Page images
PDF
EPUB

number of priests and people, came out of a convent and went in procession, preceded by a janizary, as is common on such occasions, to their burying ground to pray for their deceased friends. We went into the Armenian convent. Its chapel is small, but richly ornamented.

"From the burying place the Greeks returned to the city and went to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The archbishop of Lydda presided. The priests who were to assist him in the service came out from behind the altar, and bowed before it with their faces to the floor, and then in the same manner before the archbishop, kissed his hands, bowed again, and then prepared to commence their unintelligible repetition of prayers. But I am tired of describing, and even of witnessing this endless round of ceremonies.

"26. Busy in preparing to leave Jerusalem.— During two months that we have been here, we have sold eighty-four copies of the Scriptures and given away fifty-two, and 770 Tracts. Mr. Wolff remains to labor a little longer among the Jews, and after that he proposes to rejoin us on Mount Lebanon."

TO ONE OF HIS MISSIONARY BRETHREN.

"How my soul would rejoice, my dear Brother, if instead of writing you, I could have you here this evening in my room, We would kneel together on Mount Calvary, and adore that Saviour who here shed his blood to redeem us from sin. O what amazing events have taken place on this ground. But now the daughter of Zion sits solitary-the wrath of God burns hot against Jerusalem. It seems to me that if there is a city on earth, that is peculiarly abandoned, and devoted to sin, it is this very city, where the blood of redemption flowed. True there is no Juggernaut here, but there is idol

atry almost as gross as that of India. Why does not the earth again quake, and the rocks again rend, and Mount Calvary open to swallow up those who dare thus profane this sacred spot? We have wept and prayed, as we have cast our eyes over the desolations of Zion. I think I never felt so strongly in any situation before, the necessity of trusting directly and entirely in God. I hope and trust he will cause our work to prosper.

"I wish, dear Brother, you could go with us once to Mount Zion and to Gethsemane-take a few turns with me on the flat roof of the convent, and survey the places around us. But you are engaged in your work. You must * * * * And I must study Italian and Greek, and Arabic with its thirteen congregations, and twenty ways of forming the plural, and thirty three ways of forming the infinitive; with its consonants without vowels, and its unnumbered dialects. And then I must sell Bibles, give away Tracts, translate Tracts to be printed, preach the Gospel to a Greek to-day, a Catholic tomorrow, an Armenian the third day, and a Jew the day after, and the next day give a Testament to some learned Turk who calls to see me. Then I must pack up my baggage, and mount a camel, or a dromedary, or a horse, or a mule, or an ass, as the case may be, and make a journey to Hebron, or to the Jordan, or to Mount Lebanon.

find

"I am glad, that amidst all your cares, you time to think of me; and that I have a quiet moment this evening to write to you. All is dark and silent around me. I am in my little room alone. The holy Sabbath is approaching. On Calvary it seems to have more than an ordinary sacredness. It was here that Christ made the first day of the week holy, by triumphing on that eventful morning over death and the grave. O that many on the morrow may rise to newness of life in Him."

CHAPTER XI.

JOURNEY FROM JERUSALEM TO BEYROOT AND MOUNT LEBANON, AND RESIDENCE IN ANTOURA.

Ir was the intention of Mr. Fisk to extend his Christian researches through the most interesting parts of Syria, and thus "spy out the land," before he became permanently located. The information which he would thus acquire, would be of important use to other missionaries, besides the advantages which would result to himself. Having been in Jerusalem and the vicinity eight or ten weeks, he concluded to spend the hot season on Mount Lebanon. For this purpose he left that city June 27, 1823, in company with Mr. King. On his way he speaks of crossing a small stream, where David, according to tradition, took the smooth stones, with one of which he slew Goliath. "Each of us," says he, "chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, as we passed over." He remarks, that there was not probably a single stream in Jordan, which at that season of the year carried its waters out of the country; all is absorbed by the earth. In the afternoon he arrived at Ramla, the ancient Arimathea, and took lodgings in an Armenian convent.

"June 28. Sent our baggage to Jaffa, and rode north from Ramla to Lyd, the Lydda of the Scriptures. It is a small village, in which are standing several lofty columns with Corinthian capitals, and parts of a wall which once belonged to a church, erected as is said, by Helena. We stopped a short time, and then proceeded towards Jaffa, where on our arrival we were welcomed again to the hospitable mansion of Signor Damiani, the English consul."

He sailed July 2d in an open boat for Acre, where he arrived the next morning, and was received into the house of the English agent. As in other places, he soon came in contact with a Catholic priest, who strenuously defended the infallibility of the pope, and concluded his argument by repeating the Catholic maxim; "De Deo et papa non disputandum"there must be no dispute respecting God and the pope.

"July 4. Left Acre for Sour (Tyre,) and arrived the same day. Tyre is a walled village, and stands on a peninsula, which was formerly an island. See Isaiah 23d, and Ezekial 26th, 27th and 28th. Maundrel describes Tyre in 1697 as being completely in ruins, there not being so much as one entire house left. 'Its present inhabitants, (he observes,) are only a few poor wretches, harboring themselves in the vaults, and subsisting chiefly by fishing.'

TO A LADY IN CONNECTICUT.

"Tyre, July 4, 1823. I have taken lodgings for a night in a Catholic convent, in the little village which occupies the place of the 'strong city,' Tyre. The prophecies uttered by Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, have long since had their accomplishment. How affecting to walk over the ruins of the most powerful cities the world ever saw, and to read on the scattered columns, broken walls, and fragments of buildings, the fulfilment of Scripture predictions! To-morrow night if Providence permit, we shall sleep at Sidon, and thence, after a few days, go up to some place on Mount Lebanon to pass the hottest part of the summer. I love these places, for God displayed his glory here. But alas! for ages past he has here been displaying his wrath, O that the days of his wrath may come to an end,

and his glory again be manifested on these mountains, and in these cities."

"5. About six o'clock we left Tyre for Sidon. At half past eleven we saw a village on the mountains on our right, which the Arabs call Sarphant, supposed to be the ancient Sarepta, Luke iv, 26, and Zarephath, 1 Kings xvii, 9, 10, and Obad. xx. At three we arrived at Saide, (Sidon,) and took up our lodgings in the house of the English agent. We soon after had the happiness to meet with the Rev. Mr. Lewis, a missionary from the London Jews Society, who came out with Mr. Way.

"6. Went to Mr. Lewis' room, and spent a season in social worship. It was a most agreeable and refreshing interview. We rejoice to see the number of missionaries increasing in this country."

TO A LADY IN CONNECTICUT.

"Sidon, July 7. I reached this place, with my friend and brother, Mr. King, day before yesterday, as I expected. There we received letters, and also met with Rev. Mr. Lewis, an English missionary to the Jews. Yesterday we enjoyed a precious Sabbath with him in his room. It was comforting to our souls, to read, converse, and pray together. Christian communion is indeed precious. I love those who bear the image of Christ, unless my heart very much deceives me, more than I love any other class of persons. I hope for the time, when I shall be entirely conformed to my Saviour, and be permitted to dwell forever with those who bear his image, and who will then be free from all those imperfections which now obscure the beauty of that image. Do you not find great consolation in cherishing this hope, and dwelling on these anticipations? In this dreary, sinful world, how cheering is such a hope! Let me advise you to read Baxter's Saint's Rest very often.

« PreviousContinue »