Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-07
The Jordan.

There is no river in the world like
the Jordan none so wonderful in its
historic memories, none so hauowed
in its sacred associations, and none
so remarkable iE its physical geogra-
ply. 1t is emphaticalIy the river of
the Holy Land. 1t has been more or
less intimately connected with all the
great events Of Scripture history from
the patriarchs to the apostles. Its
banks have been the scene Of the
most stupendOuS miracles of Judgment,
power, and love the earth ever wit
messed. When the fire Of heaven had
burnt up Sodom's guilty cities and pol
luted plain, the waters of the Jordan
rolled over them and buried them for
ever from the face of man. Thrice
was the swollen torrent of that river
stayed, and its 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 buoy
ant from its deep channel, and hoated
on its surface. Once its waters gave
forth healing virtue, as if to prove TO
the proud Syrian chief the fallacy Of
/ his sneering eycIamation-'Arc not
Abana and Pharpar. rivers of Damas-
Gus, better than all the waters of Is
raelg p Greater still were those mira
cles Of our Lord, which the evauge-
lists have grouped thickIy on and
around the central lake Of the J0r-
dan. There did The ,torm-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 loper.
were Cleaased, 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 o
. God descending like dove, and light
Z ing upon him. and when the Divin,
: Son was perfectly equipped for hi
( great work Of redeeming love, whet
just about to set out on his gloriou.
mission, the voice of the Divine Fa
ther pierces the vault of heaven, anC
proclaims to the astonished and Joy
i full disciples on Jordan's banks tn
= Divine approval Of both work ant
worker-'This is my beloved Son, il
: whom l am well pleased Surely
e e then, we may say that every spo
!; along this stream is holy ground
II and that the name Jordan is not onl
!, emblazoned on the page of history, bu
is enshrined in the Christians heart
S 1t would almost seem as if natur
i or natures God had from the frs
S, prepared this river to be the scene Q
wondrous events, by giving to it
PHYSICAL geography some wondrou
characteristics. Its principal four
- tain, bursting from the base of HermoI
g is like the mouth Of other rivers, 0
: the level of the ocean. 1t descend
rapidly through its whole course, an
III at length empties into the Dead Sci
+ whose surface has a depression OF n
less than 1872 feet. The whole va
lg ley of the Jordan is thus huge rel
- or fssure in the earth's crust. Thoug
it is not much over a hundred mile
wv in length, at its southern end, alor
the shores of that mysterious lake, "
have the climate and products of Il
&c tropics while at its northern end v
L. have region of perpetual snow.