Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ... sent to save "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I als sent them into the world" (John 17: 18). the picture forming the frontispiece presents a robust-looking man out on a wide, deep sea, leisurely rowing along in a large lifeboat, looking skyward, and singing lustily as he rows, "I'm bound for the kingdom, glory, hallelujah," while all around him are hundreds of drowning men and women struggling vainly for life amid the angry billows. But in his selfish joy he moves leisurely on, singing his psalmsrand shouting his hallelujahs, apparently unmoved by the fearful catastrophes that are almost momentarily taking place around him--the look of despair, the piteous cry for help, the sinking to rise no more, of one and another and another--but on he rows, and on he sings, and the lifeboat remains empty! Now, this man in the lifeboat is designed to represent many a professing Christian who supposes he has a good hope and can "read his title clear to mansions in the skies," but can look on with apparent indifference at the awful peril of the great mass of people about him, and make no effort to rescue them. The picture, however, is an unnatural caricature. In the first place, these drowning men and women know that they are drowning, and make frantic efforts to save themselves, crying piteously for aid; whereas the lost men around the average Christian are doing nothing of the kind; are neither appealing piteously for help, nor even embracing the multitude of opportunities that are offered them for rescue. If the average Christian to-day were confronted with such a scene as is described in the picture, he would undoubtedly at once interest himself in the rescue of such anxious ones. The problem we have to face is a very different...
