omnipotent power is exerted to arouse our benumbed affections, to warm our cold hearts, to awake our drowsy spirits, and to move our sluggish souls towards God and Heaven. Let us not forget then, that there is a special promise that the Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask for it. I think Christians should pray oftener and more earnestly for this particular favor. To what purpose are all our prayers, meetings, sermons and labors, if we do not receive the influences of the spirit? We may indeed get up a system of means and exertions which will have the show of religion, but the reality will be wanting. There will be no life, no soul in it. What is religion without the vital principle of love moving in the heart, and exciting our energies? Mere pharisaism-odious and abominable in the sight of God. We ask a blessing on our food, unite in family and in public prayers, and in songs of praise; how much of all this is merely the effect of education, habit, and fashion? and how much is the effect of sincere love to Christ? And if we bring all that appears like religion to this test, how much must be condemned, and how little will bear the scrutiny!

"It is not, however, for us to judge others. This is the prerogative of Him who alone knows the heart. But in order that we ourselves may not be judged and condemned by Him, we should judge ourselves. Sensible as we must be, that we can do nothing to any purpose without the constant aid and influences of the Holy Spirit, let us pray daily for this blessing. And if we wish to see our friends, and the ministers and churches of Christ more devout and zealous in his service, let us be continually in prayer for the more abundant effusions of the Spirit.'

66

'Sept. 6. Mr. Wolff and I rode to Bekoorka about one hour nearly west of Antoura. It is a deserted convent, which was built by Hendia, whose history is given by Volney, Vol. Chap. 24. Volney loved

to tell stories against monks, and probably many readers have considered the story of Hendia as a slander, or at best a novel, rather than a true story. I conversed, or tried to converse with some of the bishops and priests who knew her, but I never found any of them willing to converse on the subject. I am told that this infamous woman died a few years ago at Aleppo.

"From Bekoorka we proceeded a little E. of N. along the side and over the summit of a very rocky mountain, by an excessively bad road, and in an hour arrived at Arissa, a convent belonging to the Catholic missions of Terra Santa. These missions are distinct from those of the Propaganda at Rome, and constitute a different order of missions. They are generally under French protection, and the missionaries and convents are, I believe, usually of the Franciscan order. The head of the missions of the Terra Santa is the Padre Guardiano of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. He is now on a tour to visit the different establishments under his care. Padre Carlo, a Roman, is the only ecclesiastic now at Arissa. The convent is delightfully situated, commands a fine view of the sea and the coast, and has a pure refreshing air. It contains above thirty rooms, a church, refectory, kitchen and some other apartments. From Arissa we went in half an hour to Sharfi, a convent of Syrian Catholics. In it we found the metropolitan, now 73 years old, who was formerly patriarch, but resigned his office a few years ago, and was succeeded by Peter Jarwy,* who had just returned from Europe.

"I learn from the bishops that they baptize thus: The child is placed in the font so that a part of the body is in the water; then the officiating priest three times takes water in his hands and pours it on the child's head, repeating at each time the name of one person of the Trinity. After this the body is

* Written sometimes Giarve and Giarwy.

immersed; but when I inquired whether the immersion was an essential part of the baptism, they said, 'No-the baptism would be valid and perfect without it.'"

Short extract from a letter to Rev. Mr. Temple, dated Sept. 13. "If any of you will come next winter and take possession of the Holy Land, I should like to take a journey to Armenia or Mesopotamia, to Nineveh, Babylon, and perhaps Persia.

"We all harmonize very well, (as Mr. Wolff says) and shall rejoice to give some of you the right hand of fellowship in the Land of Promise. But come prepared to live with such comforts as you can find, and to bear such disappointments as your Lord may send."

On the 16th, Mr. Fisk heard of the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Jowett at Beyroot. He immediately set out in company with Mr. Lewis to greet him there. On the 19th, Mr. Jowett returned with them to Antoura. On the 23d, Mr. King joined them from Der el Kamer. After spending a few days together, it was their intention to travel over Mount Lebanon.

"Sept. 29. The past week has been an exceedingly interesting one. We spent several hours every day in a free and friendly discussion of practical questions that concern our respective missions, and the best method of promoting them.

"To day in company with Mr. Wolff I made a visit to Sharfi and Bzomar; the latter place is the residence of the Armenian Catholic patriarch. It is rather a theological seminary than a convent. About twenty young men are here pursuing studies preparatory to the ministry. I was informed, that their studies consisted of grammar, rhetoric, logic, metaphysics, and Theology.

"I have seen no convents so good or so neat as this; nor have I, in any of the monastic establishments that I have visited, met with men of equal talents and acquisitions. They are agreeable, enter

prising and persevering. They made many inquiries about the expense that would attend the purchase and establishment of a press. From their inquiries I infer that the establishment of a press is a part of their plan."

On the following day Mr. Fisk, accompanied by Messrs. Wolff and King set out for Tripoli, having previously sent a camel load of Bibles there to the care of the consul. After a ride of six hours he reached Gibail, and as it was evening, the gates of the town were shut, and he was obliged to lodge under an open shed, with a single blanket to spread upon the ground for a bed.

"Oct. 1. Left Gibail, and in five hours arrived at the village Batroon, and were hospitably received by the Maronite priest, Istafan (Stephen). At his house we sold and gave away twenty-three copies of the Scriptures to those who called upon us. We had religious conversation with them-they remarked: 'We never heard Englishmen speak of such things before. When they come here, they call for wine, aqua-vitae, and good food, and talk of nothing else.""

The next day after a ride of eight hours Mr. Fisk came to Tripoli, where he and his companions were kindly entertained by the English vice consul. The place he supposed might contain about 15,000 inhabitants, principally Mussulmans.

"4. At half past nine we left Tripoli, rode over a plain, and ascended the mountains, till we reached a lofty summit, with a valley before us, which I cannot better describe, than by calling it a frightful chasm in the earth. We dismounted, and descended literally by winding stairs, nearly to the bottom of the ravine, and then, after various windings and gentle ascents among shrub-oaks, we reached the convent of Mar Antonius at Khoshiah, situated on the side of an almost perpendicular mountain. We were nine hours on our way from Tripoli to the convent. It is a Maronite establishment, and contains about 100 monks. They were dirty, stupid and igno

rant. One of the priests told me, that not more than one-fourth of the whole number could read. They have a press in the convent, and print their church books in Syriac and Carshun. The books are printed and bound by the monks. I could not learn from them that they had printed the Bible, or any part of it, except in the form of church lessons. We asked the Superior of the convent something about his belief in the Scriptures, and he said,-'I believe what the Church believes.' He then inquired about our faith, and we replied, "We believe what the Bible teaches.'

"It is the standing rule of these convents, that all assemble for religious worship an hour before day every morning, and on certain occasions at an earlier hour.

"On the next day," says Mr. Fisk, "we looked at the printing establishment, which is a small one with none but Syriac types." Towards evening he with his companions left Khoshiah for Kannobeen, the residence of the Maronite patriarch. He ascended a very steep mountain, and then descended one, which he speaks of as the steepest he ever attempted to pass. "We often crossed narrow ways with a stupendous precipice above us of immense rocks, piled up almost perpendicularly, and a similar one below us."

From the observations which Mr. Fisk was able to make, he gives it as his opinion, that there are about 100 convents in Mount Lebanon belonging to the Greeks, Syrian Catholics, Armenian Catholics, Greek Catholics, and Maronites, of which 60 or 70 belong to the latter sect. The population is reckoned at from 100 to 150,000.

Leaving Kannobeen he passed through Ehden, which he describes as "a delightful, fertile spot, with fine streams of water and rich fields. The houses are at some distance from each other and surrounded with trees, of which a large number belongs to the specics of the walnut."