A treatise of the necessity of humane learning for a Gospel-preacher shewing the use of I. Languages, II. Rhetoric, III. Logic, IV. Natural philosophy, V. Moral philosophy, VI. History, VII. Chronology, VIII. Arithmetic, IX. Geometry, X. Astronomy, XI. Geography, and the benefits of learning in all ages : also this question is determined, whether grace be essential to a minister of the Gospel? / by Edward Reyner ...

CHAP. XI. Of the Ʋsefulness of Geogra∣phy.

GEography is useful for a Minister in diverse respects,

1. In the General to under∣stand the whole Course or Te∣nor 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, Coun∣tries: 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. * 1.1

Of Jesus Christ, John. 4.3, 4.

And of his Apostles in the New Testa∣ment, and of their removals from place to place.

The Division of the land of Canaan a∣mong the Tribes: the scituation and pro∣portion, or quantity of their several allot∣ments, absolutely and relatively, or in re∣ference one to another.

The scituation of Neighbouring Coun∣tries 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 Na∣tions (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 Prophe∣cies, promises, threatnings, judgements;

especially such as have reference to places, as well as to persons, as the downfal of Ba∣bylon, of Antichrist, of Gog and Magog, the calling of the Jews.

The Histories of the four Monarchies, and of other Kingdoms, which are mentio∣ned 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 under∣standing of the History thereof.

We cannot have a full notion and com∣prehension of some affairs, events or occur∣rences, without knowledge of the places where they were agitated, or fell out.

Neither can we understand many Pro∣phetical Descriptions of places without the knowledge of their site and customs.

The want of skil in Geography hath cau∣sed many wilde conjectures about the scitu∣ation 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 A∣mos. 1.15. — The two Sabas, one in Arabia Felix, of which Psal. 72.10. the other in Arabia Deserta; whence the Sa∣beans were that robbed Job, chap. 1.15.

So the two Hamaths, one in Syria Zo∣bah, 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. * 1.2

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 Mediter∣ranean 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 o∣ther in Pisidia, of which Acts 13.14.

Without knowing the different scitua∣tion 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 seem∣ing repugnancy between some places, or ex∣pressons 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, * 1.3 and sometimes Sy∣ro-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 de∣scription of Jerusalem, and the adjacent places. For Mount Olivet lies beyond the brook Cedron, and part of it is call'd Geth∣semane, * 1.4 (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.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See Bunting's Itincra••••um ••o∣tius Sacrae Scripturae.
• * 1.2

  See Sir Walter Rawleigh of all these in his Hi∣story of the world.
• * 1.3

  Grotius in Matth. 15.22.
• * 1.4

  See Dr. Lightf. Centur. Chorog. cap. 40.