The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-12

of God fear anything, for If the most de-
structiye Of all elements was that day fash
ioned into vehicle for a departing saint,
nothing can ever hurt you wEo love and trust
the Lord.
lam so glad that that chariot Of Elijah
was not made out Of wood or crystal or any,
thing ordinarily pleasant but out OF lire. and
vet he went up without having so much as
to fan himself. When stepping from amid
the foliage Of these oleanders and tamarisks
on the banks Of the Jordan, he put his loot
on the red step Of the red equipage, and took
the red reins of vapor in his hands, and
spurred the galloping steeds toward the wide
open gate of heaven, it was scene forever
memorable. So the hottest Affections OF
your life may roll you heavenward. 80 the
most burning prosecutions, the most hery
troubles, may become uplifting. Only be
sure that when you pull on the bits Of fire
YOU drive up toward God and not down to-
ward the Dead Sea. When Latimer and Rid
ley died at the stake they went up in
chariot of fire. When my friend P. P. Bliss,
the Gospel singer, was consumed with the
rail train than broke through Ashtabula
bridge and then took flame, said, Another
Elijah gone up in chariot Of fire"
But this river is a river Of baptisms:
Christ was here baptized and John baptized
many thousands Whether on these occa-
sions the candidate for baptism and the Of
ficer of religion went into this river, and
then while both were standing the water was
dipped in the hand of one and sprinkled upon
the forehead Of the other, or whether the
entire form of the one baptized disappeared
for moment beneath the surface Of the
flood, do not now declare. While cannot
think without deep emotion Of the fact that
my parents held me in infancy to the bap-
tismal font in the old meeting house at Som
erville and assumed VOWS on my behalf,
must tell you now Of another mode Of bap-
tism observed in the river Jordan on that
afternoon in last December, the particulars
of which now for the first time relate.
1t was scene Of unimaginable solemnity.
A comrade in our Holy Land journey rode
up by my side that day and told me that a
young man who is now studying for the
Gospel ministry would like to be baptized by
me in the river Jordan. got all the facts
Icould concerning his earnestness and faith,
and through personal examination made my
self confident he was worthy candidate.
There were among our Arab attendants two
robes not unlike those used for American
baptistries, and these were obtained. As
we were to have large group Of different
nationalites present I dictated to my
daughter few verses and had copies
enough made to allow all to sing.
Our dragoman had a man familiar with
the river wade through and across to show
the depth and the swiftness Of the
stream and the most appropriate place for
the ceremony. Then read from the Bible
the accounts Of baptisms in that sacred
stream, and implored the presence Of the
Christ 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 resounding
voice:
On Jordon's stormy banks stand
And csst wishful eye
To Caaaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
Oh, the transporting, rapturous ecene
That rises to my sight;
Sweet fields arrayed In living green
And rivers Of delight
By this time we had reached the middle OF
the river. As the candidate sank und der the
foods and rose again under 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. Will
those waters be deep? Will 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 bills on the other side to
errat us. How we'll we know their stepl
bank to bank we hail them with tears and
they hail us with palm branches. They say
to l14 us that you, fatherf" us that you
motherf" and we answer by asking, SIS that
YOU, my darlingf" How near they seem, and
hoT narrow the stream that divi6 Is us!
Could we but stand where Moses stood
And view the landscape DER,
Not Jordan's stream nor Deaths cold hooo
Could fright rs from the shore.