The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-02-02

it is applied. The hill on which Jerusalem stands,
has in fact, no visible beauty There is neither
tree nor shrub nor verdure, but naked, craggy,
rocky eminence. The beauty, therefore, OF which
| David speaks, is to be taken rather IN moral and
fouratiye sense, than in a physical and hi
eroI Isaiah exclaimed" How beautiful on the
mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
ltidings, that publisheth peace" But it was the
halo of joy accompanying his message and not
his personal beauty, that made the gospel messen-
ger acceptable. Shakespeare, on the same princi-
pie, applies the contrary term to one bringing bad
news. monarch, receiving message in his
tent, exclaims-'Th news do make thee most
ugly man." The Psalmist again declares that " as
the mountains are round about Jerusalem, even so
the Lord is about his people,; declaration which
sheds light upon the other, and seems TO intimate
that the beauty of the situation of Jerusalem lay
chiefly in its security Those who chose the bar
rem rock and PERCEPTIONS crag on which the city
stands, called it Salem, which means peace qui-
etness, safety. This is the Specification of the
term in all the Scientific tongues-the Hebrew,
the Arabic, the Persian, &c. Melchisdec, who
was at once the king and priest of the ancient city
of Salem, is called in Scripture, liking of right
eousness, and king of peace" Salem meant the
city of strength" "the city of peace" 1t is re-
markable that this term is the root of all the salu-
tatons used in the East. All nations have of
course their own modes in this respect. That in
use among us, is far more rapid and much less
ceremonious than the Eastern. Two parties
among us meet and say " how do you dos" and
then pass on, or go into other conversations nei-
Their being much wiser from the question: each
presuming that if his neghbor was not WE'LL he
would not be abroad. But in the East very
different state of things prevails. There securi-
ty is the first consideration. In those unhappy
lands, lawlessness has prevailed for ages, and it
is the universal custom for all men to go armed
even the peasants at the plough. On Journey
personal insecurity is still greater, and it then be-
comes important to know whether stranger APP
preaching comes with peaceable intentions, or not
and to know it speedily. Persons thus meeting,
therefore, speak at much greater distance than
is usual with u.s. Travellers will salute each 9TH
err while they are still apart at least the length
of this church. 1t is expected that the superior
shall speak first With his hand upon his heart
he inclines his head, and pronounces the words,
" Salem alekim''-"Peace be with you" If
there is no response, he resorts at once to arms;
but if the stranger approaches peaceably, he re-
turns the salutation by replying, And with you
also be peace Such is the sautaton all over
the Eastern world and it furnishes striking ex-
ample of the undergraduates of Eastern Gus
TOMS for this same sauaton was in use by the
Patriarchs, and was employed, as all will remem-
Der, by the Saviour, on meeting his disciples, af-
ter his resurrection.
But Jerusalem is place of strength, not only
from the precipitous rock which it stands, but
from the Notifications which have been superadded
to give it still greater security. Every thing has
been done in this way which art could accom-
plish and the long and repeated sieges it has
tresses the world ever saw. | speak, Of course
in reference to Asiatic modes of warfare. Its
size at present is less than in the days of its glo
Iry. 1t does not exceed three miles in circumer-
ence. The place is surrounded with walls, tow
ers, drawbridges, and ditches The style of these
is Moorish, with round towers at the angles; the
whole having to the eye a baronal appearance
1t is bounded on the east by two valleys, the val
ley of Jehoshaphat and the valley of Tophet or
of the son of Hinnom on the west, by an eleva-
ted plain. It's form is nearer TO square than any
other, Two of its walls, that on the north and
that on the west, are straight; while, towards the
east and the SOUTH the wall presents an irregular
zgzag course conformed to the indeptures and
projections of the rock on which it is built
The Mount of OHces.
In the immediate vicinity OF the city, and sepa
rated only by an intervening valley, lies the
Mount Of OAoeS; distant the bird flies, not
more than one mile, but, according to the undua-
tons of the surface, mile and a half-about far
enough to form agreeable walk. This noun
tain presents striking contrast to Mount Zion,
which lies Immediately over against it While
that is jagged and rocky, this is round, smooth
and swelling in its outline, covered with carpet
of delicious verdure and deeply shaded by groves
of the olive tree. This fruit is still abundant
though not growing in the same quantities as it
did some years ago. On the summit of the noun
tain are the remains of the village of Bethpage
and Bethany; and, little nearer the city, is the
spot on which the Saviour stood, when che beheld
the city and wept over it, 1t is here that the fl
nest view of Jerusalem can be enjoyed. The city
seems to lie beneath your feet, spread out as on
map, so that the eye can distinctly trace the wind
ings of every street and alley.
Frather down, are the grottos in the side Of the
mountains. They are partly natural, and partly
artificial; and tradition says that they were fire.
quently the resort of Christ and his disciples
Certain it is that he frequently visited the noun
tain; for an Evangelist informs us on one occa-
sion, that :" Jesus went, as He avas aOont, to the
Mount of Olives" Nor can any thing be more
probable or more consonant to his character and
habits. These embowered groves and quiet Sc