Necessity of Human Learning for a Gospel Preacher, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the Ʋſefulneſs of Geography.
GEography is uſeful for a Miniſter in diverſe reſpects,
1. In the General to underſtand the whole Courſe or Tenor of Scripture-ſtories, both in the Old and New Teſtament, from the beginning of the Bible to the end: the Hiſtory of the Creation, of our Redemption, and of Gods Providence in the Series thereof, all along from the firſt to the laſt, related in Gods Books.
To know the Diſtinctions, Bounds or Borders of Places, Towns, Cities, Countries: the Situations of them, in reſpect of one another, and of the Heavens: the Longitude and Latitude of them, and their diſtance one from another: and the Natures, Properties, Commodities, or Diſcommodities of them.
2. In Particular, to underſtand
The Plantation of the world by Noah's ſons after the flood.
The Journeys of Iſrael from Egypt, through the wilderneſs to Canaan.
The Stories of the Patriarchs, Judges, and Kings of Judah and Iſrael.
The Journals of the Prophets in the Old Teſtament.See Bunting's Itincra…um …otius Sacrae Scripturae.
Of Jeſus Chriſt, John. 4.3, 4.
And of his Apoſtles in the New Teſtament, and of their removals from place to place.
The Diviſion of the land of Canaan among the Tribes: the ſcituation and proportion, or quantity of their ſeveral allotments, abſolutely and relatively, or in reference one to another.
The ſcituation of Neighbouring Countries and Nations to the land of Canaan; how near, or far off, and on what ſide.
The Tranſactions of God's people the Jews, (poſſeſſing Canaan) with other Nations (either near or remote) by Trade, by League or War, by Amity or Hoſtility.
The Deportations or Captivities of the ten Tribes, and of the two Tribes, which were ſeveral and divers.
The Propagation of the Goſpel by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, from place to place, from one Town, City, Country and Nation, to another.
The Accompliſhment of ſome Prophecies, promiſes, threatnings, judgements; eſpecially ſuch as have reference to places, as well as to perſons, as the downfal of Babylon, of Antichriſt, of Gog and Magog, the calling of the Jews.
The Hiſtories of the four Monarchies, and of other Kingdoms, which are mentioned in the Scriptures, and of their Cities.
In the underſtanding of all which we may be much aſſiſted by the knowledge of Geography, becauſe the knowledge of the places where the perſons were, and the things were done, gives light to the underſtanding of the Hiſtory thereof.
We cannot have a full notion and comprehenſion of ſome affairs, events or occurrences, without knowledge of the places where they were agitated, or fell out.
Neither can we underſtand many Prophetical Deſcriptions of places without the knowledge of their ſite and cuſtoms.
The want of skil in Geography hath cauſed many wilde conjectures about the ſcituation of Paradiſe; and made thoſe guilty of a great miſtake, as to many places of Scripture, that take the land of Cuſh (ſo often mentioned there) for the African Ethiopia; and the land of Havilah for that in Eaſt India, as Sir Walter Rawleigh in his Hiſtory of the World hath demonſtrated, l. 1. c. 3. and c. 8. ſect. 10.
3. Geography is further uſeful for the clearing of ſome Texts in Scripture, wherein there is difficulty upon one of theſe two accounts.
1. Either when Places, that differ in their ſcituation, have the ſame name: as the two Edens, one in Meſopotamia, Gen. 2.8. the other in Coelo-Syria, of which Amos. 1.15. — The two Sabas, one in Arabia Felix, of which Pſal. 72.10. the other in Arabia Deſerta; whence the Sabeans were that robbed Job, chap. 1.15.
So the two Hamaths, one in Syria Zobah, of which 2 Chron. 8.3. the other in Phenicia in the Tribe of Nepthali, of which Numb. 34.8. Ezek. 47.16.
So Kedeſh and Ramah were the names of divers places far diſtant.See Sir Walter Rawleigh of all theſe in his Hiſtory of the world.
So two places are called Ceſarea, the one near the riſe of Jordan, of which Mat. 16.13. the other on the ſhore of the Mediterranean ſea, mentioned Acts 18.22. and 25.1, 4.
So two places are named Antioch, one in Syria, of which Acts 11.26, 27. the other in Piſidia, of which Acts 13.14.
Without knowing the different ſcituation of theſe places, of the ſame name, we cannot diſtinguiſh between them; nor judge which of them is meant in ſuch or ſuch a place of Scripture.
2. Or when the ſame place hath ſeveral names in Scripture, which create a ſeeming repugnancy between ſome places, or expreſſons therein, only to be reconciled by skill in Geography.
Thus, when Chriſt ſent the Devils into the Swine, Matthew ſaith, he was in the Country of the Gergeſens, Mat. 8.28. but Mark, of the Gadarens, Mar. 5.1. which is the ſame Country indifferently named from theſe two Cities in it, Gergeſa and Gadara.
So the woman of Canaan, Matth. 15.22. is call'd a Syro-Phenician, Mar. 7.26. for the Jews call'd thoſe, who lived about Tyre and Sidon and the ſea-coaſt, in a ſtrict ſenſe, Canaanites, (ſee Numb. 13.29. Judg. 1.30, 31, 32.) but by others they were ſtiled Phenicians, Grotius in Matth. 15.22.and ſometimes Syro-Phenicians, to diſtinguiſh them from the Liby-Phenices in Africa.
The place, whither Chriſt went with his Diſciples before he was apprehended by Judas, is ſaid to be Gethſemane, Mat. 26.36. but Luke ſaith it was the mount of Olives, chap. 22.39. and John, differently from both, makes it a Garden beyond the brook Cedron.
In reconciling which there will be no difficulty to him, who hath ſeen a true deſcription of Jeruſalem, and the adjacent places. For Mount Olivet lies beyond the brook Cedron, and part of it is call'd Gethſemane, See Dr. Lightf. Centur. Chorog. cap. 40.(the place of Oyl-preſſes) and at the foot of this Mountain eſpecially it was, that they had their gardens: for they uſed not to have them in the City.