"MY DEAR FRIEND,--Now that we are in the most wonderful spot in all this world,--where Jesus lived and walked, and prayed and died, and will come again,--I doubt not you will be anxious to hear how we come on. I am thankful that ever He privileged us to come to this land. I heard of my flock yesterday by a letter from home,--the first I have received, dated 8th May.... We are living in one of the missionaries' houses on Mount Zion. My window looks out upon where the Temple was, the beautiful Mount of Olives rising behind. The Lord that made heaven and earth, bless thee out of Zion.--Yours," etc.
One evening, after our visit to Sychar, he referred to the Bible which I had dropped into Jacob's Well. We were then resting from our journey in our tents. Soon after he penned on a leaf of his note-book the following fragment:--
My own loved Bible, must I part from thee, Companion of my toils by land and sea; Man of my counsels, soother of distress, Guide of my steps through this world's wilderness In darkest nights, a lantern to my feet; In gladsome days, as dropping honey sweet. When first I parted from my quiet home, At thy command, for Israel's good to roam. Thy gentle voice said, "For Jerusalem pray, So shall Jehovah prosper all thy way." When through the lonely wilderness we strayed, Sighing in vain for palm-trees' cooling shade, Thy words of comfort hushed each rising fear, "The shadow of thy mighty Rock is near." And when we pitched our tents on Judah's hills, Or thoughtful mused beside Siloa's rills; Whene'er we climbed Mount Olivet, to gaze Upon the sea, where stood in ancient days The heaven-struck Sodom-- Sweet record of the past, to faith's glad eyes, Sweet promiser of glories yet to rise![14]
[14] It is a somewhat curious occurrence, that the remnants of this Bible were found and drawn up from the bottom of the well, in July 1843, by Dr. Wilson and his fellow-traveller, who employed a Samaritan from Sychar to descend and examine the well.
At the foot of Carmel, during the seven days we were in quarantine under the brow of the hill, we had time to recall many former scenes; and in these circumstances he wrote the hymn, _The Fountain of Siloam_.
Here, too, he had leisure to write home; and most graphically does he describe our journey from Alexandria onward.
CARMEL, _June 26, 1839_
"MY DEAR FATHER, MOTHER, etc.--It is a long time since I have been able to write to you,--this being the first time since leaving Egypt that any one has appeared to carry letters for us. I must therefore begin by telling you that, by the good hand of our God upon me, I am in excellent health, and have been ever since I wrote you last. Fatigues we have had many, and much greater than I anticipated; hardships and dangers we have also encountered, but God has brought us all safely through, and in fully better condition than when we began. You must not imagine that I have altogether lost the palpitation of my heart, for it often visits me to humble and prove me; still I believe it is a good deal better than it was, and its visits are not nearly so frequent. I hope very much, that in a cold bracing climate, and with less fatigue, I may perhaps not feel it at all. I was very thankful to receive your letter, dated 8th May,--the first since leaving home. I was delighted to hear of your health and safety, and of the peaceful communion at St. Peter's. The public news was alarming and humbling.[15] I suppose I had better begin at the beginning, and go over all our journeyings from the land of Egypt through the howling wilderness to this sweet land of promise. I would have written _journalwise_ (as my mother would say) from time to time, so that I might have had an interesting budget of news ready; but you must remember it is a more fatiguing thing to ride twelve or fourteen hours on a camel's back, in a sandy wilderness, than in our home excursions; and I could often do nothing more than lie down on my rug and fall asleep.
[15] He alludes here to the decision of the House of Lords in the Auchterarder case.