The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-06-14
rAE JoEsty.

There is no riyer 10 the world hk
The Jordan none 50 wonderful in u
historic memories. none 50 hallowc,
IN It's sacred associations. tnd mono s.
remarkable in 'its physical geography
II is omphalioally the river oi Ii,
Holy Land Ii has been more ct lea
intimately connected with all the gTea
events Of Scripture history from n,
/ patriarchs to the apostles Its banks
have been the scene Of the most stu
1 pcndous miracles Of judgment, power
and love the earth ever witnessed
When the FIRE Of heaven bad burnt up
Sodoms guilty cities and polluted plain,
the waters Of the Jordan rolled over
them aud buried them forever from the
face Of man. Thrice was the swollen
torrent Of that river stayed, and it's
channel divided to let Gods people
and prophets pass over dry shod Once
at the bidding Of the man Of God, the
iron AK rose buoyant from its deep
channel, and floated on its surface ~
Once its waters gave forth healing yir-
tue, as if to prove to the proud Syrian
chief the iallacy Of his sneering excla-
nation Are not Abana and Pharpar,
rivers Of Damascus, better than all the
waters of Israeli Greater still were
those miracles Of our Lord, which the
eyangelists have grouped thickly on
and around the central lake Of the Jor-
dan There did the storm-tossed bill
lows hear and obey the voice of their
Creator; there did the incarnate God
walk upon the face OF the deep; there,
obedient to his will, the fishes filed the
disciples nets; along those shores the
lame walked, the deaf heard, the blind
saw, the sick were healed, lepers were
cleansed, the dead were raised to life
again. But the most glorious event
the Jordan ever witnessed was Christ's
baptism; for when he was baptised
the heavens were opened unto him, and
he saw the Spirit Of God descending
like dove, and lighting upon him; -
and when the Divine Son was perfect
ly equipped for his great work Of re-
deeming love, when just about to set
out on his glorious mission, the voice
of the Divine Father pierces the vault
Of heaven, and proclaims to the aston
ished and joyful disciples on Jordan's
banks the Divine approval of both work
and worker This is my beloved Son,
IN whom ! am well pleased Surely,
then. We may say that every spot along
this stream is Loiy ground, ann tnai
the name Jordan is not only emblazon-
ed on the page Of history, but is en-
shrined in the Christians heart.
1t would almost seem as if nature OF
natures God had from tho FIRST pre-.
pared this river to be the scene o
wondrous events,by giving to its phys
ical geography some wondrous char
acteristics Its principal fountain
bursting from the base of Hermon, il
like the mouth of other rivers, on ht
leUei Of The ocean It descends rapidly
through its whole course, and at length
empties into the Dead Sea, whose sur
face has depression Of no less thar
1912 feet The whole valley of the
Jordan is thus huge rent or fssurt
in the earth's crust. Though it is mo-
much over hundred miles in length
at its southern end, along the shores
Of iont mysterious lake, we have The
climate and products OF the tropics
while at its northern end we have
region of perpetual snow.