The Brookhaven leader., 1890-11-06
JOB PRINTING
and began to sketch these brigands, and

and began to sketch these brigands, and
seeing this composure, the bandits
thought 1t something supernatural and
fed Christian womanliness or manli-
ness is all-conquering. When Martin
Luther was told that Duke George
would kill him if he went to Leipsic,
Luther replied: II would go to Leipsic
If it rained Duke Georges nine days"
Now we come through regions where
there are hills cut into the shape Of
cathedrals, with affairs, and column, and
arch, and chancel, and pulpit, and
dome, and architecture of the rocks that
/ think can hardly just happen 80. Per
haps it is because God loves the church
so we'll He builds in the solitudes OF
Yellowstone Park, and Yosemite, and
Switzerland. and Palestine, these &C.
clesiastical piles. And who knows but
that unseen spirits may sometimes
worship there? "Dragoman, when
shall we see the Jordan?" 1 ask.
All the time we were on the alert,
and looking through tamarisk and
willows for the greatest river Of all the
earth. The Mississippi is wider, the
Ohio is deeper, the Amazon is longer.
the Hudson rolls amid regions more
picturesque, the Thames has more
splendor on its banks, the Tiber sug-
gests more imperial procession, the
Ilyssus has more classic memories, and
the Nile feeds greater population by its
irrigation; but the Jordan is the queen
of rivers, and runs through all the
Bible, a silver thread strung like beads
with heroics, and before night we shall
meet on it's banks Elijah and Elisha.
and Da vid, and Jacob, and Joshua, and
John, and Jesus. I
At last between two trees / got a
glimpse of river and said: What is
that?" "The Jordan" was the quick
reply. And all along the line, which
had been heightened by other pilgrims,
some from America, and some from
Europe, and some from Asia, the cry
was sounded: "The Jordan! The Jor-
dan!' Hundreds OF thousands of pill
grims have chanted on it's banks and
bathed in its waters. Many of them
dip wet gown in the wave and wiring
it out and carry it homo for their own
shroud. 1t is an impetuous stream,
and rushes on as though it were
Fastening to tell its story to the ages.
Many an explorer has it whelmed and
many boat has it wrecked. Lieuten-
ant Molineux had opper-bottomedc crafts
split upon its shelvings. Only one boat,
that of Lieutenant Lynch, ever lived to
sail the whole length of it. AT the
season when tho SHOWS on Lebanon
melG the rage of this stream is like the
Conemaugh when Johnstown per-
ished, and the wild beasts that may
be near run for the hills, ex-
planning what Jeremiah says: Behold
He shall 60 up like a lion from the
swelling OF Jordan" No river so often
changes it's mind, for it turns and twists,
travelling two hundred miles to do that
which in a straight line might be done
in sixty miles Among banks now low,
now high, now of rocks, now of mud
and now of sand, laving the feet of the
terebinths and oleanders, and acacias,
and reeds, and pistachios, and silver
poplars. This river marries the Dead
Sea to Lake Galilee, and did ever so
rough groom take the hand of so fair
a bride?
1t was q scene of unimaginable solem-
nifty. A comrade in our Holy Land
journey rode up by my side that day and
told that a young man, who is now
studying for the Gospel ministry, would
like to be baptised by me in the River
Jordan. got all the facts l could con-
cerning his earnestness and faith, and,
through personal examination, made
myself confident he was worthy can
Il Ara h =
tendants two robes not unlike those
used for American baptistries, and
these we obtained. AS we were
to have large group of diff
erent nationalities present l die
tated to my daughter few verses, and
had copies enough made to allow all
to sing. Our dragoman had a man ia
miliar with the river wade through and
across to show the depth and the swift
ness of the stream, and the most appro-
pirate place for the ceremony. Then
l read from the Bible the accounts
of baptism in that sacred stream
on whose head the dove descended at
the Jordan. Then, as the candidate
and myself stepped into the waters the
people on the banks sang in full and re-
sounding voice:
On Jordan's stormy backs stand.
And cast a wistful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
oh, the transporting. rapturous scene
That rises to my sight:
Sweet fields arrayed in living green,
And ivers of delight
BY this time we had reached the mid
die of the river. AS the candidate sank
under the floods and rose again under a
baptism in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Ghost there
rushed through our souls tide of holy
emotion such as we shall not probably
feel again until we step into the Jordan
that divides earth from Heaven. win
those waters be deep? VIII those tides
be strong? No matter, if Jesus steps
in with us. Friends on this shore to
help us off. Friends on the other
shore to see US land. See! They
are coming down the hills on the
other side to greet us How well we
know their stepl How easily we distin-
guish their voicesi From bank to bank
we hail them with tears and they hail
US with palm branches. They say to US:
us that you, father?" SIS that you,
mother?" And we answer by asking: ''Is
that you, my darling?" How near they
seem. and how narrow the stream that
divides US.