Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-10-14

Damascus, better IMAM all Ine waters Oh
Israel? May l not wash in them, and be
clean? SO he turned and went away in
rage" q Kings SID. The idea of
leaving the limpid pure waters of his
own mountain streams and coming all
the way to the land of Israel to dip in
the muddy crooked Jordan! He would
go home and dip in the river ALBANIA or
Pharpar, If that was all that was neces-
sary. He forgot that it was not the act
of dipping in the Jordan winch was to be
effectual for his healing, but that act as
expressing his faith in God. Yielding to
the suggestion of his servants he finally
went down and dipped himself seven
times in the Jordan, according to the say
ing of the man of God; and his flesh
came again like unto the flesh of a little
child, and he was clean" e Kings $40.
THE LOST AXE.
One day the sons of the prophets at
Jericho were cutting down wood on the
banks of the Jordan to build larger quar-.
tiers for themselves. At their request
Elisha had gone with them. But as
one was Telling a beam, the axe-head
fell into the water; and he cried, and
said, Alas, my master! for IT was bor-
rowed. And the man OF God said, Where
fell it? And he showed him the place.
And he cut down a stick, and cast it in
thither, and made the iron to swim. And
he said, Take 1t up to thee. So he put
out his hand, and took It," e Kings $50.
Was ever lost axe so strangely recov-
cred, or borrowed axe so peculiarly re-
turned?
JOHN THE BAPTIST.
But interesting as were all these
events in the history of the Jordan,
the most interesting event of all was
yet to occur. One day, nearly 1000
years it was, after the time of Elisha,
the region round about the Jordan"
saw strange man and heard a strange
voice. The man had lived an ascetic
life in the wilderness of Judea. lie
was dressed in a robe of camel's hair,
girded with a leather belt. For feed
he ate the locusts or grasshoppers re-
ferred to in Leviticus 1922, and the
wild honey found in abundance in the
wilderness. His voice was clear and
strong, so much so he himself was
spoken of as "a voice crying in the
Wilderness" Boldly did 1T ring out
with his startling message, Repent,
We, for the kingdom OF heaven is at
hand" That message had an accent
of authority about it which had not
been heard for many a year in Pales-
tine. Coming in the midst of the cold,
dead Journalism of the Pharisees, 1t was
like the message of Chrysostom in Con-
stantinople, of Savonarola in Florence,
of Luther in Germany, of Knox in
Scotland. of Wesley in England, of Ed
wards in America. No wonder it pro-
duced a profound sensation. No won
der it resounded throughout these
mountaps and valleys like a clarion
note, bugle call to arms. No won
der it's echoes were heard in all the
surrounding country, and there went
out unto him Jerusalem, and all Ju-
dca, and all the region round about the
Jordan" Matt. 3:5.) And he did not
mince words when they came. He
had a message suitable for each one
the burden of which was, Repent and
bring forth fruits worthy Of repent
ance." And they were baptized in the
river jordan, confessing their sins"
Matt. 1863
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.
One day there stood among the
throng on the river bank a young man
about 80 years of age, of striking ap-
pearance. There was something about
his manner which attracted instant at
tention, meek and modest, but with an
ineffable dignity of carriage. He had
been quietly waiting in the little Cali
lean city for his time to come when
he was to be made manifest to Israel"
Hearing of John down in the valley of
the Jordan, preaching and baptIzing,
he decided to go to him, walked the
distance of 80 miles or more, present.
ed himself before John and asked for
baptism at his hands. The record
says: But John would have hinderej
him, saying, 1 have need TO be baptized
of thee, and contest thou to me? But
Jesus answering said unto him, suffer
To f,,l
fiji all righteousness. Then he suf-
fereth him. And Jesus. when he was
baptized, went up straightway from
the water and 10, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the spirit
of God descending as a dove, and COM
ing upon him; and 10, a voice out of the
heavens, saying, this is my beloved
Son, in whom 1 am well pleased"
Matt 3:14-17. See also Mark 1911,
Luke 1921, %.
Did you ever think Of the fact that the
baptism of Jesus was the only event in
all the worlds history where the three
persons in the trinity, the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, are all recorded as be-
ing present? 1t seemed as If God the
Father was afraid the world might not
appreciate His son whom He had sent
into the world to save the world. and
so at the first public appearance of that
son He sent the Holy Spirit to make
him manifest to the world, and not sat-
isfed with that. He Himself broke His
eternal silence to attest both the divini-
ty Of the Son and the love of the Father
for him. In doing so He placed the
stamp of His divine approval upon the
rite. of baptism, which the son had just
received. What a tremendous dignity
does this fact put upon baptism, and
how it should impress upon us the i'm
portance of following the Son, our
Saviour, in that solemn act.
THE PLACE OF BAPTISM.
The exact place of our Saviour's bap-