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satisfied with them, I rode up the hill on which the town is built to find a new guide, but did not succeed. I had, however, just an opportunity to observe the place. This is NOT the Abilene of Scripture: (Luke iii. 1.) It appeared to me to contain probably five hundred souls: the houses were of very mean construction, and the whole place looked like a heap of rubbish. It is on the summit of the hill a ruined arch-way of stone, and some other marks of ancient buildings, denote its having formerly been a place of consequence, and perhaps of strength. We observed, at the foot of the hill, a Christian Priest superintending the olive-gathering; from which it may be inferred, that there are here some Christian Inhabitants.

Our road then lay between low mountains covered with small trees: after which it opens on the western extremity of what appears to be the Plain of Galilee; or at least what runs into it.

SEPHOURY.

Crossing an angle of this plain to the right, we came to the ancient town of Sephoury; mentioned in Josephus, as being in his time a military station of consequence. On the summit of the hill on which it stands is a ruined tower; and, in the south side, we passed some ruined arches. The population— speaking from conjecture-may be rather more than that of Abilene, say six or seven hundred souls.

NAZARETH.

The sun was now fast declining: and, as we were well persuaded of the ignorance of our guides by the frequent questions which they asked on the

road, we hastened on; and, at length, when it was nearly dark, having entered the streets of Nazareth, proceeded to the Latin Convent, where we had an interview with the Monks, who were all collected together in the room of the Superior. In this room is an Order, fixed in a conspicuous place, directing that the Pilgrims shall enjoy hospitable entertainment for three days; after which they are expected to move forward on their visit to the different scenes of devotion in this Holy Land. This direction did not, however, apply to us; it being designed for those who pay nothing. Having, therefore, entered the apartment allotted to us, we began to revolve in our minds how we might do some good in this place, and extend our excursion to the interesting spots in its neighbourhood, before we should turn our faces toward Jerusalem.

There are many passages in the history of our Divine Redeemer, which glance, with such simplicity and pathos, on the circumstances of His condescending and endearing intercourse with those whom He came to save, that it would require a more than ordinary degree of moral insensibility, not to be touched with their beauty. Who can read St. Luke's account of them, when He was at the tender age of twelve years, and not be attracted toward Him by an irresistible affection? After He had been found by His disconsolate parents, and had gently reproved their misapprehension of His conduct, which to them had appeared undutiful, it is added-proving, that undutifulness was no part of his character-And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus

increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. From my earliest childhood, I have learned to admire that passage: and, now that I am on the very spot to which it refers, it comes over my mind with a new freshness and delight. Here I am, resting, where my Redeemer, perfect God and perfect Man, deigned to pass His youth; and was even subject to those, of whom He, as God, was the Creator and Lord! Here, the devoted Mary, with a mother's fondness, and doubtless with a secret awe of His perfect wisdom, kept all His sayings in her heart. Few, very few of these His youthful expressions are recorded; the Evangelists relating, almost exclusively, the actions and discourses of His manhood and public ministry. But, here, those sayings were by Him uttered; and, here, by Mary, and possibly by a few others*, they would be treasured up as matter for affectionate and adoring meditation.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 1823-Rising very early-for the interesting scenes around greatly excite me, and often take sleep from my eyes-I went down into the Court of the Convent, and found the Morning Congregation already assembling at the Chapel. By the faint light, I observed particularly some females, dressed in complete white, gliding along the Court

I venture to say, "few others." It might, perhaps, not unfairly be inferred, that our Saviour's youth was very retired, from the circumstance that Nathanael, who lived so near to Nazareth and was so eminent a saint, yet speaks as a man ignorant of the conversation of Christ, and as one who supposed himself to be personally unknown to our Lord. If he had heard of the extraordinary discourses of Him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, he would scarcely have broken out into that exclamation, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And when accosted familiarly by Jesus, he asks, Whence knowest thou me ? Nazareth is distant from Cana only about five or six miles.

to attend the Service. The occasional sound of the organ accompanying the voice of the choristers was very touching. I did not, however, enter: it seems to me, that, as Christian Missionaries, it becomes us to be reserved in our communications with a System of Worship which cannot be considered as pure from idolatry.

In the course of the morning, we visited the School of the Convent. A Native Roman-Catholic is the master, and teaches the children Arabic. We counted forty scholars, but the master says that he has fifty. They were chiefly reading, or learning to repeat, the Arabic Psalter. This is the great schoolbook to all the Native Christians: yet it is in a style considerably elevated above the vernacular, modern language.

We entered the Chapel, at an hour when there was no Service. It is a fine large building; and remarkably well adapted for display, there being three separate floors, tastefully arranged. 1. There is an elevated platform of ample dimensions, on which stands the High Altar; and from which the Priests command a view of the Congregation. 2. By a flight of steps on either side, you descend from this platform to the longest floor; which comprehends, in fact, three-fourths of the total area of the building, and reaches to the lower end of the Chapel: here the Congregation assembles. 3. From this floor, a broad flight of steps, between the two flights before mentioned, leads down to a small Chapel and Altar, directly beneath the platform of the High Altar. Standing, therefore, in the middle of the principal floor, and looking toward the other two floors, the eye is caught, below, by the Altar of

the Salutation above, by the solemnities of High Mass and, higher still, by the Organs in the galleries on the other side. The work is costly; and all around are large pictures in tapestry, exhibiting the different parts of Evangelical History, especially those belonging to Nazareth. We descended the steps to the lower Altar, and had a Priest to explain the particulars of the place-such as the miraculous column, which still points out, it is said, where the Angel Gabriel stood; the house (or cavern rather) behind the Altar, in which the Blessed Virgin lived; the very spot where she lighted her fire to dress her food-and many such like things, to hear which excites one's pity.

In the afternoon, from the terrace of the Convent, we had a very good view of the town. From repeated estimates of the number of houses, which rise like an amphitheatre up the slope of the hill on which modern Nazareth is built, I should judge that there are five hundred. This would, in this country, give a population certainly of as many as three thousand souls. One room is sometimes occupied by from five to ten persons: and one room of this sort frequently constitutes a house; as has already been noticed in the account of Beirout and Tyre.

In the centre of the town, stands one Mosque; the Minaret of which daily proclaims, that Jesus of Nazareth is not here the exclusive, or the dominant, Master. In no place which I have hitherto visited, does that sight diffuse such a sensible melancholy over the scene.

The Convent is surrounded by well-walled gardens, with a good variety of fruit-trees and vines. For want of money, however, the number of Friars

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