Through the land of promise, reminiscences of a journey in Bible lands

Preface

When leaving this book to the public. I am not doing it without a certain hesitation, as I am well acquainted with its deficiencies. In these critical times it is rather risky to send out a book, but I trust that the reader will have forbearance with it, and remember that it is intended to be a travelogue.

During my journeys in the Orient on the trains and on horseback I have made my annotations of the impressions of the various places, and during the past years I have arranged them in their present form. The limited time at my disposal in writing this book will in some measure atone for its defects.

Some might say that we have too many works on travels in the Bible Lands, and I grant that there are a quite a number already, but it is a fact that the more works on travel we read, the more we learn to know the countries through which the tourists have gone, and we find that one has observed something that another has entirely passed by. The author of this book has endeavored to localize the holy places as much as possible, and this may be the characteristic feature of this work. From this point of view it may not have been written in vain.

As this work is going out into the world, we trust that it may in its humble way lead the reader into the great subjects which the blessed Book unfolds to us. To be able to understand the Bible properly, we must also know something of the countries, their customs and manners, where the various books of the Bible were written, and if the author has in some way been able to create an interest for these great subjects which the Scriptures open up for us, these lines will have served their purpose.

THE AUTHOR.

Cannon Falls, Minn., September 28th, 1919.

" Jerusalem, my happy home, Name ever dear to me !

When shall my labors have an end In joy, and peace, with thee?

When shall these eyes thy heaven-bnilt walls

And pearly gates behold?

Thy bulwarks with salvation strong,

And streets of shining gold?"

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Departure from home and the journey to

Europe 1

Chapter I DEPARTURE FROM HOME AND THE JOURNEY TO EUROPE

" Canaan, bright Canaan, The glorious land of Canaan; Our Canaan is a happy place, Come, let us go to Canaan!"

THROUGH the Bible countries ! What a thought for a Bible student ! Who has not at some time in his life entertained the thought of making such a journey ! I, too, am one of those who from his early childhood had entertained the idea of traveling in the Bible lands, and when everything was ready for my departure, I could hardly realize that it was true and that I was going.

The Bible countries have had, and will continue to have, their peculiar significance for those who have learned to love and appreciate the treasures, which God in His infinite love has given us in His word. Anyone born and bred within the folds of the Christian church, has had an opportunity to become familiar with that matchless story of the Bible characters, who have lived and labored, struggled and died in the Land of Promise, and above all with the wonderful story of Him, who left the glory of His Father, came down to this sinful and corrupt world to give Himself a ransom for the sins of the world and to show us a new and living way to eternal bliss.

Can there be anyone with soul so dead, who has not, while reading the Holy Writ, at some time or another, been longing to wander along the pathways, where the Godman and his chosen twelve were wandering? Who has not at some time in his life longed to see the native country of the Master and to meditate at the birthplace of the Christian religion ?

For various reasons the author had not been able to undertake this journey until quite late; but "better late than never" holds good in this case also. At last the hindrances were removed and I prepared for my departure.

My first duty was to secure leave of absence as President of Gustavus Adolphus College. My Conference granted me a six months' leave and I could now continue my preparations for the journey.

As I. had to travel in Turkish countries, it was necessary to secure a passport from the Secretary of State at Washington, D. C.

For one dollar I got my passport from Mr. P. G. Knox. On top of the passport is the American Eagle. Under the shadow of its protecting wings I went forth into the world. When you have the protection of the great and respected American Eagle, you feel safe to travel among Turks and Arabs and other half-civilized nations.

But, my dear reader, do you know of a passport that gives greater security than our beloved country, the United States? Yes, there is one! You have an old, tried and true book in your home. It is the Bible. Do you know the value of the 91st Psalm of David as a safe guide and protection? In this psalm we read, ' ' He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord : He is my refuge and my fortress ; my God, in Him will I trust" (Ps. 91: 1-2). The word of God is the best passport; it has the signature of Him, who has all power in heaven and on earth. Without such a passport I did not wish to travel among half-civilized nations, though I have the greatest respect for the passport of my country.

There were two reasons why I wished to travel at this time. Owing to strenuous duties at the institution, my health was not of the best and I wished to recuperate. This was the first cause of my travel. In the second place, anyone who has labored continually for twenty-five years without any recreation, hails with joy a period of rest.

The young boy, thrown out into the world to shift for himself on the stormy ocean of humanity, to row his own little boat, does not always have happy and cloudless days. If he determines to secure an education at some institution of learning and has no one to depend upon but himself, he will have to fight a good fight to get through. A lot of hard work is ahead of him, to be sure, but ' ' where there is a will, there is a way. ' '

If he is stationed in one of our larger cities, after having completed his college and seminary courses, he will have to struggle to keep up. But if the office of the ministry is not the easiest, the duties of the college president are not less responsible and exacting. Before I began my work at the college as president, an old professor said to me, "I tell you, brother, a college presidency is no sinecure." I have already found out that there is a lot of truth in these words. The college president in these days, when so many duties are placed upon him, has a strenuous calling. Recreation will be very welcome for such a man.

With a United States passport in my pocket, a letter of recommendation from the Governor of Minnesota, John A. Johnson, and from the president of our church, I gathered my things together and started on my long journey. On the twenty-ninth of May, a clear and beautiful morning, I left the home on College Hill at St. Peter, Minnesota, with my family, and went to Hopkins, where I left my wife and children. I confided myself and them into the hands of the loving Father in heaven, bade them farewell and departed. At Minneapolis I secured some things for my journey, and in the evening boarded the train for Chicago. Here I attended divine worship in the Trinity Lutheran Church, and the next morning I boarded a Baltimore and Ohio limited for Washington. I wished to see the capital of my country, and for this reason I went to New York via Washington.

Our train rushed ahead over the plains of Ohio and Indiana, and then across the picturesque Alleghany mountains. The following day found me in Washington. I wanted to see the sights and my first object was Mt. Vernon, the home of the Father of my country. There we observed the halls and the bedrooms, the kitchen with its highly interesting fireplace and the old cooking utensils, etc. We must not forget the little building nearby, where Martha Washington worked at the loom. You can see the loom itself, the cloth she wove, and many other interesting objects. In the buildings which belong to the Government there are many antiquities of great value. From these you can get an insight into colonial life and customs. A visit to this highly interesting place on the banks of the Potomac is inspiring. It was very strange to stand at the grave of the Father of his country. I felt as though his mighty and protecting spirit was hovering over the vicinity. We thank God for such great men, gigantic characters in history, who have left marked footprints on the sands of time,

In the late afternoon I returned to the capital. The following morning I went to the Turkish minister to secure his signature to my passport. The Secretary of State had informed me that this could be done in Washington. The Turkish minister refused, however, to do this and referred me to the Turkish Consulate at New York. I had to return without accomplishing anything, and I thought, that the mighty of this world also make their mistakes. The rest of the day was spent in our beautiful capital city, seeing its important sights. First I went to see the Washington monument. It is located in a beautiful part of the city, and resembles in form the Egyptian obelisks, being 555 feet high. You can reach the top by elevator or by climbing the winding stairs. I took the elevator, for I was very tired and needed rest. From the top of this monument you have a magnificent view over the city of Washington, and to distances far beyond. Next I visited the White House. This building is conspicuous because of its beautiful architecture, and its location is most excellent. During the day I passed through various Government buildings, such as the Treasury, the War and Navy buildings, the Smithsonian Institute, and last the Capitol building. The Senate was in session and I wished to hear what these men had to say about questions in which the public is vitally interested. Large gatherings of people filled the galleries. Several of the Senators partook in the discussion, while I was there. It was interesting to listen to the little Senator La Follette from Wisconsin and to Senator Nelson from Minnesota. Senator Depew also spoke a little while. I prophesied and my prophecy came true, that the worthy Senators would not satisfy the public. How strange, that the servants of the people do not comply with the wishes of the people ! Too often they go the errands of the political bosses, and the capitalists and suit themselves.

I went to the railroad station to meet my fellow-travelers. In the afternoon, I went to the Hall of Statues, in the Capitol Building. It was very interesting to see the statues of prominent sons and daughters of our country. It was a matter of great interest to me to find among those thirty-seven statues, one who is spoken of very often, the Swede, John Hanson, the President of the first Congress. In a certain sense, he is really the first President of this country. I felt proud of the fact, that a descendant of the early pioneers from Sweden, had been able to serve his country to such an extent.

Early the next morning I left Washington and my company to go to New York and Philadelphia. I wanted to see the sights at these cities and also those at Norristown. I was particularly interested in the old Swedish churches at these places, those landmarks of bygone days. It is worth while to see them, and be reminded of the chapter these people have written in the annals of our country. To be able to see these places and these churches, I had to catch each moment on the wing and I did so. Having arrived at Philadelphia, I went at once to Norristown, where I found the old Swedish church. This church was founded in 1760. It has been recently restored inside, and there is nothing that reminds us of the early pioneers, except a picture of Rev. Nicolas Collin. A baptismal font stands by the altar, and this is a gift from the king of Sweden, the late King Oscar II. He gave this font to the church, while he was crown prince. On the baptismal font these words are written, ' ' Sweden 's blessings to Sweden's children."

In this section of the country the Swedes settled, built homes for themselves, tried to educate their children, so that they might be good and trusty members of the church and loyal citizens, and outside the church, in the cemetery, they found their last resting places, where they slumber until the day of resurrection. The old Swedes have finished their course and gone. Their children have taken up the work of the fathers, but they belong no more to the church of their fathers, the Lutheran, but to the Episcopal church.

I could not stay here very long, so I hastened to return to Philadelphia, that I might have an opportunity to see another one of the early monuments of our pioneers, the Gloria Dei church of that city. I found it open. I went in to see, and meditate. This building is erected exactly on the spot where the Swedes, who came across in the Kalmar Key and Bird Grip in 1638, built the first church in 1639. The first church was a log structure. It was very strange, indeed, to walk about in this sanctuary, and call to mind the epochs in its history. Here they used to worship, and now their dust rests under the monuments outside of the church.

On the north side of the altar, we find the following inscription: "This tablet is erected to the memory of Nicolas Collin, D. D., whose remains repose beneath. He was the last of the long line of missionaries, sent by the mother church of Sweden, to give the bread of life to her hungering children on this distant shore. He became pastor of this church and of King Sessing and Upper Merion churches in July, 1766. He died October 7th, 1831, in his 87th year." Beside this stone tablet, which is placed in the wall, is another, erected by pastor Collin, to commemorate the death of his wife. On the tablet the following words are inscribed, and they bear testimony to his love and esteem for his spouse : ' ' Beneath repose the earthly remains of Hanna, wife of Nicolas Collin, Rector of the Swedish churches in Pennsylvania, departed on the 29th of September 1797, aged 47 years and 2 months. He erected this monumental record of her piety, kindness, economy and neatness, her affection to him in many trying scenes ; of his grief which shall not cease until they meet in the land of the living. ' 7

Above the aisle, on the gallery railing, the following words are inscribed, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shone. ' ' A little to the side, the following words are written, "Glory be to God on high." Having looked around for some time in the church, I went out on the cemetery and observed the inscriptions on the tombstones, and then I went to the railroad station. On my way to the station, I passed by the Liberty Hall, that great landmark in the history of our country. Every American knows by heart, or ought to know that it was in this Hall that the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the 4th of July, 1776. I recalled as I passed by. that it was John Morton, another Swede, who put his decisive name to the document. A name was lacking and Mr. Morton put his name on it and then it passed. In doing this, he offended many who were royalists. In his last hours he sent this message to an old friend : * ' Tell them that they will live to see the day when they will acknowledge, that my signing the Declaration of Independence was the most glorious service I ever rendered my country. ' ' John Morton died in 1777, leaving an honored name, of which we are all proud. In this connection, it might be well to remind ourselves that Sweden was the first power in Europe that voluntarily offered its friendship to the United States, in that great struggle for independence.

It might also be interesting to note that the man who from the tower of Liberty Hall rang in the new era was a Swede. His little boy cried out in Swedish, when they had passed the Declaration of Independence, "Ring, papa, ring," and the bell rang out Liberty to all the land and all the inhabitants thereof.

At last it was time for me to board the train for New York. Now I was on the way to the largest city in the world. My intention was to look over this city very carefully, but rain and gloomy weather set in, and my plans could not be carried out.

My time was very limited. The 5th of June our boat, "California" was to leave for Europe. But let us, nevertheless, note a few things about our large cities. It is quite generally admitted, that the emigration of our people, from the country to our large cities is one of the most serious problems before our nation at the present time. The prosaic life in the country does not seem to appeal to the rising generation. Our larger cities have grown very fast. As late as 1850 one-eighth of the population of the land lived in cities. Now it has grown to one-fourth.

Mr. Wendell Phillips said at one time, that our larger cities will give occasion for greater misery, than did slavery. Perhaps the prophecy of this clear sighted man will be fulfilled ! The tendency, at present, is towards the city, but the strong influx to the cities is nothing new. We remember that Virgil, the Roman poet, when Rome was overpopulated, said: "The plow is no more held in honor, the farmer is carried away, and the field is covered with weeds." When such times come — and they are coming, for history is constantly repeating itself — then the nation will stand near the brink of destruction.

But we must now continue. The 5th of June we gathered at the dock, where " California " was ready to start. What consolation to have the privilege to confide in the living God at all times, and especially, when we shall sail out on the treacherous ocean! What a rest to sit under the shadow of the Most High! Our boat has 9,000 tons' displacement, is 515 feet long, and was built only a few years ago. At 10 :15 A. M. the anchor is lifted, our boat turns, and steams out on the Hudson River. On the shore is a great throng of people. All are waving farewell. I know only a few in that great mass. It is an exciting moment, when one bids farewell to his country, even if it is only for a short time. I felt then, as I have always felt, that America is my country. I have no other. Slowly our boat glides down the Hudson River towards the sea, passing by Ellis island, the Statue of Liberty and Sandy Hook. It was not long before we saw the last glimpse of land. When others took off their hats to bid farewell, I took off mine, and with a prayer in my heart, I bade farewell to my country, my church, and all that is dear to the human heart, praying that God would protect them, my family, and the institution where the chnrch had placed me. It did not take very long before the "California" commenced to roll among the waves, and as a consequence thereof, many faces became pale and a good many went down into their cabins. Others were determined to remain on deck and I saw several times, how some manifested a surprising generosity at the railing. Most of the passengers kept up their courage all day, and were at their places at meals.

The next day was Sunday, and a stormy day it was. Very few appeared at the tables and we could hold no services. The 7th of June came with beautiful weather, and the passengers were in a happy mood. The following day we were at Newfoundland banks, and for some days we had excellent weather and all went well. An ocean steamer is a little world in itself. Here you find representatives of all kinds of people. On our boat there were seven ministers and we held religious services every evening. What a quieting power the word of God has everywhere, and especially on the stormy ocean !

Having been on the Atlantic about a week, we see the first glimpses of land about 10 o'clock in the morning. It is the mountain tops of the northern part of Ireland. At three o'clock P. M. we are anchored at Moville, and a number of passengers land at this place. Then our boat sets out for Scotland, and we land in Firth of Clyde the next morning, and at Greenwich on June 14th. A few hours later we land at Glascow, and the same morning, we continue our journey to Edinburgh, the beautiful capital city of Scotland.

Our company went to hotel Waverley, and there we found a hearty welcome. In the afternoon we went out with a guide to see the city. We must see Holyrood Castle, of course. Here the rulers of Scotland used to live. This magnificent building is now used as a sort of museum, and is open to the public.

Here, in this castle, Queen Mary used to live. The history of Queen Mary is a sad one. Having passed through many vicissitudes, she sought refuge at the court of Queen Elizabeth of England. Here she was taken captive, held in prison for eighteen years, and then executed.

From this castle we went to the house where John Knox used to live. This house is in fairly good condition and is now used as a museum. Not far from this house is the Parliament building.

In front of the Parliament building is a statue of King Charles II. He is represented as sitting on a horse, and there is a little face behind his head. He is known as the "two-faced king." Alas, that there are found so many of this class at the present time! From this place we went to the Castle of Edinburgh, which is located in the middle of the city. From this height there is a splendid view over the whole vicinity. Among other things, we saw here a cemetery for dogs. At the graves, tombstones are placed, stating the names and the merits of the various dogs while they were living. Strange sight indeed !

A little distance from this church we saw the home of Sir Walter Scott, and near by, a statue of Thomas Chalmers. His name is inscribed on the monument, and the dates 1780-1847. The statue represents him standing with the Bible in his hand. His work did not pass away with the spring breezes, but remains in the hearts of his countrymen. The city has an ideal location by the Firth of Forth, and a colossal bridge is built over the bay. It is one of the largest bridges in the world.

The 15th of June we went to London. The country through which we passed, was very beautiful and well kept, looking like a garden. Along the road we pass castles, villas, farms and well kept parks. Every square foot seems to be utilized in some way.

At six o'clock in the evening, our train rushed into Easton, in the great metropolis. We had some difficulty in finding a place, because all the hotels were overcrowded. At last we found a splendid place on Bedford street, near the station.

Our time was very limited, even here, and we had to rush ahead. We went to St. Paul's cathedral. This is a very large building and is located in the middle of the city. The style is not so easy as that of the other cathedrals on the continent. It is sooty on the outside, and dark within. Some one has happily defined dirt as ' ' matter out of place ' ' and this definition is quite correct. The Englishmen thought so too, as they were cleaning their cathedral on the outside at the time we were there.

We were in the cathedral several times and beheld the various choirs, altars, statues, sarcophagi and the numerous inscriptions on the walls and statues. Great men and women slumber here their last sleep till the last trumpet shall call them to rise. Here are the earthly remains of poets, warriors, scientists, theologians, philanthropists and architects. On the monuments of these dead we read in short sentences what they have done in life. Sometimes a few words will tell a long story. But the tourist must not forget the crypt or the basement — sit venia verbo. We went down into this crypt, and truly there are many things of interest to be seen. In this crypt sleeps the architect of this building, Christoffer Wren. On the wall above his tomb these words are inscribed in Latin, "Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice ! " (Reader, if you seek the monument, look around!). This building is surely a worthy monument to his memory. Here in this crypt many illustrious sons of England have found a last restingplace. It is really a ' ' kingdom of the dead." Going up in the cathedral proper, we see many names, noted in history, and among them I wish to mention General Gordon. On his monument the following words are written, " Major General Charles H. Gordon, who at all times and everywhere gave his strength to the weak, his substance to the poor, and his heart to God. ' ' He died in the battle at Khartum, Africa, Jan. 26, 1885. The memory of the righteous will remain. We bring nothing with us into this life and shall take nothing out of it, save our own souls. Some time ago a certain man, walking on the streets of New York and meeting another, was informed, that a certain man in the city had died. He was asked the question, "How much did he leave?" The answer was, "Everything." That is right. When we die, we leave everything behind us and take with us our conscience, either a good or a bad one.

As I was walking among these monuments, I thought, "0 that these graves could speak!" If the departed dead could bring us a message from the great beyond, what a message would they not bring !

Let us now go to the tower. This historic building is located near the Thames, not far from London bridge. It is a union of several buildings. The Tower was founded in 1078, by William the Conqueror, and his purpose in doing so was to give protection to the city. In the course of time this building has served as a fort, palace, and prison. At present it is used as a garrison for soldiers, and also as a kind of museum. Inside the first walls there are open places and on these the soldiers were marching around. Think of the history of the Tower of London ! Let us remind ourselves of a few things that have happened here. Within these gloomy walls many a prisoner has been held, while he was awaiting the time of his execution or the day of his liberty. One cell, particularly, made a deep impression on me. It is in the form of a chapel and called St. Peter ad Vincula. There are many graves at the altar. Here we see the graves of the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland. They are buried between the graves of Queens Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard. These four persons were executed during the bloody regime of Henry VIII. In front of the chapel is an open place, called ' ' Tower Green, ' ' and was used in ancient times as a burial place. In the middle of the open space is a piece of marble and this is surrounded by an iron chain. This marble slab and iron chain were placed there by the late Queen Victoria, and indicate the place where the scaffold used to stand. The history of England is very bloody and many of the kings have ruled with an iron sceptre. A certain prisoner had written, "More suffering for Christ's sake in this world, more glory for him in the next." Think of the time when the deeds of the world shall be made known before the whole world !