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were found that of our Saviour and the two thieves who were crucified with Him. Upon our return a marble slab is shewn to us as the stone on which the body of the Saviour was anointed previous to burial. Then we enter the sepulchre itself, under a marble canopy richly decorated with lamps of silver and gold, kept burning night and day. In a small inner chamber stands a marble sarcophagus, in which, it is said, our Saviour was laid, and from which He rose from the dead. Two black-veiled nuns entered just before me, and kissed and bedewed the marble with their tears. It is profoundly reverenced by the Latin and Oriental Christians, though it bears no evidence of being the true sepulchre. In front also stands a small marble block, on which they say the angel sat who announced to the women first visiting the sepulchre the resurrection of our Lord. Upon the right, as we came out, the Greeks have a marble pillar fixed in the pavement, surrounded by a railing, which they say occupies the centre of the earth, and marks the precise spot whence the earth was taken, of which Adam was created. In a sidechapel upon the left, the Latins also point out the stone column to which our Saviour was bound, and the block whereon the Roman soldiers cast lots for His vesture. Just behind the sepulchre are likewise shewn the tombs of Adam and Joseph of Arimathea, hewn in the natural rock. It is now the time of Easter pilgrimage, and multitudes of devout worshippers are crossing and prostrating themselves before these sacred localities. Such are the absurd and idolatrous superstitions that are believed and perpetuated year after year (through their bishops and priests) by the thousands of pilgrims who visit the churches of Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre. "C. N. R."

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"As we had now visited the principal places of interest within and around Jerusalem, we proposed this morning a visit to the village of Bethany. Walking out at the Damascus gate on the north, and continuing along the city walls, we came to the grotto of Jeremiah, an ancient cave or quarry, hewn in the limestone rock. There is now a neat little garden, enclosed by a wall in front, and a Mohammedan dervish has built a mosque and praying place within it. We refreshed ourselves at the well and then continued on our way past St Stephen's gate, and by a winding path to the valley of Jehoshaphat and the brook Kedron, and at length came upon the high road to Jericho. This is the same road our Saviour was often wont to walk on His visits to Bethany. But how changed the scene! Then the ancient covenant people filled the Holy City, and the splendid temple of Herod crowned the height of Mount Moriah. Now the Moslem mosque of Omar rises there, and we hear the muezzin cry to prayer as we ascend along the side of Olivet. Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles, even of the followers of the false prophet, who curse alike the name of Jew and Christian. Yet she shall rise again. Thus saith the Lord, 'Rejoice ye with

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Jerusalem; I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.'

“In a half hour more we came to Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha, with whom Jesus loved to dwell. It is beautifully situated in a quiet little valley at the base of the Mount of Olives, and seems a fitting place for our Saviour's retirement and social enjoyment. With this one family, more than any other on earth, He held personal communion and fellowship, and His affectionate tenderness flowed forth to them in all its blessed fulness. Here it was that Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with precious ointment, very costly, and wiped His feet with her hair, to testify her love for the Saviour. And when she was rudely rebuked by Judas Iscariot, Jesus replied, 'Let her alone: why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on me. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.' Here also Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. We at once sought out the grave of Lazarus, and were pointed to a large tomb excavated in the natural rock, and bearing many marks of antiquity. Descending a flight of twenty-seven stone steps, we came to a dark room eight or nine feet square, which conducted to a second arched chamber. This was doubtless the place where the body was laid, and the stone placed upon the door of the sepulchre. 'It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it,' says the Evangelist John. Here, then, at the entrance of this very cave, in all probability, Jesus wrought the great miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. How sublime

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was the scene!

Then they took dead was laid.

TOMB OF LAZARUS.

Jesus said, 'Take ye away the stone.' away the stone from the place where the And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, 'Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.' I was nowhere so impressed with a sense of the divinity of Christ as when standing beside the grave of Lazarus. He spake, and the departed spirit heard His voice, and returned to bring the dead body from the tomb, and restore the brother to his loving sisters. Surely this was not the work of man, but of God, even the Godman, Christ Jesus. He wept at the door of the sepulchre, to testify how tenderly He loved him. He prayed to His Father in heaven, to signify that He came forth from the Father. He called the dead to life, to manifest His dominion over the spirit world, that 'all might see the glory of God,' and believe that He was 'the resurrection and the life, and that whosoever believeth in him shall never die.'

"We loved to linger long around this sepulchre, and feel our faith strengthened that we, at last, through the same divine power, would triumph over death and the grave, and rise to immortal life. The air was mild and lovely, the birds were singing sweetly amid the blossoms of the almond trees, and all things were in harmony with the scene.

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VIEW FROM OLIVET.

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'On our return we took the foot-path across the side of Olivet, where Christ so often walked, and ascended to the summit of the mount. Here tradition has falsely located the place of our Saviour's ascension. Whereas the Evangelist Luke expressly declares that he led them out as far as to Bethany; and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.' Now, this point is perhaps only half the distance from Jerusalem to Bethany, and manifestly cannot be the place of the ascension; yet the oriental Christians have erected here a church, and piously consecrated the spot. The Moslems have converted the church into a mosque, and guard it with zealous care. We are permitted to enter, however, and are pointed to a footprint of our Saviour on a rock under the centre, the last that He left on earth when He ascended to heaven. It is much worn by the kisses of pilgrims. Ascending the minaret, we enjoyed a splendid view of Mount Moriah, Mount Zion, and the Holy City, on the one side, and on the other the beautiful valley of the Jordan, the waters of the Dead Sea, the Mount of Temptation, and the mountains of Moab beyond,-all forming a panorama of nature in the verdure and bloom of early spring.

"Such scenes as these, filled with all their sacred and hallowed associations, yield the highest joy to the Christian traveller. He seems in his journey to have reached the Delectable Mountains, whence he can well-nigh see the gates of the Celestial City.

"We passed the night in Bethlehem, the birthplace of the sweet singer of Israel and the Saviour of the world. What sacred associations gather to the scene, and what

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