The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-12-23

woc,d 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 arr
siDking-sinking away from happiness,
sinking away from God, sinking away from
everything that is good and blessed.
Then what do we want? A swimmers
strong swimmer, 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 streteheth forth his hands to
SWIM" You have noticed that when q
swimmer goes to rescue any one he puts
off his heavy apparel. He must not have
any such impedimen. about him II he Is
going to do this great deed. And when
| Christ stepped forth to save US he shook
| ~ the sandals OF heaven. and his feet wsrs
free, and then he stepped down into the
wave OF our transgressions, and 1t came uP
/ over his wounded feet, and 1t came above
the spear stab in his slde-aye, 1t dashed
to the laeerated 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 q 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 it
! all His godhead, His omniscience, His good
Yess, Hts love, His omnipotence, head,
heart, eyes, hands, feet. We were far out
| an the sea and so deep down In the waves
.nu so rar out from the shore that nothing
| short Of an entire God could save us.
Christ 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,
sven unto the uttermost.
On, it was not half God that trampled
Town believing Gennesaret; it was not a
quarter of a God that mastered the de-
mons of Gadara; it was not two-thirds Of
God that lifted up Lazarus into the arms
of his overioyed sisters; it was not frag-
ment OF a God who offered parion and
peace to all the race. No. This mighty
swimmer threw his grandeur, his glory,
his might, his wisdom, his omntpotence
and his eternity into this one act. It took
both hands OF God to save us-both feet.
not both hands nailed? On the cross
we're not both feet spiked9 His entire
nature involved In our redemptionl
II you have lived much by the water,
you notice also that IL any one Is going out
70 the rescue OF he drowning he must be
Independent, self-relant, able to go alone.
There may be time when he must spring
RI and IA "a iifa.
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 pillows
Tou will have two to drag out. When Christ
yprang our into the sea to deliver US, He
1ad no life buoy. His Father did not help
Him. Alone In the wine press, alone In the
oang, alone in the darkness, alone on the
mountain alone in the seal Oh, il He saves
as He shall have all the credit, for ''there
was none to help" no oar, no wing, no
iaddert When Nathaniel Lyon fell In the
battle charge In front OF his troops, he had
4 whole army to cheer him. When Marshal
Ney sprang into the contest 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 'Aii forsook him and fed" Oh, 1t
was not a fiotiila that sailed down and
saved US. Il was not cluster OF gondolas
shat came over the wave. 1t WAS one per-
ION, Independent and alone, spreading
,ut His hands among US as swimmer
,preadeth forth his hands to SWIM
Behold, then, the spectacle of drown
Dg soul and Christ the swimmer believe
was in 1848 when there were six English
soldiers OF the Fifth fusileers who were
hanging to capsized boat-a boat that
1ad been upset by squaif three miles
rom shore. 1t was IN the night, but one
nan swan nightly for the beach, guided
oy the dark mountains that lifted their tops
through the night. He came to the beach.
He found n 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 tho men were,
put after awhile they heard their cry,
Help, helpi' aud 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 It will De
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,
instantaneous. See that soul
sinking! Son OF God. lay hold OF him.
Be quick, be quicki On, wish you all
understood how urgent this gospel is.
who had been severely whipped for
bad behavior, and he was maddened
by it and leaped into the sea, and no sooner
had he leaped into the sea than, quick as
IN albatross swooped upon him.
rne drowning man, brought to his senses,
seized hold of the aibatross and held on.
Fhe fluttering Of the bird kept him on the
wave until relief could come. Would now
that tks dove OF Gods convicting, convert
inc AKA saving spirits might fash from the
throne upon your soul and that you. TAX
ing hold OF its potent wing, might live and
live forever.
The world has had strolg swimmers be-
sides the one of the text, perhaps the
greatest among them Matthew Webb, ofthe
British mercantile marine service. He
ieHped from the deck OF the Russia the Cum
ard steamer, to save the life Of 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. A
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 Dover to
Calais. 80 miles, where ne crossed, yet he
was drowned at last In our Niagara's
whirlpool. But the strong swimmer OF my
text put out alone to swim wrathier sea
and Tor vaster distance, even from. world
to world, to save US who were swamped 10
guilt and woe, and brought US to the shore
Of safety, although He at last wont down
into the whirlpool of human and satanic
rage. "He descended into heli!''
New modes have been Invented for res
cuing drowning body, bat there has been