441 Sermon Illustrations on Salvation

The Sailor's Home, in Liverpool, was once on fire at night and a great

cry of "Fire!" was raised. When the people assembled they saw in the

upper stories some men crying for help. The fire escape did not nearly

reach where the men were. A long ladder was brought and put against

the burning building: but it was too short.

A British sailor in the crowd soon rushed up the ladder, balanced

himself on the uppermost round with his foot, and seized the

window-sill with his hands, and shouted: "Quick men, scramble over my

body, on the ladder, and down you go." One by one the men came down

until all were saved, and then the sailor came down, his face burnt,

his hair singed, and his fingers blistered; but he had saved the men.

That ladder went a long way; but before the men could be saved it

needed the lensith of a man.

- Charles Leach Tan 5231

In the morning, when the ark-door was opened, an observer might see a

pair of golden eagles in the sky. But glancing downward, one might see

creeping along, a pair of snails, a pair of snakes, a pair of worms.

There were pairs of creeping creatures as well as pairs of flying

creatures. But there was only one entrance for them all. The eagle

must come down to enter it, and the worm must crawl up to it.

-Spurgeon Tan 5234

An evangelist tells the story of a certain unsaved man who came to hear him preach in a revival. This man’s best friend was converted one night and in his newfound joy he went to the unsaved man and said, “God has saved me and I am anxious about you. I am praying for you; I want to see you saved.” The unsaved man said, “I’m a grown man, I know what I am doing. I came to enjoy the sermon. If you bother me again I’ll never come back.”

A few nights later the new Christian came to his friend in the church and said, “I know you asked me not to speak to you again, but I am so burdened for your soul that I cannot find peace until you are saved.” The man flared up in anger and said, “I told you not to come to me again like this. Now I’ll never come back. I hope you are satisfied.” Then he walked quickly out of the church.

The unsaved man went home and went to bed, but he could not sleep. Conviction for sin seized him and brought tears to his eyes. “What a fool I am”’ he said, “my best friend loves me and wants to see me saved and I insulted him. Now no one else will come to me and I’ll go to hell.” The burden became so heavy that he got out of bed, fell upon his knees and cried out to God for forgiveness.

Of course God saved him, for did He not say, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”? (John 6:37)

The preacher had announced a sunrise prayer meeting at the church and when the janitor arrived at 5 A.M. he found this man waiting on the church steps, ready to make his unashamed confession of Christ as Lord and Saviour. Yes, God often calls through the voice and heart of a Christian.

________

Ford, SIMPLE SERMONS FOR A SINFUL AGE, 25

Albertus Pieters in his book \underline{Divine Lord and Saviour},

tells of a believer who

was not well educated, but who had a deep assurance of his salvation.

Everyone called him "Old Pete." One day while talking with Dr.

Pieters, he said, "If God should take me to the very mouth of Hell I'd

say to me, 'In you go, Pete; here's here you belong,' I would say to

Him, 'hat's true, Lord, I do belong there. But if you make me go to

Hell, Your dear Son Jesus Christ must go with me! He and I are now

one, and we cannot be separated anymore.' Tan 5236

When Hudson Taylor was staying in the home of a friend on one

occasion, his host asked him, "But are you always conscious of abiding

in Christ?" "While sleeping last night," replied Mr. Taylor, "did I

cease to abide in your home because I was unconscious of the fact?

- Speaker's Sourcebook Tan 5238

A Personal Thing

One summer I spent some time at Mount Robson, British Columbia, where

I camped and lived with fellow mountaineers of the Alpine Club of

Canada. On a rainy day a group of us were drinking

One summer I spent some time at Mount Robson, British Colombia, where

I camped and lived with fellow mountaineers of the Alpine Club of

Canada. On a rainy day a group of us were drinking tea in a tent,

when a discussion arose about religion. A young scientist turned to me

with a patronizing air and said, "But you don't really believe, do

you, that Jesus is the Son of God?" he said. "How do you know it is

true?" I shall never forget what followed. I simply did what any other

convinced man would have done: I looked him straight in the eye and

said: "How do I know that Jesus is the Son of God? I know it, because

I know Him personally." For at least a half minute our eyes locked.

Then he turned away. The argument was over.

-Christian Today Tan 5240

Queen Victoria had attended a service in St. Paul's Cathedral and had listened to a sermon that interested her greatly; then she asked her chaplain, "Can one in this life be absolutely sure of eternal safety?" His answer was that he "knew of no way that one could be absolutely sure."

This was published in the Court News and fell under the eye of a humble minister of the Gospel, John Townsend. He was an intimate friend of George Muller whose life of faith led to the founding of his well-known orphanages. This John Townsend was the father of "Sister Abigai," another Christian of extraordinary faith and service. After reading Queen Victoria's question and the answer she received, John Townsend thought and prayed much about the matter, then sent the following note to the Queen:

To her gracious Majesty, our beloved Queen Victoria,

from one of her most humble subjects:

With trembling hands, but heart-filled love, and because I know

that we can be absolutely sure even now of our eternal life in

the Home that Jesus went to prepare, may I ask your Most Gracious

Majesty to read the following passages of Scripture: John 3:16,

Romans 10:9-10?

These passages prove there is full assurance of salvation by

faith in our Lord Jesus Christ for those who believe and accept

His finished work.

Tan #5242

At a great parliament of religions, held at Chicago many years ago,

practically every known religion was represented, and many were the

learned discourses delivered. During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook, of

Boston, suddenly rose and said: "Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you

a woman with a great sorrow. Bloodstains are on her hands, and nothing

she has tried will remove them. The blood is that of murder, and

nothing will take away the stain. She has been driven to desperation

in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove

her sin and give her peace?" A hush fell upon the gathering as the

speaker turned from one to another for an answer. Not one of the

company replied.

Raising his eyes heavenwards, Dr. Cook then cried out, "I will ask

another question. John, can you tell this woman how to get rid of her

awful sin?" The great preacher awaited, as if listening for a reply.

Suddenly he cried, "Listen, John speaks: 'The blood of Jesus Christ,

His Son cleanseth us from all sin' (i \reference{John1:7}{John 1:7})."

Not a soul broke the silence; the representatives of Eastern religions

and Western cults sat dumb. In the face of human need, they were

without message of hope. The Gospel of Jesus Christ alone could meet

the need. The sin of the race demanded the blood of Calvary.

- The Evangelist Tan 5258

The first missionary to the Kiowa Indians was a woman named Miss

Reside. After living with the Indians long enough for them to know

what it meant to be a Christian, they began calling her "Aim Day Co."

Explaining the significance of this name, Chief Bigtree said, "When

we Kiowas see anyone on the wrong trail, we call out, 'Aim day co,'

which means 'Turn this way.' Our sister came to us from a far land

and found us on the wrong path and in great danger. She stood and

called to us and said, 'Turn this way,' and then she showed us the

Jesus road. God bless Miss Aim Day Co."

[The following account of a Christian farmer's burden for the

salvation of his son, Gene, illustrates vividly how that God is more

interested in getting a soul into heaven than He is in prolonging life

in this world. Sometimes he cuts a life short in order that a soul

may

live forever, escaped into His presence from the second death.]

This that I am going to tell now covers several years of time. We

were having revival with Arthur Calhoun as evangelist. Gene was not

saved. He was going to college in the fall. We had prayed for him to

get saved for some time. I thought I would die if he did not get

saved. In fact, I told God if it took my life to cause Gene to get

saved I was willing to give it. This all happened the last year we

were on the farm. I was mowing hay for Walt Cole. It seemed like Gene

was not interested in being saved. So I thought maybe I was in the

way. I asked God if I was where He wanted me to be. I started to laugh

and cry. I asked God if that was a sign that I was where He wanted me

to be that He would do it again (make me laugh and cry). He did so

much that I thought I would have lock-jaw. I asked Him to stop it.

That night or the next, Gene went to the altar and was saved.

Something happened that night that I never experienced before or

after. I was in a seat where Gene was kneeling. It seems I could not

pray anything only "Thank you Lord". When Gene left the altar, I could

not get up from the seat. My strength was gone. In a few minutes I was

able to get up and by holding on to the seats I made it outside.

Brother Walt Cole saw me and came out to see if I was all right. I was

holding on to a tree to stand up. He helped me to his car not far

away. Walt asked what he could do. I told him I would be all right and

for him to go help those at the altar. I had told God if it took my

life, I was willing to give it and maybe this was the time. I said,

"Lord, if you are going to take me now it is all right. But if not

give me strength to get back into the church. I was hardly able to

raise my head off the car seat. God gave me strength. I walked back in

the church. I didn't know what had happened. The pastor said it was

the effects of carrying a burden.

Gene went to college and lost out again.

Some years after he was married and had two children I was farming

again and picking corn. I was praying for him to be reclaimed again.

Many was the time I would have to stop the tractor and wipe tears from

my eyes to be able to see where I was going. I was picking corn about

six weeks before Christmas in 1957. I remember having my hand raised

and saying, "Lord, save that boy." A voice out of the northeast said,

"At any cost?" Then I remembered my promise to give my life if that

was what it took. Was I still willing? Then that same voice said, "At

any cost?" I said, "Yes, Lord, at any cost," thinking maybe my time

had come. But Satan said to me that it was going to be Diane, our

oldest grandchild. At this point I was about ready to back out. I

started to tell God I didn't want to see anyone die. At this time God

showed me a room cut in half.

Gene, Arlene, and Diane were dressed in good clothes standing in

this clean room. David was dressed in white and laying in the

cornstalks on the ground in the dirt. This scene was right to the side

of the tractor where I was picking corn. Satan said that I wanted it

to be David not Diane. I said, "Lord, don't let anything happen to

David." The burden was lifted and I just could not figure what it all

meant.

I remember on Sunday before Christmas we were praying in morning

worship. I prayed for God to keep his protecting hand over Gene and

his family as they traveled. They were going to Arlene's parents

first. As I prayed for them as they traveled, I had a strange feeling,

but thought it was because they were traveling on Sunday--which we

never did.

We did not know that Gene had just been saved. They were hit by a

car with four young people who were drinking. It was told that they

were going about 80 or 90 miles per hour. Arlene and Diane were killed

instantly. Gene lived for 48 hours, but was unconscious all of the

time. David was in the hospital for 10 weeks. We needed 18

pallbearers, and the seed corn company Gene worked for sent six and

the president of the company came...At the funeral I asked one man

that I knew was a Christian and who worked with Gene if he was saved.

The man said, "No doubt about it."

...For some time after this I looked for things that would indicate

Gene was saved. The many things people had said to me were brought to

my mind. The next morning at worship, I read \reference{John

14:26}{John 14:26}, the last part of this verse, "and bring all things

to your remembrance". God said that these words were for me.

One more thing about the spot where God met me in the field. I

didn't feel like I could farm it so I decided to leave it stand idle.

The next spring when I was working the ground to plant, I was getting

close to the spot I was going to leave. I was trying to decided just

where I should go around this spot of ground, as I knew within a few

feet where it was. But God made me forget it until I had gone over it

several feet. I want to thank God for what He has done and what He is

still doing for me and mine.

--From "How God Works," Written by Otto Lee Terrill,

Lakewood, Colorado, June, 1988

In preparation for a meeting in a large city, famed evangelist

Billy Sunday wrote a letter to the mayor in which he asked for the

name of individuals he knew who had a spiritual problem and needed

help and prayer. How surprised the evangelist was when he received

from the mayor a city directory.

At Turnbridge, England there is a monument erected to the memory of

a group of gypsies. Gipsy Smith, the noted evangelist, tells us the

meaning of that monument: thirty gypsies workers in the fields of hops

were driving rapidly and carelessly, singing and laughing across a

bridge over the Medway, when the wagon crashed into the railing and

wagon horses and gypsies were thrown into the river.

One young gypsy seized a horse drifting downstream, and mounting

him watched earnestly and anxiously for his mother. At length he saw

her and laid hold upon her; but she struggled in such a way that he

was not able to save her. When the gypsies were being buried in the

churchyard, the boy who had tried in vain to save his mother knelt

down in the trench containing the coffins of those who had perished

and cried out: "Mother! Mother! I tried to save you; I did all a man

could do but, you would not let me!"

So Jesus said on one occasion: "Ye will not come to me that ye

might have life." (\reference{John 5:4}{John 5:4}) Christ himself

cannot save us unless we are willing to be saved.

When Julius Caesar, after the Battle of Pharsalus, landed in Africa

whither the defeated Pompey had fled before him, the head of Pompey

was flung at his feet. Looking at that gruesome trophy, Caesar

exclaimed: "Alas, he would have it so!"

That, in effect, is what Jesus said when at the end of his great

lament over Jerusalem he cried out: "And ye would not!"

(\reference{Matt 23:37}{Matthew 23:37}) --McCartney

Rev. George F. Pentecost tells of a timid little girl who wanted to

be prayed for at a religious meeting in the south of London. She

wanted to come to Jesus, and said to the Christian man who was

conducting the meetings: "Will you pray for me in the meeting please?

But do not mention my name." In the meeting which followed, when every

head was bowed and there was perfect silence, the gentleman prayed for

the little girl, and he said: "O Lord, there is a little girl who does

not want her name known, but Thou dost know her; save her precious

soul." There was stillness for a moment, and then way back in that

congregation a little girl arose, and a pleading little voice said:

"Please, it's me Jesus, it's me." She did not want to have a doubt.

The more she had thought about it, the hungrier her heart was for

forgiveness. She wanted to be saved, and she was not ashamed to say:

"Jesus, it's me." --H. F. Sayles

“I really can’t see why I need to be baptized,” said a young man who had been for a long time hesitating over the question of confessing Christ. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” quoted the preacher. “Yes, I know,” returned the objector triumphantly, “but it doesn’t say you can’t be saved without it.” “I think you said you were not going to the symphony concert tonight,” said the preacher, irrelevantly picking up a handbill that lay on the table. “May I ask why you are not going? You are certainly fond of music.” “I can’t afford to go,” returned the young man, wonderingly. “The admission is two dollars.” “Oh yes, I know it says ‘Admission two dollars’ on the bills, “but I notice one thing, it doesn’t say you can’t get in without the two dollars,” was the significant reply. -- Mattie M. Boteler

All of the requirements which God’s Word sets forth for salvation must be met in order to be saved, not just the requirements of faith and baptism. Therefore, when repentance is also set forth as a condition of salvation, you can’t get into heaven without it. -- Duane V. Maxey

One day, a poor girl ventured into the garden of the Queen's palace

at Balmoral and approached the gardener, telling him that her mother

was lying very ill and that she longed for a flower such as she had

seen in the Queen's gardens. It was winter time, and the flowers were

rare at that season. The child had saved a few pennies and wished to

buy rose for her sick mother. The gardener had no authority to give

away the Queen's flowers, and he said, when she offered to pay: "The

Queen has no flowers for sale."

The gardener would have sent the poor child away, but it chanced

that the Queen herself was in the greenhouse and, unobserved either by

the gardener or his little customer, had overheard the conversation.

As the child was turning away sorrowful and disappointed, the Queen

stepped from behind her flowery screen and addressed the child,

saying: "The gardener was quite right, my child, he has no authority

to give you the flowers you want nor does the Queen cultivate flowers

for sale; but the Queen has flowers to give away." Then, suiting the

action to the word, she lifted from the basket into which she had been

snipping the flowers, a handful of rare roses and gave them to the

child saying: "Take these to your mother with My love, and tell her

that the Queen sent them. I am the Queen."

So, let me say to you that God has no forgiveness for sale. You

cannot buy it with your poor pence of tears, prayers, or repentance.

But, God has forgiveness to give, and you may take it by faith, but

not barter for it with anything you can do. --H. F. Sayles

A boy had been disobedient to his parents from his childhood. When

he became a young man, he left home, scoffing at his godly mother who

faithfully prayed that he would turn to Christ. He went off to sea

without even saying good-bye to her. On his first voyage the ship

encountered a wild storm. As he stood on deck, he cursed God. At

that moment the ship lurched and he was thrown overboard. Quickly a

lifeboat was lowered, and it reached him just as he was disappearing

beneath the surface. The crewmen rescued him and returned him to the

vessel. Everyone thought he was dead, but the ship's doctor kept on

trying to revive him. Finally he opened his eyes, and his first words

were, "Jesus has saved my soul!" After he was completely recovered,

he told how in that horrible "leap" to the sea his sins had crowded

about him, dragging him down. But in that awful moment he remembered

a text his mother had taught him years before: "This is a faithful

saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the

world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (\reference{1 Tim. 1:15}{1

Timothy 1:15}). He said, "As I was sinking, I cast myself into the

outstretched arms of the Savior."

A minister visited a nobleman in a Russian prison. He read a

passage of Scripture and prayed, but his words met with solemn

contempt. Before leaving, the pastor gave the man a Bible and urged

him to read it. No sooner had the minister left than the angry

prisoner kicked the Book into the corner. He thought, the Word of

God, indeed! Why is this God not meting out justice to the tyrants

who are abusing me? As the days passed, a terrible loneliness nearly

drove him out of his mind. Snatching the Bible from off the floor, he

opened it. His first glance fell on these words from \reference{Psalm

50:15}{Psalms 50:15}, "And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will

deliver thee." He was surprised and touched by such a pointed

invitation, yet pride prompted him to shut the Bible and drop it. The

next day desperation compelled him to seek the only companion of his

solitude. This time he began to study its pages. Seeing himself as a

sinner, he opened his heart to Christ. His waking hours which were

formerly spent wallowing in self-

pity and bitterness now were being given to his newfound Friend. The

shadows of death and injustice gave way to new light from another

world.

On a wintry Sunday, March 6, 1881, a barque was wrecked off the

north coast of Scotland. Fishermen on shore made several vain attempts

to get a line on board by means of the rockets, but the wind was too

strong. They succeeded at last, however, by using an empty barrel,

There were eleven men on board, but only four or five were able to do

anything, the remainder being helpless from the cold. As soon as the

apparatus was in working order for the traveling cage, which was to be

drawn along the rope, one young sailor was put into it, and a few

minutes found him on shore in the hands of kind friends.

This first man was scarcely saved when, through the tide and the

wind, the ship was swung round among the rocks, and the traveling

apparatus becoming entangled across her bow, was rendered

unmanageable. Then we saw, through the drifting snow, a man descend

from the vessel and try to save himself by coming along the rope hand

over hand, but, alas, such an attempt was evidently useless. The waves

were beating over him like falling houses, and the poor fellow had

gone but a little distance from the ship when the heavy seas swept

over him, and in a few seconds he dropped into the surging waves. A

few moments after this, the bow of the ship lifted again over the

rocks, and soon the apparatus was disentangled and again workable, and

all of the others were safely brought to shore.

We asked the captain about the lost man. He said, "We tried to

persuade him not to attempt such a useless task, as it would be

impossible for him to reach the shore in that way, but he would not

listen to us. A fine fellow, he was," added the captain, "the best man

in the crew, but he was lost because he tried to save himself in his,

own way."

Yes, all the rest were saved, but by other hands than their own.

Human powers are wholly inadequate for human needs. To rely upon them,

is to invite and insure spiritual disaster. But divine resources are

amply sufficient, and these divine resources--the power of the

indwelling Christ--are ours for the taking. --J. H. Tremont

A night of terror and danger because of their ignorance was spent

by the crew of a vessel off the coast of New Jersey in the winter of

1888. Just before dark a bark was discovered drifting helplessly, and

soon struck her bow so that she was made fast on a bar, and in

momentary danger of going down. A line was shot over the rigging of

the wreck by the life-saving crew, but the sailors did not understand

that it was a line so connecting them with the shore that they might

seize it and escape. All signs failed to make them understand this. So

all night the bark lay with the big waves breaking over it, while the

crew, drenched and shivering, shouted for help. In the morning they

discovered how unnecessarily they had suffered, and how all night the

line lay right in their reach by which they might have been saved.

--A. J. Gordon

Salvation is not for sale, but God's gift--One day a poor girl

ventured into the garden of the Queen's palace at Balmoral, and

approached the gardener, telling him that her mother was lying very

ill, and that she longed for a flower. The child had saved a few

pennies and wished to buy a rose for her sick mother. The gardener

informed the girl that the Queen had no flowers for sale. The Queen

herself happened to be in the greenhouse and overheard the

conversation. As the child was turning away sorrowful and

disappointed, the Queen spoke to her and let her know that while

indeed the Queen did not cultivate flowers for sale, the Queen did

have flowers to give away; and, suiting the action to the word, she

lifted from the basket into which she had been snipping the flowers a

handful of rare roses and gave them to the child! --l000

Illustrations

<> My Source: BIBLICAL PREACHING

<> Author: Jewell W. Norman

=========================================

NOT SAVED BY ANY ONE THING

by Jewell W. Norman

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Introduction:

1. We are not saved by any one thing to the exclusion

of other things. Discuss.

2. Salvation is ascribed to many things in the Bible.

3. I often speak about the chain of salvation in my

preaching.

4. A chain has many links. Explain. "A chain is as

long as its links, a chain is as strong as its weakest

links."

DISCUSSION:

SAVED BY MANY THINGS

01. God (Isaiah 45:22; Psalms 3:8; 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Timothy 4:10).

02. Christ (Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:11; Luke 19:10; Acts 4:12).

03. Blood of Christ (Romans 4:9; Colossians 1:14; 1 John 1:7).

Explain.

04. Saved by the life of Christ (Romans 5:10; 1 Peter 2:22;

Hebrews 4:15).

05. Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:7).

06. Gospel (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

07. Preaching (1 Corinthians 1:21; Mark 16:15).

08. Words (Acts 2:41; Acts 11:14; Acts 15:7).

09. Hope (Romans 8:24; 1 Corinthians 15:19).

10. Faith (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24).

11. Repentance (Luke 13:5; Acts 3:19).

12. Confession (Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37).

13. Baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16;

1 Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:27).

14. Save yourselves (Acts 2:40).

15. Noah and his house. Illustrate.

a. God saved him (2 Peter 2:5).

b. Faith saved him (Hebrews 11:7).

c. Ark saved him (Hebrews 11:7).

d. Saved himself (Hebrews 11:7).

e. Water saved him (1 Peter 3:20).

From pages 77-78 of the book, BIBLICAL PREACHING, sermon outlines of Jewell W. Norman, edited by C.M. Ruiz.

=======================================

DRL NOTE: This past week Woodrow and Edrie Hancock gave me an autographed copy of the book mentioned above containing sixty sermons of Jewell W. Norman. Like so many faithful preachers brother Norman's works do follow him (Revelation 14:13). I have heard from many in west Kentucky about the preaching of Jewell Norman. I'm told he had much, if not all, of the Bible memorized and that he was a powerful preacher. I am very thankful for those good and godly men who have gone before and have faithfully preached the truths of God's word. How blessed we are when Bible loving men impress upon their hearers that they likewise ought to be Bible loving people (2 Timothy 2:2). Where are the men who will come along behind and do likewise?

Soviet tourists, Dr. Arkady Novikov and his wife, looked forward to

seeing the famous landmarks of New York City. However, their visit

would end in tragedy. Upon returning to their hotel one evening, the

couple was confronted by two gun-wielding muggers. After taking the

valuables, one of the thieves pointed his gun at Mrs. Novikov and

prepared to fire. Dr. Novikov stepped in front of his wife and was

struck in the chest by the bullet intended for her. He died before

reaching the hospital. Out of love, Dr. Novikov died in his wife's

place.1

In the same way, our Lord Jesus bore the fatal consequences of our

sins on the cross. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was

bruised for our iniquities; . . . the Lord has laid on him the

iniquity of us all." (\reference{Isa. 53:5-6, RSV)}{Isaiah 53:5-6

RSV}. Out of love, He died in our place.

- Bruce Revel

1. USA Today, June 25, 1990

When a young man made an open profession of the gospel, his father,

greatly offended, gave him this advice: "James, you should first get

yourself established in a good trade, and then think of the matter of

religion." "Father," said the son, "Jesus Christ advises me

differently; He says, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God.'"

Someone once asked Sir James Simpson, the great scientist, "What is

the greatest discovery you ever made?" And the humble Christian

answered, "My greatest discovery came when I learned that I was a

sinner and that Jesus Christ had become my Savior."

A young lady, while crossing the ice, fell through. A gentleman,

hearing her cry for help, hastened to the spot. He put out both

hands, saying, "Clasp my hands tightly, and I will save you." She

replied, "O, I cannot lift up both hands, one rests upon the ice: were

I to raise it I should surely sink." He answered, "Let go your hold

upon the ice; trust me, and I will draw you out." She obeyed and he

drew her out rejoicing. So Christ waits to save imperiled sinners,

but they must give him both hands, and trust him fully.

- William G. Heslop, {501 Sermon Illustrations} (Butler, IN:

The Higley Press, MCMXLV) 142