Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-09-15


am amazed beyond expression at the
boldness and jaggedness of the scenery
of the Holy Land I expected to see it
rough, but not Alpinian and Sierra
Nevadian in grandeur. The hills are
amphitheatres, piled up galleries of
gray rock, with intervals of soil, brown
and maroon, until the eye and head
and heart surrender, and the lips that
for long while were explanatory be-
come SPECIFICS. Before shutdown we
will see Jerusalem. I never had such
high expectations of seeing any place
as of seeing the holy city. L found my
self singing Jerusalem, My Happy
Home while dressing myself this
morning. l think my feelings may be
slightly akin to that of the Christian
Just about to enter the heavenly Jeru-
salem"
Then follows a graphic picture of the
great city, and the visitors thoughts as
his eyes beheld it for the first time.
Dr. Talmage gives description of a
baptism in the Jordan. He says:
yesterday on horseback we left Jer-
icho, and having dipped in the Dead
sea we came with a feeling that we
cannot describe upon the Jordan, a
river which more people have desired
to see than any other. On our way
we overlook an American, who request
ed me to baptize him by immersion in
the river Jordan. We dismounted at
the place where Joshua and his host
once crossed the river dry shod. We
were near a turn in the river, and not
far off from where rocks and sand are
piled up in shape of cathedrals, domes
and battlements. We pitched our tent,
and after proper examination of the
candidate for baptism | selected por-
lions of Scripture appropriate. One OF
our Arab attendants had a garment
not unlike a baptismal robe. With
that garment girdled around me l
led the candidate down under the
trees on the bank, while near by
were groups of friends and some
strangers who happened to be there
After a prayer [ read of Christ's
baptism in the Jordan and the
commission, Go, teach all nations,
baptizing them The people on the
bank then joined in singing to the ia
miliar tune that soul stirring song, 'On
Jordan's Stormy Bank 1 Stand With
the candidates hands in mine we wad-
ed deep into the Jordan, and [ then de-
| clared, In this historical river, where
the Israelites crossed, and Naaman
plunged seven times for the cure of his
leprosy, and Christ was baptized, and
which has been used in all ages as a
symbol of the dividing line between
earth and heaven, baptize thee in the
name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost. Amen As the
candidate went down under the waves
and then rose | felt a solemnity that
no other scene could have inspired. As
the ordinance was observed under the
direction of no particular denOmina
ton of Christians, and no particular
church could be responsible for it,
feel it my duty to report what did tc
the church universal. "
Dr. Talmage's description of his de
parture from Jerusalem is characters
tic:
''Now we leave Jerusalem for the
long journey north through Palestine
A little way out we got on a hill an6
took the last look at Jerusalem, and
felt and remarked it was the last lool
at that sacred city on earth, and the
next Jerusalem we shall see will be the
heavenly We went ON within sight o
Mizpah and Gideon, where Joshui
commanded the sun to stand still; OF
by Rama, connected with Samuel
history; on by the traditional villag,
where the parents of Christ missed
their boy, about three and n half mile
from Jerusalem. This is the road owe
which Jesus came and went from Jeru
salem to Nazareth. Tonight we EN-
camp at Bethel, where was once
school OF the prophets, a theological
seminary Elijah and Elisha wer
here Near this Abraham and Lot di
vided the land. Here Jacob, pillowe'
on a stone, saw the ladder used b.
angels feet, and he set up a stone am
consecrated it. Tonight the heaven
were full of ladders-first a ladder Q
Clouds then a ladder of stars, and al