sions were all to seek; and, at this late hour of the day, scarcely to be found-Hadjee Demetrius, the servant of the Convent, in a sort of broken TurcoGrecian dialect, proffered his tedious and aukward services-the baggage was to be looked after-the mercenary and clamorous guides were to be (not satisfied that was an impossibility; but) settled with and dismissed-and, lastly, as if to diffuse a perfect sadness over our arrival, the storm, which had threatened and slightly touched us during the latter part of our stage, now began to fall in torrents, similar to those which had buffeted us on the preceding evening near Sangŷl. Every thing combined to inspire a feeling of melancholy-congenial enough to those emotions with which the actual civil and religious condition of Jerusalem deserves now to be contemplated; but, in no degree harmonizing with those sublimer and more glorious thoughts, which the very Name of this City generally awakens in the bosom of the Christian, When the evening had closed, however, and the hour for retirement, devotion, and repose arrived, all that I had ever anticipated as likely to be felt on reaching this place, gradually came into my mind, and filled me with the most lively consciousness of delight at being in Jerusalem. "This"-I thought— is no other than the City of David. Hither, the Queen of the South came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.. Isaiah here poured forth strains of evangelic rapture, which will glow with unspent warmth till the end of time. Here, the building of the Second Temple drew from the beholders mingled shouts and tears; and, here, was that very Temple, P made more glorious than the first, by the entrance of the Desire of all Nations, the Messenger of the Covenant! Here, after He had rebuilt the temple of His own body, He began the wonderous work of raising a Spiritual Temple to His Father-shedding abundantly upon His Disciples the gift of the Holy Ghost, for which they waited in this very City; and then sending them forth as His witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Such were the principal thoughts, with which I had for some months associated this visit; and, now, all were gradually presented to my mind. . I felt, I confess, no particular anxiety to see what are called the "Holy Places." Many have hastened to offer their first devotions at the Sepulchre of our Lord: so far from having this desire, I feel somewhat of repugnance at the idea: it is enough for me to know, that I am not far from that scene-that Gethsemane, and Calvary, and the place where the Lord lay, are all so near to me, that I can truly say, I am dwelling in the midst of them. All this, too, my heart can better conceive in the stillness of the night-season, than by the light of day. And He, who suffered here, still lives-Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever! Spiritually He is as near to me, as He would have been had I seen Him, this very day, at the ninth hour expiring upon the Cross: the blood then shed is still fresh in its efficacy, and cleanseth us from all sin. If to have come hither should prove the means of raising me one degree higher in love to this adorable Redeemer, I would be thankful: but let me remember, that He desires us chiefly to view Him with the eye of faith; and that, although we see Him not in the flesh, yet, believing, we may rejoice in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Saturday, Nov. 22, 1823-I was early wakened in the morning, by some person in the Convent Chapel striking a piece of wood. My room communicates with the upper part of the Chapel, by a lattice, at which the smoke of the incense soon began to enter: the striking of the wood was instead of the ringing of a bell; and, in a few moments, I heard the voices of two or three Ecclesiastics, commencing the drowsy, monotonous chaunt of the Greek Liturgy. This Service was observed by them every morning. On rising, it was pleasant to view from my chamber-window the mild scenery of the Mount of Olives. This mountain gradually increases in beauty, till about the second hour after sun-rise; when the swells and slopes upon its side present a very soft variation of light and shade, at this season of the year. In the course of the day, one of the Monks of the principal Greek Convent called to bring the Salutations of the Epitropi, or Superintendants. Many others, also, who knew Mr. Fisk and his brethren in their former visits, came with presents in their hands, and inquiring what Bibles and Testaments we had brought. GREEK MONKS. Sunday, Nov. 23-In the morning we had Divine Service in our room; together with an English Gentleman, now in Jerusalem. After dinner, several Monks from the principal |