Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-04-21
SI
JOHN THE BAPTIST.


The Prophet was carried outside. Ex
animation disclosed nothing more seri
Gus than q severe bruise on one shout
der, another on one side and a create
one on the breast of the unconsciou.
man.
The assailants poured water from
their canteens upon the head: face
neck and contusions of the unoffend
ing victim Of their violence and il
ten minutes he revived. Opening hi.
eyes he said:
Have you come from the East tc
see the virgin who shall bring fortf
the SOM"
Yes; is the virgia within?"
The time is ripe; yet is she not re
! geaied unto me-"
/ He appeared to be entirely uncon.
as black as sloes, bright, keen, pene-
trating. His protruding brows were
overgrown with forests of shaggy bris-
ties as white as his hair and beard, i'm
parting an appearance of savage fierce
ness that was the reverse of his ma
I ture.
! He approached each soldier in turn,
looking at him intently and minutely
inspecting his features When he
reached the commandant, who was the
last, the prophet said:
Nay, ye seek not the virgin; you
are not the wise men from the East"
We'll you are quite correct; we are
not wise; we are not from the east;
we are not exactly on a scout in search
Of virgin; we seek a creature of a
very different sort and we are not
wise enough always to find the lurking
place of many of him
You, sir, are not the Centurian?"
mo; only a second lieutenant. The
rank of Centurian has been abolished
In our armies; we now call him Cap
tain. Who are you?"
Il am the voice Of one crying in the
wilderness, saying, Prepare We the
way of the Lord, make His path
straight"
You have the physical appearance OF
4 stalwart and robust voice, What is
the rest of your name?"
Il am that prophet spoken OF by the
holy authors as John the Baptist.
am the voice of one crying in the will
1erness; ] am he that came to Jordan
and cried: Behold the Lamb of God
-tI>s,+zyst ~irn+ ~ -r-s,u-+h1@ re ths
when were you resurrected? The
reporters don't seem to have got onto
you?"
Il was not buried; 1 did not die.
That is a mistake which seems impos-
sible to correct, though l have tried
daily for many centuries. VIII you
correct it hereafter"
ut was regularly and officially re-
ported to the war department that you
were decapitated by order of Herod,
the commander-in-ch or secretary
Of war, or something of that rank?"
at is so written, but if it be not
mistake of the scribes or of the trans
lators, then it was mistake of the
apostles and evangels. He who was
beheaded was mine unuie, my fathers
brother"
"Very careless of the apostles, scribes
and evangelists, l am glad to learn
that you were not the victim, however.
have heard many mourn your sad
end. Do you remember il your uncle
found the method of departure very un-
pleasant"
Il am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, saying. Prepare ye the
way of the Lord, make his path
straight / stood before the Master
when he prophesied the end of the
world and he looked upon me and said:
There be some standing here who
shall not taste of death till all these
things be fulfilled and the meaning
thereof is that as | was sent into the
world to prepare it for His first coming,
so I must remain in the world to pre-
pare the way for His second coming.
4 am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, saying, Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make his path straight.
You look about the right age! Have
YOU ever met that sacriligious old cob
bier, whom people now call the Wan
Iering Jew?"
He is not. / am. | 1t is who am
the Wandering Jew. I am the voice OF
one crying in the wilderness, say
ing, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make his path straight
Do you expect him very soon?"
The time is ripei l await the COM
ing of the virgin who shall bring forth
the Son, the Lamb of God who having
taken away the sin of the world as |
said aforetime, will now come to trans
late the redeemed in the twinkling of
an eve and to condemn and Danish the
anrepentant Wherefore, repent and
be converted; flee from the wrath to
come, oh ye generation of vipers He
shall baptize you with fire and with the
Holy Ghost Behold He cometh and
all His holy hosts with Him; like
clouds mounted upon swift winds All
the earth shall tremble and the dead
shall rise and the heavens rejoice; and
His people shall sing glad hallelujahs,
and the trees shall clap their hands
and declare His praise; and the little
hills shall skip like lambs. Woe, woe,
in that day; woe to them that believe
not and are not baptized. L am the
voice of one crying in the wilderness,
saying, Prepare ye the way OF the
Lord; make his path straight"
Il am really pleased to hear it! Are
there any deserters harboring within
there?"
They trembled and fell down and
fled when the angel rolled away the
stone"
They may have crawled into the
sarcophagus when they fled from the
sepulchre If they did we will have
them out. Sergeant, search within
therei"
The Prophets curious habitation was
searched thoroughly, but no deserter
was found there.