deserves himself to drop into tn
sea and have no one to help him. Tn
ROyal Humane society of England wa
established in 1774, its object to al
plaud and reward those who shoul
pluck up life from the deep. Any on
who has performed such deed of dal
ing has all the particulars of that bray
cry recorded in public record and O
his breast a medal done in blue an
gold and bronze. anchor and mono
gram AMI inscription, telling to futul
generations the bravery of the man {
woman VINO saved some one frOl
drowning. But if it is such a worth
thing to save a body from the dee
/ ask you if it is not worthier thin
to save an immortal soul? And yo
shall see, this hour. the Son Of Go
step forth for this achievement. II
shall spread 1Jrth his hands in til
midst Of them, as he that swimmet
spreadeth forth his hands TO swim
In order to understand the full fore
OF this figure. you need to realize tn;
our race is in a sinking condition. Yo
sometimes hear people talking OF VIII;
they consider the most beautiful wore
in our language. One man says 1t
home; another says 1t is the VOL
mother; another says it is the wor
Jesus; but / tell you the bittere
word in all our language the VOL