Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-03-23
miscellaneous.
CHoRAZIN - BETHsAIDA 49, CAPEE-
NAtJM

CIlOhALlN bblHOAlllA GAHEI .
NAUM.
Before the morning sun overtopped the
hills Of Bsshan, was in the saddle A ride
Of three miles westward along the shore
brought me to the ruins Of large town. 1t
was encompsssed by such dense Jungle Of
thorns, thistles, and rank weeds, that | had
to employ some shepards to open passage
for me. Clambering TO the top Of shattered
wall, was able to overlook the whole site
What scene Of desolatiou was thats Not
ahouse, not wall, not solitary pillar re-
mains standing. Broken columns, hewn
stones, sculptured slabs Of marble, and great
shapeless heaps of rubbish half concealed by
thorns and briars, alone serve TO mark the
site OF great and rich city The Arabian
does not pitch his tent there, the shepard
does not feed his flock there, not a sound fell
upon my ear as stood amid these ruins save
the gentle murInur OF each wave as it broke
on the pebbly beach, and the niournful sing
ing of the summer breeze through sun.
scorched branches yet it is the place where
CHoRAzIN once stood. Chorazin heard, but
rejected the words Of mercy from the lips Of
its Lord and be pronounced its doom. q" Woe
unto thee, Chorszn !" Matt. ll:2I.
After riding some three miles further along
the lake, l reached little, retired bay, with
pebbly strand, just such place as fisher
men would delight TO draw up their boats
and spread out their nets upon. Here were
numerous fountains, several old tanks and
aqueducts. great heaps OF rubbish, and fields
OF ruin. Two Arab tents were pitched lit
tie way up on the hillside, but saw no 9th
er trace there of human habiiation or human
life; and yet that is the site of BETHsA1DA.
the city Of Andrew and Peter, James and
John. Upon this strand Jesus called his first
disciples. Like Chorazin, this city heard and
rejected his words, and, like Chorazin, it
has been left dosolate. "Woe unto thee.
Bethsaids -
A few minutes more and | reached the
brow ola bluff promontory which dips into the
bosom of the lake. Before me now opened
the fertile plain Of Gonnesaret. At my feet,
beneath the western brow of the cliff, a little
fountain burst from rocky basin. A fig
tree spreads its branches over it, and gives il
a name, Ain-et-Tin, the fountain of the fig"
Beside it are some massive foundations, scarce
ly distinguishable amid the rank weeds and
away beyond it, almost covered with thiokets
OF thorns, briers, and gigantic thistles, saw
large heaps Of ruins and rubbish. These are
now all that mark the site Of CAPERNAUM
Christs words are fulfilled "And thou, Ca
pernaum, which art exalted unto heaven,
shall be brought down to hell" Matt. 1l:23.
On that day climbed peak which com
mands the lake and the Jordan valley up to
the waters of Merom. The principal scene
OF Christs public labors lay around me,
region some thirty miles long by ten wide. |
When he had his house at Capernaum, the
whole country was teeming with life ard bus
tie and industry. No less than ten cities,
with numerous villages, studded the chores
OF the lake and the plains and the hill sides
around. The water was all speckled with
the dark boats and white sails of Galilees
fishermen. Eager multitudes followed the
footsteps of Jesus through the city streets.
over the hower-strewn fields, along the peb-
bly, beach. What woful change has passed
over the land since that time The angel of
destruction has been there.
From that commanding height, through the
clear, Syrian atmosphere, was able to dis
tnguish, by hid OF my glass, every spot in
that wide region celebrated in sacred history
or hallowed by sacred association. My eve
swept the lake from north to south, from
east to west; not single sail, not u solitary
boat was there. My eye swept the great Jor-
dan valley, the little plains, the glens, the
mountain-sdes from base to summit-not a
city, not village, not house, not sign Of
settled habtation was there, except the few
huts of Magdals and the shattered houses Of
Tiberias. A mournful, solitary silence reipned
triumphant. Desolation keeps unbroken Sab.
bath in Galilee now. Nature has lavished on
the country some of her choicest gifts, a rich
soil, genial climate but the curse Of heay-
en- has come upon it because Of the sin of man.
saw how wondrously time had changed
prophetic sentence into graphic reality.
will make your cities waste, saith the
Lord will bring the land into desolaton.
will scatter you among the heather" " Up
on the land shall come up thorns and brers,
yea, upon all houses ofioy, in the joyous
city" so that the generations to come of
your children that shall rise up after you,
and the stranger that shall come from far
land, shall say when they sc" the plaques Of
that land, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus
unto this land What meaneth the heat Of
this great angeri" Jer. 90 lisa. SO; Deut.
29.-f0rters Z" Gates"