Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-06-06
THE BAPTISM.


Among the old Covenanters it was the
custom that infants about to be baptized
should be carried to the font by young
maidens. After the ceremony the in
fants were delivered into the arms of
their fathers.
The rite of baptism had not been per-
formed for several months in the kirk
of Lanark. It was the hottest time of
persecution, and the inhabitants OF that
parish found other places in which to
worship God and celebrate the ordi-
nances of religion. 1t was now the Sab
bath day, and small congregation of
about hundred souls had met for di-
! vine service in place of worship more
magnificent than any temple that hu-
man hands had ever built to deity.
Here, too, were three children about to
be baptized. The congregation had not
assembled to the toll of the bell, but each
heart llnew the hour and observed it,
for there are hundred sundials among
the hills, woods, Inoors and fields, and
the shepherd and the peasant see the
hours passing by them in sunshine and
| shadow.
| The church in which they were assem-
bled was hewn by Gods hand out of
1
| through a mighty chasm of cliffs several
hundred feet high, of which the one side
presented enormous masses and the 9TH
er corresponding recesses, as if the great
stone girdle had been rent by convul-
sion. The channel was oyerspread with
prodigious fragments of rock or large
loose stones, some OF them smooth and
bare, others containing soil and verdure
o,,5 fSocr,y.ac oI,1 I1a1.a md
there crowned with shrubs and trees.
The eye could at once command long
stretching vista seemingly closed and
shut mp at both extremities by the CO.
alescing cliffs.
This majestic reach of river contained
pools, streams, rushing shelves and
waterfalls innumerable, and when the
water was low, which it now was in the
common drought, it was easy to walk
up this scene with the calm, blue sky
overhead, an utter and sublime solitude.
On looking up the soul was bowed down
by the feeling of that prodigious height
of unscalable and often overhanging
cliff. Between the channel and the sum-
init of the far extended precipices were
perpetually flying rocks and wood pi-
geons and now and then hawk, filling
the profound abyss with their wild cav
ing, deep murmur or shrin shrek.
Sometimes heron would stand erect
and still on some little stone island or
rise up like white cloud along the
black walls of the chasm and disappear.
Winged creatures alone could inhabit
this region. The fox and wildcat chose
more accessible haunts. Yet here came
the persecuted Christians and worshiped
God, whose hand hung over their heads
those magnificent pillars and arches,
scooped out those galleries from the solid
rock and laid at their feet the calm
water in its transparent beauty, in which
they could see themselves sitting in re-
hected group4. with their Bibles in their
hands.
Here upon semicircular ledge of
rocks, over narrow chasm, through
which the tiny stream played in muir
1nuring waterfall and divided the con-
gregation into equal parts, sat about a
hundred persons all devoutly listening
to their minister, who stood before them
on what might well be called small,
natural pulpit of living stone. Up to it
there led short flight of steps, and over
it waved the canopy of a tail, graceful
birch tree. This pulpit stood ON the
middle of the channel directly facing
that congregation, and separated from
them by the. clear, deep sparkling pool
into which the scarce heard water poured
over the blacl;ened rock.
The water as it left the pool separated
into two streams and flowed ON each
side of that altar, thus placing it in an
island, whose large, mossy stones were
richly ernbowered under the golden bios
SONS and green tresses of the broom.
Divine service was closed, and row OF
1naidens, all clothed in purest white,
came gliding off from tine congregation,
and crossing the stream on some step
ping stones arranged themselves at the
foot of the pulpit. with the infants about
to be baptized.
Tho fathers of the infants, just as ii
they kEd been in their own kirk, had
been sitting there during worship, and
now stood up before the minister. The
baptismal water, taken from that pei.
lucid pool, WIS lying consecrated In q
small hollow OF one of the upright stones
that formed one side or pillar of the pull
pit, and the holy rite proceeded Some
OF the younger ones in that semicircle
kept gazing down into the pool. In which
the whole scene was reflected, and nov
and then, In spite Of the grave looks OF
admonishing whispers of their elders
letting pebble fall into the water that
they might Judge of its depth from the
length of time that elapsed before the
clear air bells lay sparkling on the agi
tated surfnce.
The rite was over, and the religious
service of the day closed by a psalm
The mighty rocks heInmed in the holy
sound and sent 1t IN more compactei