Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-11-13

along the line which had been heightened
by other pilgrims. some from America and
some from Europe, and some from Asia,
theory resounded THE Jordan! The Jor-
dam" Hundreds OF thousands OF pilgrims
have chanted on its banks and bathed in its
waters. Many OF them dip wet gown in
the wave and wiring 1t out and carry it home
for their own shroud. 1t is an impetuous
stream and PUSHES on as though it were
Fastening to tell its story to the ages. Many
an explorer has it whelmed, and many q
boat has it wrecked. Lieutenant Moliucux
had copper-bottomed crafts split upon its
shelvings. Only one boat, that Of Lieut"n-
ant Lynch. ever lived to sail the whole
length OF 1t. At the season when the SHOWS
on Lebanon melt, the rage OF this stream Is
like the Conemaugh when Johnstowu perish
ed. and the wild beasts that may be near
run for the hills. explaining what jeremiah
says ''Behold he shall go up like a lion
from the swelling OF Jordan" No river so
often changes its 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, having the feet OF the terebnths and
oleanders, and acacias, and reeds and pista-
ch1os, and silver popars. This river marres
the Dead Sea to Lake Gallce, and did ever
so rough groom take the hand OF 50 fair q
bride!
This is the river which parted to let an
army of two million 1sraeliteS across. Here
the skilled major general OF the Syrian host
| at the seventh plunge dropped his leprosy,
not only by miraculous cure. but suggest
| ing to all ages that water and plenty OF it,
has much to do with the sanitary improve
| ment OF the world. Here is where some
theological students of Elisha's time were
| cutting trees with which to build a theolog-
| lcal seminary, and an aX-head not sutf
| GENTLY wedged to the handle, flew Off into
the river and sank. and the young man de-
| plored not SO much the loss Of the ax-head.
| as the fact that it was not his own, and
cried "Alas, it was borrowed" and the
prophet threw stick into the river and, in
| defiance OF the law of gravitation. the iron
ax-head came to the surface and foated
| like cork upon the water, and kept foat-
| Ing until the young man caught 1t. A
| miracle performed to give one an opportun-
| lty to return that which was borrowed, and
rebuke in all ages for those who borrow
and never return, their bad habit in this
respect so established that it would be u
miracle il they did return it. Yea; from
the bank OF this river Elijah took as team Of
fire. showing that the most raging element is
servant OF the good, and that there is no need
that q child OF God fear anything: for. II
the most destructive of all elements, was
that day fashioned into vehicle for a de-
| parting saint. nothing can ever hurt you
who love and trust the Lord. / am SO glad
that that chariot OF Elijah was not made
| out OF wood, or crystal, or anything ordi-
| narily 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 equipage. and took
the red reins OF vapor in his hands. and
| spurred the galloping steeds towards tho
wide open gate OF heaven, it was scene
| forever memorable. So the hottest Attic
| tions OF your life may roll you hcavcnward.
| 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 Latimcr and
| Ridley died at the stake, they went up in a
| chariot OF fire. When my friend, p. p.
Bliss, the Gospel singer, was consumed with
| the rail-train that broke through Ashtabula
bridge. and then took flame. l said
"Another Elijah gone up in a chariot OF
| Hre?"
But this river is n river of baptisms.
Christ was here baptized and John baptized
many thousands. Whether on these occa-
sions the candidate for baptism 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 forehead OF the other, or whether
the entire form OF the one baptized disap-
peared for moment beneath the surface OF
the flood, do not now declare. While
| CduuOU tulIlk WlluOut uccp tIlOllOH Oh INT
fact that my parents held me in infancy, tC
the baptisimal font in the old meeting house
| at Somerville, and assumed VOWS on my be-
half. l must tell you now CT another mode
OF baptism observed in the river Jordan, OF
that afternoon in last December, the par.
relate.
TWAS u scene OF unimaginable solemnity
A comrade in our Holy Land journey rode
up to my side that day, and told me that q
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 concerning his earnestnes
and faith. and through personal examina-
tion. made myself confident he was worthy
candidate. There were among our Arab at
PENDANTS. two robes not unlike those used IL
American baptisteries. and these we OBJ
tained. AS we were to have large groul
of different nationalities present. dictated
to my daughter few verses, and had copies
enough made to allow all to sing. Our drago
man had man familiar with the river wad
through and across to show the depth ant
the swiftness OF the stream, and the mos
appropriate place for the ceremony. Thel
read from the Bible the accounts of bap
tisms in that sacred stream, and implore,
the presence of the Christ on whose heat
the dove descended at the Jordan. Then, O
the candidate and myself stepped into tn
waters the people on the banks sang In full
and resounding voice:
On Jordan's stormy banks l stand,
And cast wistful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land
Where my possessions line.
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 middl
of the river. AS the candidate sank unde
the floods and rose again under baptism
In the name of the Father. and the Son an
the Holy Ghost, there rushed through GU
souls tide of holy emotion such as we shall
probably not feel again until We step int
the Jordan that divides earth from heaven
Will these waters be deep? Will those tide
be strong2 No matter, II Jesus steps in wit
us. Friends on this shore to help us of
Friends on the other shore to see us land
See! They are coming down the hills on tn
, other side to greet us! How well we knol
, their step! How easily we distinguish thel
, voices! From bank to bank we hail theI
with tears and they hail US with palr
branches. They say to US. ''Is that you
father?" els that you mother?" and we an