Travels of Our Saviour

Preface

The writer of the following pages is not wholly ignorant of the difficulty — not to say danger — connected with the preparation of a volume which brings into view, in any way, the character of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Even with the aid of the best harmonies, it is not easy always to be certain in regard to the true order of many incidents and events; although, so far as this order is of acknowledged importance, it is a case in which error should be particularly avoided. The writer hopes, however, that he has not, either in this respect or in any other, fallen into any material error. He hopes that the work will be of great service to the young, not only as a harmony of the gospels, but as a kind of introduction to the character of our Saviour. He hopes and trusts that while they 1#

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thus behold his glory, they may, through the influence of his Spirit j be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory.

It is, indeed, in this latter particular that he Considers this work chiefly valuable. If it fail to be serviceable here, then will it come greatly short of its chief end, and the author's main intention. He has written it, in one word, to lead the youthful mind and heart, not only to the knowledge, but also to the love of the Holy Scriptures, and of the character of their divine Author.

Perhaps it may not be amiss to anticipate, in this place, what is said in the introductory chapter, that the present volume does not make the high claim of being a complete life of the Saviour. As might be inferred from the title itself, it embraces only the principal incidents of his life. A complete list of these, in detail, is believed to be unnecessary, in the present work; first, because it would be likely to disturb too much the order of the narrative, and secondly, because many other writers have performed the service of presenting them already. In short, the great and leading object is to introduce our

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Saviour to the youthful reader, as a man, — as a traveler through the world, — living, speaking and acting like other men; only that in all things he was without sin, while of others there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not.

Children too often read the sacred writings, — - and the life of our Saviour among the other portions of them, — as they are accustomed to read fiction or romance. Thousands seem not to realize that the Saviour was a man, and had the feelings, and temptations, and trials of men ; that he walked, ate, drank, and slept like other men ; in a word, that, in addition to his divine nature, he had a complete human nature, being in all respects as we are, except that he was without sin. To render solid, substantial and real what appears to them more or less dreamy or unreal ; to enlist more fully their sympathies with him who lived as well as died for them ; to form their characters on the model of his, and thus to aid, ultimately, in their conversion and sanctification, are, be it repeated, the leading objects of the work. With this view, after repeated solicitations from many friends of the religious education of the young, the author undertook to prepare the work; and with

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this he now presents it to the public, in the earnest hope and prayer that it may prove a means of leading the rising generation to " glorify God " our Saviour " in their bodies and spirits, which are his."

Dedham, January, 1840.

TRAVELS OF OUR SAVIOUR.

Introduction

All mankind are travelers, my young friends — you and I among the rest. All are traveling towards death, towards the judgment, towards eternity. From the cradle to the grave there is no resting-place whatever. The journey of life may be said to be going on even while we sleep. Every hour, yes, every moment, our march is onward; for every hour and every moment bring us nearer to the end of our course. It is true we seem to pursue many different roads; some broader, others more narrow; some thorny, others more pleasant; some longer, others shorter. Nevertheless they all end at the valley of the shadow of death, and all travelers must cross that dark valley.

Beyond this valley, how numerous soever have been the roads by which we have traveled through the world, there are but two places of abode — two countries prepared for our reception. However varied our tastes, whatever may be our likes or our dislikes, however diversified may seem to be the shades of character we possess, we shall be found to form (as we always have done in reality in all our journeyings this side of it) but two classes of persons — the one loving good or holiness, the other loving evil or sin; the one the followers of God our Saviur, the other the followers of the cc devices and desires " of our own hearts, and of Satan the grand adversary; the one the inhabitants of heaven, a city which hath foundations, a glorious city, whose builder and maker is God, the other the inhabitants of hell, the pit which is bottomless, the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone whence the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.

I have said that one of these classes of human travelers — the lovers of holiness — are the followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yes, my dear young friends, our Saviour, like you and me was once a traveler.

Though he had a home, a mansion in the heavens, — though he was the Father's only begotten son and was tenderly beloved by the Father, yet did he consent to journey throughthis world — this wilderness world, as some call it — that he might set a glorious example, as well as accomplish for us and others still higher and nobler objects. Thirty and three years, or not far from this period, did he continue his toilsome pilgrimage, and that too over a road more difficult than falls to the lot of any of his most careful and studious followers, ere he came to the end of his journey; and then that end was by treachery and violence ; a violence almost unparalleled in the history of man; a violence which should and probably does make us all shudder; accompanied as it was by the hiding of his Father's face, which was more to be endured than all besides.

You have read the Saviour's travels, as I trust, in the New Testament. I propose to you, as truth, nothing which cannot be found there. I have, however, supposed it might be useful to persons of your age to become acquainted with those travels, by themselves, as travels; and in their natural order. I have not attempted to give a complete account of every thing which was acted and transacted during the various and numerous journeyings of our Saviour, but only of such things and events as were intimately connected with these journeyings and as are most striking. To get a complete history of his life you must study, for yourselves, the book 1 have mentioned — the New Testament — together with those parts of the Old Testament which throw light on the same subject, especially the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah.

You may also find it useful, in some measure, to study a few of the books which uninspired men have written about him. There are several volumes, larger and smaller, called Cf the Life of Christ," which are very good. But, I repeat it, the best Life of Christ as a whole — by far the best — is to be found in the New Testament, to which I must refer you, not only for an account of his life, in general, but even of his travels.

If the perusal of this little volume shall not have the effect to make you love that great source of information — the Bible — better than before; if it shall not lead you to study the character and life of Jesus Christ with deeper interest, and to endeavor to walk as he walked; thinking, speaking, acting and living as he did, more than ever before, then will it fail of its great object, and the writer will have labored in vain.

But he hopes better things of you, and " things which accompany salvation," as an apostle would say, though he thus speaks. After you have perused carefully these chapters, he hopes that the various chapters of the Bible — and especially those of the Gospels of our Lord and Saviour — will become, more than they ever were before, a light to your feet, and a lamp to your paths, to guide you on through this wilderness world, till you reach the heavenly Canaan, the new Jerusalem, the city of our God; till you sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, yes, and with the Saviour himself, in the kingdom of eternal bliss, to go no more out, for ever and for ever.

Chapter I

The Saviour born a traveler — Is first known at Bethlehem — Journey to Egypt — Return to Palestine — Journey to Nazareth — He resides there.

The Saviour of mankind was, as it were, born a traveler. Leaving the bosom of that Father with whom he had resided before the world was, and descending to this lower world, the first intelligence we have of him is his birth at Bethlehem. But he was born a traveler in another respect. Joseph and Mary, his earthly parents, were on a journey at the very time of his birth. Their usual residence was at Nazareth, about eighty miles northward of the city of Bethlehem; but having occasion to go to Bethlehem, at this time, the Saviour was born while they were sojourning there. So that in two respects at least, was he born a traveler; away from his native home.

But he was not only born a traveler, he continued such. Though descended from obscure parents, cradled in a manger because the inns at Bethlehem were all occupied, and scarcely known to any individual but his own parents, a most singular and remarkable life was before him. There was a tradition and belief abroad at this time, among his countrymen, the Jews, that a personage was then about to appear among them, who should become their king.

It is true they had a king already, but they did not like him very well. Moreover they were tributary to, that is, under the Romans; and their new king, it was expected, would set them free.

After Jesus was born, it was soon noised about among his countrymen, the Jews, that he was to be the new king. The intelligence of course, reached Herod, the reigning monarch, and gave him great offence. He could not bear the idea of a rival.

What then should he do? He was a cruel prince, and did not hesitate to do almost any thing that would be likely to accomplish his purposes. He did not care so much what was just and good and right, as he did to secure his own selfish aims and purposes. His mind was soon made up. The young king, the child Jesus, must be slain.

I have said of Herod that he did not long hesitate to do whatever he thought would be likely to effect his purpose. He who could entertain murder in his heart, would not be likely to regard truth in his statements. He lived in Jerusalem. Bethlehem, where the infant Saviour was born, was five or six miles south of Jerusalem. Herod, therefore, under pretence of friendship — yes, and piety too — requested certain wise men, or Magi, who were going to Bethlehem, to find out in what part of the city Jesus was, and bring him word that he might go and worship him. Wretched old king! Was it not enough that thou shouldst harbor murder in thine heart, without attempting to cover it with the mantle of piety ?

But the messengers did not bring him the word he desired. That God who watches over the sleeping infant, as well as the waking adult, and whose own eye never needs either sleep or slumber, would not fail to take care of his well-beloved Son. He made known to the messengers his will that they should not return to Jerusalem to give information to Herod; and like good and true men they ventured to obey the King of heaven rather than the king at Jerusalem.

In the mean time, however, another thing was to be done. Herod's jealousy and cruelty were not at all abated by the neglect of the wise men to return to him; and there was no certainty that he would let the matter rest where it was. It was necessary therefore that the child Jesus should be removed beyond the reach of his cruelty.

Accordingly a command from Heaven came to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, to go away with him and his mother, immediately, to Egypt, and remain there till the danger was over, or at least till permission was granted them to return.

The reasons, moreover, were given, why his flight was necessary. God deals with his children somewhat as wise earthly parents do with theirs; sometimes giving the reasons for what he does and sometimes not doing it. Happy is the individual, however, who promptly and immediately obeys the commands of a parent, whether an earthly or an heavenly one, whether any reasons for them are assigned or not.

The parents of Jesus did not hesitate. First, they wished to obey God. Secondly, they loved their children tenderly. 2*

They would be especially careful and tender of so young a child as Jesus. They would no doubt submit, on his account, to almost any privation. Thirdly, they seem to have had some notions, confused ones though they were, of his future greatness. They probably thought he would, at least, become a distinguished prophet.

Egypt, as perhaps you know, lay southwestward of Palestine, on the borders of Africa. In those early times the journey from Bethlehem to Egypt was rather formidable. The roads through the country were very far from being as good as our roads are, nor were they so easily followed. Indeed it can hardly be said, in strictness of language, that there were any roads at all from Palestine to Egypt ; the country being a sandy desert, in which good roads cannot be built, at least without a very great deal of trouble and expense.

Moreover, if Joseph and Mary and the infant Saviour commenced their journey in the month of February, as seems to me most likely (though by no means certain), neither the weather nor the traveling was favorable. True, the severest part of the winter was over; but there were still occasional snows, and frequent rains, as well as sudden changes from heat to cold. Whether they walked or rode, it must, therefore, have been very bad traveling. The aspect of the country at this season, was, moreover, in all probability rather dreary; though the eye of the traveler in Palestine is usually relieved in the latter part of February — and perhaps this was the season in which the journey was made — by the sight of peach blossoms, and occasionally by the blossoms of the apple-tree.

The distance from Bethlehem to Egypt was also considerable. We do not indeed know to what part of Egypt they retired; but we may reasonably suppose they made a journey of something like 150 or 200 miles; which, under the circumstances of which I have been speaking, was no trifling journey, even for those who were better able than Joseph and Mary to bear the expense of it.

How long they staid in Egypt, is not said. Some suppose it was a few months only; others think it was six or seven years. To me it seems most likely it was, only a few months, or at most a year.* He remained

* There is a class of men in our country, as you know, who disbelieve or profess to disbelieve the Bible, and are hence called inthere in any event until the death of Herod, the cruel king at Jerusalem of whom I have already spoken; which came to pass soon afterwards. Not, however, till this same Herod had issued a most severe and wicked decree and seen it executed. For so it was, that on finding the wise men by whom he sent to find out about Jesus did not return to tell him where the young Jesus was, and that his hypocritical purpose was likely to be discovered, he determined on destroying his supposed young rival; and not knowing his age, exactly now, he sent forth executioners and caused all the children in the neighborhood of Bethlehem under their second year* to be

fidels. These men, it is true, generally profess to think well of the character of Christ. One of them, however, in conversation with a Sabbath school teacher, told him that Christ was a kind of magician, and that he learned his magical arts in Egypt where, as he said, he was brought up. It was sufficient to confute this, for the young teacher to turn to Luke, fourth chapter, where it says ; And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up,&cc. The infidel was silent, concluding no doubt that he could not have been brought up in two countries at once.

* I have said under their second year, because it was the custom of the Jews in speaking of the age of a person to include the year on which he had entered. Thus Jesus was baptized when he began to be about 30 years of age, that is, as soon as he was 29, and a little over. A person 20 years old and only one day over would be reckoned 21 years old. So when the Bible says Herod slew all the children in the neighborhood of Bethlehem , '* from put to death. Had not Jesus been preserved, by being ordered by the heavenly mandate into Egypt, he too must, to human view, have shared the same fate with the rest.

But kings do not live always, any more than other men, especially wicked. According to the Bible, the wicked, whether high or low, " do not live out half their days." Herod though not yet an old man, was unexpectedly to himself called away to meet his final judge and wait his award, whether prepared or unprepared to receive it.

When Herod was dead, a voice from heaven communicated the intelligence to our sojourners in Egypt, and directed them to return into Palestine, or, as it was then called, the land of Israel. Glad, no doubt, to obey the summons, and supposing, as it would seem, that since the child was born in Bethlehem, he ought to be educated there, they bent their course thither.

two years old and under," I suppose it means all who had entered at all upon their second year. It does not make him the less cruel perhaps to prove, if we could do it, that what I have supposed here was really the fact ; for he was cruel enough in any case ; but we should be willing and glad to do every body justice, even king Herod. Moreover, we should be glad to understand every thing just as it ought to be understood, especially the Bible.

Herod, however, had been succeeded in the government by his son Archelaus, who proved to be almost as cruel as the father, for no sooner had he obtained the consent of the Romans to reign over that part of the country where his father had lived, than, according to the best historians, he massacred 3,000 Jews in the temple on a single day.

How Joseph obtained a knowledge of his cruelty, we know not, or whether he knew it, in fact, at all, is uncertain. In any event, he judged that the son of Herod could hardly be a good man, and that he would almost inevitably carry out all the purposes of his father.* Accordingly he did not return to Bethlehem, nor into that part of the country where Bethlehem and Jerusalem are situated, but passed on northward into Galilee ; and finally concluded to return once more to his former residence at Nazareth.

* One of the more striking marks of difference between good and bad men consists in the disposition of which I am here speaking. Good men — kings as well as others — are ready to forgive ; bad men are apt to revenge. Savages you know, seek revenge, even down to many generations after the existence of the generation which injured them ; that is, they will be as apt to kill the grandson for the deeds of the grandfather as to kill the grandfather himself. How dreadful such revenge! And how thankful ought we to be for a religion which, like that of Christ, encourages forgiveness even in death.

This was quite a long journey; nearly a hundred miles longer than the former. At what season it was performed, or under what particular circumstances, we have now no means of ascertaining. If the infant Jesus was not a year old, the scenery, humanly speaking, was nothing to him; but if he was several years old, he was prepared to take no little interest in beholding the places and objects which were passed. Much of the route must have been rather uninteresting to the traveler, except that a soil highly cultivated almost every where, especially after they got fairly out of Egypt, would be always likely to afford delight to persons brought up, as Joseph and Mary probably had been in the country.

Of the travels of Jesus any farther till he was twelve years of age, we know very little. He appears to have staid at home with his parents; and it is generally supposed that he worked with his father, at the carpenter's work. His father, like other pious Jews, is believed to have gone, once or more every year, to Jerusalem, at feast times, but whether Jesus, in his earliest years, ever went with him, is more doubtful. To me, from the

Scripture account of him, it appears highly probable he did not.

The most we know of Jesus with certainty, during this period is, that he lived with his parents and was obedient to them; and that he attended every Sabbath, the religious worship of the synagogue. Synagogues in those days were very numerous, in all cities where there were Jews. Hardly a town or village, even of those which were small as Nazareth, that had not at least one of them; and some had many. Jerusalem alone, not far from this time, is said by some historians to have had no less than 480 of them; but whether this statement is or is not wholly true, the number was certainly very great.

Chapter II

The Feasts at Jerusalem — Feast of the Passover — Journey thither—What was to be seen on the road— His adventure in the temple — His conduct there — Return to Nazareth with his parents.

I have already said that I suppose our Saviour's first journey to Jerusalem was not performed until he was twelve years of age.

Some suppose otherwise, however. Certain it is that at this time he made a journey thither, in company with his parents.

The law of God required all the male Israelites, after they were twelve years of age, to appear three times a year in the temple in Jerusalem; to be present at the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of the Passover. Joseph and Mary felt especially bound to attend the latter feast, and though the distance was about 75 or 80 miles, and they were poor, and probably walked, it does not appear that they ever failed of attending to this part of their duty.

The Feast of the Passover was kept in the fifteenth day of the month Nisan, which, as I understand it, would be the 26th of our March. * It lasted eight days, and was designed, as you probably know, to keep in remembrance the great mercy of God, in passing over the Israelites in Egypt, and leaving them unharmed, while the first-born of the Egyptians were all destroyed; of which you will, of course, find a full account in the book of Exodus.

* Some, however, incline to think it must have been the 2d of April.

The journey to Jerusalem must have been rather pleasant than otherwise. If it was the first time the Saviour went far from home after he was old enough to observe men and things and make his own reflections upon them, it must have been to him a most delightful excursion. The almond, apricot, and peach trees had blossomed some time before, but the pear, the fig and the palm trees, — and the apple trees where there were any — were now in full bloom. The trees of the fields and of the forests were covered with their rich foliage. Beans and peas were ripe enough for gathering. In the garden might be seen flourishing the artichoke, rosemary, fennel, sage, thyme, &c. The latter rains, however, were occasionally falling, and the ground, in consequence, was muddy, though the rains usually ceased about the end of the Passover, so that the walking homeward was much better. When the rain is not falling, at this season, the weather in Palestine is usually warm and sometimes hoc, attended with thunder storms and hail; and there are occasional tornadoes and earthquakes at this season, also strong floods. Still, as I have already said, these last being rare, journeying, at this season, is usually pleasant.

I must speak of our Saviour, in these his travels, as 1 would of any other traveler, for he was human as well as divine; and at this early age, and indeed at every age, he must be supposed to have had human thoughts and feelings and passions (bad ones excepted), and among the rest, human curiosity. I cannot doubt that as a young man he delighted to see objects on the road, as he and his parents passed along to Jerusalem. I have made this apology for once, that in speaking of the Saviour as a traveler, I may not seem to my young readers to be irreverent; and I hope this remark may be continually borne in mind.

As there were no canals or steamboats or railroads in those days nor any stage coaches, travelers on the road from Nazareth to Jerusalem, as elsewhere, were compelled to proceed slowly. If they rode on horseback, they must have been at least two days in performing the journey; but if they traveled on foot, which is more probable, they might be on the road three days or more.

What then would they see, new and curious, on the road? What mountains, rivers, lakes, cities, villages; and what natural or artificial curiosities? What sort of people; what manners and what customs; what animals — birds, beasts, &c?

If they passed through Samaria, w T hich was the nearest route to Jerusalem — and I suppose they did — at their first setting out from Nazareth for Jerusalem, they must have crossed the valley of Jezreel. This was a distance of twelve or fifteen miles; after which the road is chiefly hilly.

And yet, although hilly, it can scarcely be called mountainous. Mount Carmel must have appeared some twenty-five miles distant, at the west, on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea, having its top about 1,500 feet, or a quarter of a mile above the level of the water. On the northern side of the plain, to the east of the road by which they had descended from the mountain of Nazareth, stood Mount Tabor with the snows of the lofty Hermon, at a much greater distance beyond it. But to the sight of these Jesus had always been accustomed, so that, though they were seen more distinctly in crossing the plain of Jezreel, they would not therefore present any thing very new. Beyond Samaria, on the east side of the city of Sychar or Shechem, are the famous mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, where the curses of the law on certain wicked characters were pronounced; and it was on mount Gerizim that the Samaritan temple was built, in opposition to the temple of the true God at Jerusalem.

There were no rivers on the road worth mentioning; nor any seas or lakes fairly in sight. The Mediterranean was some twenty or thirty miles off, the greater part of the way, and except from the hills could probably be seen only from Samaria and its neighborhood; and the sea or lake of Galilee, some fourteen or fifteen miles east of the road, could not be seen at all.

As to cities and villages we hardly know, at this day, whether they passed any of much size or interest, except Samaria, Sychem or Shechem and Bethel. Galilee was indeed full of small cities, as we shall soon see; and so were some parts of Samaria and Judea — probably those through which lay the road to Jerusalem — but of these the names are not mentioned in the New Testament. As to curiosities, natural or artificial, I do not know that there were any till they came to Jerusalem.