SECTION 1.-JESUS BAPTIZING IN JUDEA.

When the Passover had ended, and Jesus finished his work of teaching and miracles in Jerusalem for that time; and when he had had that memorable discourse with Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler, and laid the foundation doctrine of his kingdom, he left Jerusalem, and went into the country and smaller towns of Judea, and began to baptize into his kingdom; that is, every one who believed in him and desired discipleship was admitted into his kingdom by receiving the ordinance of baptism.

Jesus thus began his real work in Judea, as a follower of the Baptist, who said, "One cometh after me who is preferred before me." There are many conjectures why Jesus began his practical work in country parts, and not in the city; but the most plausible seems to be that his disciples could more freely accompany him in the country. districts than in the city, with more complications; and Jesus could find more time to instruct and prepare them for their great coming work. Certainly, Jesus needed to instruct the five men-the number thus far who were disciples-that they might begin their work of teaching and baptizing converts. These men had thus far had no training; and Jesus tarried in the country parts during the next. five or six months, baptizing and teaching them. It would have been quite embarrassing to these Galilean fishermen to be placed in the great Jewish capital, in the outset, to aid in establishing a new kingdom. This embarrassment would have come out of their uncouth decorum, their dialect, and ignorance of the principles of the new kingdom. Thus we see that Jesus held those same men away from Jerusalem throughout his three years' ministry, and even after his death, till they were especially prepared, by supernatural eloquence, to represent the new kingdom.

Jesus began the practical work of his kingdom by baptism, an ordinance forever to be kept up in his kingdom

as the door of admission. He had said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of the water and Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God." So here Jesus began to practice what he preached; that was, to baptize.

This ordinance was to be a sacrament throughout the generations of time, and serve as a distinguishing feature to mark off those who are Christians from the unchristian. This ordinance was to point out an inward and spiritual cleansing; for Jesus said, "A man must be born of the water and Spirit." The water, a symbol of cleanliness, for the body, and the Spirit for the soul. One outward, and the other inward, acting at the same time, make the man a new creature in Christ Jesus.

There seems to be some question whether Jesus baptized or his disciples. John, our only reporter, says (iii, 22), "Jesus tarried with them [his disciples], and baptized." This says, it seems, that Jesus himself, with his own hands, did the work. But when we read Chapter iv, 1, 2, the same writer, referring to the same affair, says, "Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples," we see a need to harmonize the two passages. This, however, is easy. We note that Jesus is the author of the sacrament of baptism, and he instructed as to its observance; hence, this credits him with the act, even if he did not perform it; for what, even now, one authorizes, he is said to do it. So if Jesus did not, or if he did do the work, the two passages do not conflict. The disciples who were left at Capernaum, doubtless to close up their business relations to follow Jesus, now rejoined him in Judea. And since the act of baptism is wholly mechanical, and could be performed by any disciple without due preparation, there was no need, with five men, that Jesus baptize himself. However, there is no real reason to believe that Jesus did not do the work with his own hands for some time. We know he was ready and willing to do any act that would help him fulfill all righteousness. He was ever ready to teach his disciples,

both by precept and example; and it may be that he did himself baptize in the early part of his ministry.

It is here that we have the first mention of Christian baptism. Of course, John's baptism was not a Christian baptism. It was unto repentance and preparatory. It was not in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and it was simply by the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."

It is singular that we have here at the foundation of this ordinance no mention as to its method. Whether by immersion or pouring or sprinkling, we are not told. There is not even any mention of the place, as to whether it was in the creek or pool or in the house. Indeed, there is no mention of method or manner. It is only said, "Jesus tarried in Judea, and baptized."

Certainly the immersionists have no grounds here, at the beginning of Christian baptism, to assert their method as the correct one. And the affusionists have no reasons by which they may boast of their way; and yet there is nothing condemnatory; for John only mentions the fact, without using a single qualifying term.

The great stress then, as Jesus leaves the subject, is to be placed upon the act and not the manner. In this, the cradle of the ordinance, Jesus says nothing of how to do it; and when he had spent three years in establishing his kingdom, and took his final departure from the world, his parting command is, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." This act, he says, do to all nations. When it comes to the human family, Jesus specifies. He says "all nations;" yet he uses no qualifying term as to how the act of baptism shall be performed. The virtue is not, then, in the method of applying the water; but in applying the water in the Divine names. Jesus, then, after a stay of several months in Judea, went out northward into Galilee.

SECTION 2.-JESUS VISITS AND TEACHES IN GALILEE. CONVERSES WITH SAMARITAN WOMAN ON

HIS WAY THITHER.

It was near the middle of April, A. D. 27, when Jesus went to the feast of the Passover. He then, shortly after this festival, went into the country of Judea, and baptized with his disciples. He remained in the Judean country till winter; then, about the first of December, he went north into Galilee to teach. By looking on the map of the Lord's Land, we see the correctness of John's language, that, passing from Judea unto Galilee, one needs to go through Samaria. Thus, on this journey to Galilee, while passing through Samaria, Jesus came near to Sychar, a city of Samaria, and, being wearied with his pedestrian journey, decided to stop and rest. And the place for this temporary rest was at the well which Jacob gave to his son Joseph many centuries before. Jesus sat on the well, and sent his disciples into the city to buy something for them to eat. It was about midday, and a woman came out of town to draw water from this famous well. When she approached she saw Jesus sitting on the well, and he asked her for a drink of water. But seeing he was a Jew, it was a great surprise to her when he made such a request; for the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.

But before we notice the conversation of Jesus with the woman, it is worth while to notice, briefly, the hostile relations between the Jews and the Samaritans, which showed up in the surprise of the woman being asked for a drink of water.

The hatred between the two races originated on this wise: About 720 B. C., Shalmanezer carried Israelites captive into Assyria; and the captivity was so great that it left their cities waste; and they remained thus until the Assyrian king brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah

and from Ava and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim, and placed these foreigners in the cities of Samaria in the stead of the Israelites; and they possessed the land of Samaria. But, since it is not clearly known what king fully populated the land of Israel with this mixed population, we notice the claim of the Samaritans. They attributed their colonization to Esarhaddon or Asnapper; but Esarhaddon was doubtless the real actor in the new colonization. These new people were not Jews, and were idolaters. Their religion, besides, was not homogeneous; they, being from different lands and cities, had equally as many gods and religions. We read that "They feared Jehovah, and served their graven images, both their children and their children's children."

Now, when the Judeans returned from the long captivity and began rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem, these new, unjewish people desired to assist in that work; but the Judean Jews declined to accept the offer of the Samaritans, knowing their conversion to the Jewish religion could not be very thorough. Then the Samaritans passed over all friendly relations of affiliation and fraternities, and became open enemies to the real Jews. And they continued enemies and to harass the Jews until silenced by Hystaspes. These animosities thus begun grew on for centuries. And Manasseh, a man of the sacerdotal order, formed an illegal marriage with the daughter of Sanballat, the Persian satrap of Samaria, and because of such unjewish act, he was expelled from Jerusalem by Nehemiah. Thereupon Manasseh got permission from Darius Nothus, the Persian king, to erect a temple on Mount Gerizim for the use of the Samaritans. This rash act of Manasseh intensified the hatred of the Jews, and kept up the harassing of the Samaritans. Josephus says the Samaritans waylaid the Jews on their journey to the temple service, so much so that many from the northern portion of Palestine