Discourse concerning the

shepherd and the sheep. Jerusalem.

Denunciation against the

John x.

Luke xi. 37-54.

On contemplating the miracles, parables, and discourses of the blessed Saviour, may we not say, "Lo these are part of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him?" Job xxvi. 14. For there are also many other things which Jesus did, which are not written in this book, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name," John xxi. 25;. xx. 30, 31.

ABSTRACT

OF

SCRIPTURE GEOGRAPHY,

PARTICULARLY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

THE chief countries mentioned in the Old Testament, are situated on the western border of Asia. The country called Palestine, or the Holy Land, Syria, including Phoenicia, Asia Minor, now named Natolia; Mesopotamia, now called Diarbeck, or Algezira Chaldea, Assyria, and Arabia, constitute the principal countries referred to in the Old Testament. They are all in Asia. Egypt, situated on the north-east coast of Africa, is separated from Asia by the Isthmus of Suez, and the Red Sea, now called the Arabian Gulf.

The ruins of "cloud-tapped towers, and gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples," and magnificent build

* For a very full account of Scripture Geography, see Mr. Syme's excellent work on that subject; to which the compiler of the following abstract has to acknowledge his obligation.

ings, which are still to be seen throughout the countries that composed the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian, and the Grecian, and part of the Roman Empires in Asia, bear witness to their former riches and splendour. But the Holy Scriptures bear record chiefly to the events which happened in Palestine or Canaan, where Abraham was commanded by God to go, "while he yet dwelt in Urr of the Chaldees, but which he left at the Divine command, and went out, not knowing whether he went," until "God said unto him, I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God," Gen. xi. 31; xii. 1—5; xvii. 8; Heb. xi. 8-10; and here he sojourned even "in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise." The boundaries of the land are thus described by God himself: "every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea, toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast," Joshua i. 3, 4. In that land the kingdoms of Israel and Judah flourished-and there the worship of the true God was established-for "In Judah was God known, his name was great in Israel. In Salem also was his tabernacle and his dwelling-place in Zion," Ps. lxxvi. 1, 2; when all the rest of the earth were

the habitations of spiritual darkness-there also the greater part of the volume of inspiration was written, and what constitutes it "the glory of all lands," Ezek. xx. 6, 15; and which will yet make it "the joy of the whole earth," Ps. xlviii. 2.; the blessed Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour, accomplished that work, "which the angels desire to look into,”— the redemption of all those who believe in him. It was there he uttered the ever-memorable and infinitely important words, "It is finished." And from that place he commanded his Apostles to “ go forth into all the world, to teach all nations, and to preach the gospel to every creature," through the belief of which alone they can be saved, Matth. xxviii. 19; Mark xvi. 15, 16.

Canaan was so named from Canaan, Noah's grandson. It was bounded on the north by the mountains of Lebanon; on the south by Arabia Petræa, Idumea, and Egypt; on the east by Arabia Deserta; and on the west by the Mediterranean, called in the Bible, The Great Sea. Its length from the city of Dan, which was situated at the foot of the Mountains of Lebanon in Syria, to Beersheba, which stood at the southern extremity of the land, is about 200 miles; and its breadth from the Medi. terranean to the eastern border, is about 90 miles. With regard to its boundaries, see also Num. xxxiv. 1-15. This country is designated by other names besides that of Canaan: it is called Palestine, from its former inhabitants, the Philistines; the Land of Promise, from the circumstance of its having

been promised to Abraham, and to his seed; the Land of the Lord, Isa. xiv. 2, because it was "A Land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year, even unto the end of the year. Deut. xi. 12. And because "he had chosen Zion, and desired it for his habitation." Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14. It is called Judea, from the tribe of Judah possessing its most fertile division. And it is often called the Holy Land, from the events recorded in the Holy Scriptures, particularly as it was the scene of our Lord's labours and ministry, and as there his obedience, sufferings, death, and resurrection, took place for the accomplishment of our salvation.

At the period of Christ's tabernacling on earth, almost all the countries referred to in the New Testament were included in the Roman empire, or were at least tributary to it. "The sceptre," according to ancient prophecy, "had now departed from Judah,” Gen. xlix. 10; and that land was now subject to the Romans. The country, lying to the west of Jordan, was divided into three provinces; Judea in the south, Samaria in the middle, and Galilee in the north, Isa. ix. 1. Beyond Jordan, on the eastern side, the country was called Perea; in which were situated Decapolis, including ten cities, as its name imports, John i. 28; Mark vii. 31. The countries of Asia Minor, mentioned in the New Testament, were Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Troas, Bithynia, Pontus, Asia, Galatia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Cappadocia, Lycia, Pamphylia, and Cilicia. The Roman, Proconsular

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