But while the earth in general is thus interesting to us, there are parts of it which are peculiarly so. And some of these parts derive their peculiar interest from associations connected with our personal history: as, the place of our birth, the scenes of our childhood and youth, and the places in which we passed the most important or affecting periods of our life. Others derive it from the fact of events having occurred, or affairs having been transacted in them, of a character to form an era in the history of nations, and of the world. The Mussulman regards the birth-place, or place of burial, of his prophet, as a place of this order; and our countrymen, the place where the charter of their liberties was ratified.

To all who receive the Scriptures as a divine revelation, what interest must attach to the places of Scripture? for in them events have occurred, and affairs been transacted of the greatest moment to the world at large. In the places of Scripture, for example, our first parents dwelt, the patriarchs sojourned, the prophets delivered the burden of the Lord, the apostles travelled and laboured, and the Lord Jesus Christ ministered and suffered ! There, sin, with misery and death in its train, made its entry into our world; and there, the work of human redemption was accomplished. There, in the destruction of nations, and the sweeping away from the face of the earth of the whole human race, the Governor of the universe made some of his most signal displays of his hatred of sin; and there, in his merciful and special interference on the behalf of those who had recognised his authority, he exemplified the minute attention which he pays to the affairs of men. There, angels have frequently held converse with the children of men; there, evil spirits have wreaked their fiendish ire on human happiness; and there, men have performed feats of physical and moral valour, which all succeeding ages have admired. How anxious then must such

persons be to possess the best information respecting these places which they can obtain !

But this information is exceedingly important, from the use and advantage of it in reading the sacred volume.

How much does a knowledge of the places where events happen, increase the power of narratives of those events to affect us! With how much greater impression shall we read the narrative of the location of our first parents in Paradise, of the events which happened to them there, and of their expulsion from it, when, in our imagination, we can fix on a spot in the map of the earth, and say, "there all these occurrences took place!" With how much greater impression shall we read the story of the deluge, when we can readily recur to the country where the ark was built, can follow it in its course, from the point from which it began to float, to that on which it rested, when the waters had retired from it; and can descry the region in which Noah and his family settled, on their disembarking from this stupendous vessel ! What overwhelming pathos does it give to the narrative of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, when we can place ourselves by his side on the Mount of Olives, and stretching our vision across the intervening valley, can survey the magnificence and animation of the devoted city, while he exclaims, "Oh! that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes!" How much more tragical is the scene of our Lord's passion, when we are familiar with the garden of Gethsemane, and "the place which is called Calvary ! " How much more

readily do we participate in the joy of the disciples in the resurrection of their Lord, when we are acquainted with "the garden, in which was a new tomb, hewn out of a rock!"

But some acquaintance with the countries referred

to in Holy Writ, especially the countries where the holy writings were composed, is essential to a full understanding of these writings. "The sacred writers," says Paxton, "borrowed their figures from scenery of a peculiar kind; they alluded to phenomena in the heavens and on the earth, of which we can form almost no conception from the state of nature around us. They connect the events they record and the predictions which they utter, with places whose history is unknown to the rest of the world. This, it must be admitted, throws a shade of obscurity over the pages of inspiration, which it is the duty, as it is the interest, of the biblical student to remove. To understand the meaning of many passages in the sacred records; to discern the force and beauty of the language in which they are clothed, and the admirable propriety and significance of their allusions; in one word, to derive all the advantage from the sacred volume which it is calculated and intended to bestow, we must render ourselves familiar with the physical and moral condition of the countries where it was written; we must examine the geographical situation of Canaan, and the surrounding states, ascertain the site of their principal towns and cities, and acquire some knowledge of their history."* The propriety of these remarks may be illustrated by examples.

In those passages of Scripture which describe the productive power of Canaan, or promise to it abundant produce, or refer to its prolificness, there frequently occur the phrases, "early rain," "latter rain," and "early and latter rain;" really to understand the import of which it is necessary that we be acquainted with the following facts. Two of the seasons of Palestine were "seed-time and harvest," the former commencing with the beginning of October and terminating

* Paxton's "Illustrations of Scripture," vol. i. p. 3.

with the beginning of December; and the latter commencing with the beginning of April, and terminating with the beginning of June. For two or three weeks at the commencement of each of these seasons, rains fell copiously; and as, during the autumnal rains, the inhabitants of that country ploughed their lands, and sowed their barley and wheat, these rains were called "the early rain;" and as the vernal rains matured the crops for cutting, and thus consummated the hopes of the year, they were called "the latter rain."

In his predictions of the blessings of the gospel dispensation, the prophet Isaiah employs the following imagery "And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty soil bubbling springs." (xxxv. 7, Lowth's trans.) Some knowledge of the places of Scripture is necessary even to our understanding the meaning of the terms employed in this passage. "The

:

word, rendered glowing sand, is," observes Dr. Lowth, "Arabic as well as Hebrew, expressing in both languages the same thing; the glowing sandy plain, which, in the hot countries, at a distance, has the appearance of water. It occurs in the Koran, chap. 24, But as to the unbelievers, their works are like a vapour in a plain which the thirsty traveller thinketh to be water, until, when he cometh thereto, he findeth to be nothing.' Mr. Sale's note on this place is, The Arabic word serab signifies that false appearance which in the eastern countries is often seen in sandy plains about noon, resembling a large lake of water in motion, and is occasioned by the reverberation of the sunbeams. It sometimes tempts thirsty travellers out of their way, but deceives them when they come near, either going forward, (for it always appears at the same distance,) or quite vanishes.'"* Paxton describes this pheno menon in very lively and affecting terms :-"A most

* Lowth on Isaiah xxxv. 7.

"is

important pastoral duty in those regions," he says, to provide water for the flock. The living fountain and the flowing stream generally furnish a sure and abundant supply. But these are seldom to be found in the burning desert, where the oriental shepherd is often compelled to feed his cattle. In such circumstances, happy is he who finds a pool where his flocks may quench their thirst. Often, as he pursues his journey, a broad expanse of water, clear as crystal, seems to open to his view; and faint and weary under the fierce sunbeam, he gazes on the unexpected relief with ineffable delight, and fondly anticipates a speedy termination to his present distress. He sees the foremost camels enter the lake, and the water dashed about by their feet. He quickens his pace and hastens to the spot, but, to his utter disappointment, the vision disappears, and nothing remains but the dry and thirsty wilderness. To such deceitful appearances the prophet opposes, with admirable effect, the real pool, the overflowing fountain, and the running stream; the appropriate symbols of those substantial blessings of grace and mercy, that were laid up in store for the church of Christ in the last days. And the parched ground (or scorching heat) shall become a pool, and thirsty land springs of water.'"*

Some references to the processes of agriculture occur, to appreciate which, a knowledge of the usages of the places to which they relate, is necessary.

Contrasting the land of Canaan, whither the Israelites were going, with the land of Egypt, whence they had departed, Moses says, "For the land whither thou goest to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs," Deut. xi. 10. The phrase "wateredst with thy foot" is de

Paxton's "Illustrations of Scripture,' vol. ii. p. 385.