Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-29
an army of two million Israelites across

syrian Hosl dl the seventh plunge
dropped his leprosy, not only by mirac-
ulous cure, but suggesting to all ages
that water, and plenty of it, has much
to do with the sanitary improvement
of the world. Here is where some tbeo.
logical students of Elisha's time were
cutting trees with which to build n tbe-
illogical seminary, and an ak head not
sufficiently wedged to the handle flew
off into the river and sank. and the
young man deplored not so much the
/ loss of the AK head as the fact that If
was not his own, and cried, ALAS! it
was borrowed" and the prophet threw
4 a stick into the river, and in defiance
of the law of gravitation the iron AK
head came to the surface and fIoated
like a cork upon the water. and kent
| floating until the young man caught it.
A miracle performed to give one an
opportunity to return that which was
borrowed, and a rebuke in all ages for
/ those who borrow and never return.
their bad habit in this respect so estab,
lished that it would be miracle if they
did return it. Yea, from the bank OF
this river Elijah took a team of fire.
showing that the most raging element is
a servant of the good, and that there is
no need that a child of God fear anv.
thing; for if the most destructive of all
elements was that day fashioned into a
vehicle for departing saint, nothing
can ever hurt you who love and trust
the Lord
| AIN so glad that that chariot of Eli.
jah was not made out of wood or crystal
or anything ordinarily pleasant, but out
of fire, and yet 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
foot on the red step of the red equip
age, and took the red reins of vapor in
his hands and spurred the galIoping
steeds toward the wide open gate OF
heaven, it was a scene forever memoir
able.
So the hottest affections of your life
may roll you heavenward. So the
most burning prosecutions, the most
fiery troubles, may become uplifting.
Only be sure that when you pull on the
bits of fire you drive up toward God
and not down toward the Dead sea.
When Latimer and Ridley died at the
stake they went up in a chariot of fire.
When my friend P p. Bliss, the Cos
pei singer, was consumed with the rail
train that broke through Ashtabula
bridge and then took flame, | said,
Another Elijah gone up in a chariot
of firep'
RIVER OF BAPTISMS.
But this river is river of baptisms.
Christ was here baptized and John bap-
TIED many thousands. Whether on
these occasions the candidate for bap-
tism and the officer 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
vi illC ObuCI, vi WHETHER LIE
entire form of the one baptized disap
peared for a moment beneath the sur
face of the flood, do not now declare.
While | cannot think without deer
emotion of the fact that NY parents
held me in infancy 70 tile baptismaI
font in the old meeting house at Somer
vile, and assumed VOWS on my behalf,
| must tell you now of another mode OF
baptism observed in the river Jordan
on that afternoon in last December. the
particulars of which now for the first
time relate.
1t was a scene of unimaginable so
lemnity A comrade in our Holy Land
journey rode up by my side that day
and told Inc that young man who
was studying for the gospel ministry
would like to be baptized by me in the
river Jordan. | got all the facts could
concerning his earnestness and faith,
and through personal examination
made myself confident he was a worthy
candidate. There were among our
Arab attendants two robes not unlike
those used for American baptistries,
and these we obtained. As we were to
have large group of different nation
alities present dictated to my daugh
ter few verses, and had copies enough
made to allow all to sing. Our drago
man had 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 de-
scended 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 Jordan's stormy banks stand
And cast wishful 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 rivers of delight
By this time we had reached the
middle 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 ster
into the Jordan that divides earth from
heaven Will those waters be deep?
Will those tides be strong2
No matter if Jesus steps in with us.
Friends on this shore to help US off.