10

Religious Opinions respecting Water.

[Book I.

state, it appears to be destined, (through the steam engine) to accomplishthe greatest moral and physical changes, which the intellectual inhabitantsof this planet have ever experienced, since our species became its denizens.

The distribution of water is not uniform over the earth’s surface, nor yetunder its crust. While in some countries, natural fountains, capacious rivers,and frequent rains, present abundant sources for all the purposes of humanlife ; in others, it is extremely scarce, and procured only with difficulty, andconstant labor. This has ever been the case in various parts of Asia , andalso in Egypt and other parts of Africa , where rain seldom falls. It isonly from a knowledge of this fact and of the temperature and debilitatinginfluences of eastern climates, that we are enabled to appreciate the pecu-Iiar force and beauty of numerous allusions to water, which pervade allthe writings of eastern authors, both sacred and profane. Nor withoutthis knowledge could we understand many of the peculiar customs of thepeople of the east.

Mahomet well knew that his followers, living under the scorchingrays of the sun, their flesh shrivelled with the desiccating influences ofthe air, and “ dried up with thirst,” could only be moved to embrace hisdoctrines by such promises as he made them, of “ springs of living waters,”“ security in shades,” “ amidst gardens” and “ fountains pouring forth plen-ty of water.” a Nor could his ingenuity have devised a more appropriatepunishment, than that with which he threatened unbelieving Arabs in hell.They were to have no mitigation of their torments; no cessation of them,except at certain intervals, when they were to take copious draughts of“filthy and boiling water.” b It was universally believed by the ancients,that the manes of their deceased friends experienced a Suspension ofpunishment in the infernal regions, while partaking of the provisions whichtheir relatives placed on their graves. The Arabian legislator improvedupon the tradition.

The orientals have always considered water, either figuratively or lite-rally, as one of the principal enjoyments of a future state. Gardens,shades, and fountains, are the prominent objects in their paradise. In theRevelations we are told “ the Lamb shall lead them, (the righteous,) un-to living fountains of waters.” Chap. vii, 17.—“ A pure river of water oflife.” Chap. xxii, 1. The book which contains an account of the religionand philosophy of the Hindoos, is named anbertkend, signifying, “ thecistern of the waters of life.” c

Inhabitants of temperate climates, seldom or never experience that ex-cruciating thirst implied in such expressions as “ the soul panting for wa-ter;” nor that extremity of despair when, under such suffering, the exhaus-ted traveller arrives at a place “ where no water is.” Under these cir-cumstances, the orientals have often been compelled to slay their camels,for the sake of the water they might find in their stomachs; and a sumexceeding five hundred dollars, has been given for a single draught of it.

It is necessary to experience something like this, in Order fully to com-prehend the importance of the Savior’s precept, respecting the giving “ acup of cold water,” and to know the real value of such a gift. We shouldthen see that sources of this liquid are to the orientals, literally “fountainsof life '’ and “ Wells of Salvation.” And when we become acquainted withtheir methods of raising water, we shall perceive how singularly appositeare those illustrations, which the author of Ecclesiastes has drawn from “thepitcher broken at the fountain;” and from “ the wheel broken at the cis-tem.” Chap. xii, 6.

Sale’s Koran, chaps. 55,76,83. b Koran, chaps. 34,22, 37. “Million ofFacts, p. 253.