Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1843-09-21


most uisk il Siandihg epon he Top Of Sinai on
The 6skbalh. and reading shere the Ten Com
,oandlnscis. and he whole account Of the del
livefv az The uofslLau. Il has been said that
4 Va, q he scene 81 some scriptuFa events has
some,inss flied ihe bellesing nind with skepil-
cism. il i not 50 here. A thorough inhjel. q
appears 70 No, uhLle be mighs tAFow aside IN
eohiempt, a. We hsre done. The Hsdiliouary SUI
perssiiions which fsnSticisn or guile have APP
pendea 10 this nGble monument such as the |
:.noaid Of he golden call. = ..ihe rock il which
Moss lid hinself when God passed b H." &C.. |
~otn Be struck Eiih the correspondence be-
tween Ibis spog and fhai described 10 scriptures;
a ~ remarkable appropriateness for such e
vents, aad ifemble II The lhought that ..h this
Blbls Be true, Il is|irenendously true"
We reached The Monastery on Saturday after
neon. II 4 situaiei Id gorge between Sinai
ana nisr. The high massive walls and bumer- i
Gus port holes would give il The appearances Of a
variiks castle, bal thar every angle issufmouni-
a b cross. Another pfecauIion against The
treachery oEshe Bkdouines IS the manner o. ad-
miiiance; Il Is not through q door or gate, bal
through an upper window d which We were
hoistsd Dy rope and windlass. The ho5pi.ab.e
language of the monk o6oaf arrival vas, she
house s yoofs," and one bysone We bid adieu 10
eur Arabs for a While, and gratefully accepted
his invitation.
expected TO hsvrfoupd here bahd Of ca
d6yero1s, fanaliehI LOOKING men, who could ex-
.!s sAs@ssIss, Al Inf 3 re ssssaM be had
ia1ge person. siIsty head aad hair, olive com
rlelion, expressive eye, and wore q becoming
long black gewn, and seil Of The same culor
and material, hat eif backwards from bis black
cap upon bis shonltess and back.
The dress Of The rest vas coarse gown with
alternate broad White and black stripes, be;ted
around he waist! we were conducted through
the labyrinth passages Of The Interior. which
K looked quite as mach like preparation for war
as the exterior off The building, and were sooe
quite al home in The little cells appropriated 10
strangers. enjoying the physical Sdvaaiages of
permanent, yeyerEa moving abode and much
more fhe society Of Christians, however unin-.
ielliRbe iheirla1gusee and peculiar their views,
10 hat Of Mahouedans. We retired al an early
hour, and went u sleep, thinking OF The solemn
pleasure that awaited Us on the morrow--of
standing upon the summit or Sinai on the holy
sabbath. On Sunday morning between eight
and nine, We attended service il The Chapel. -
II waslhe Greek form, as the Establishmens IS
OF that Church. The same in every lespfcl that
we had seen On tie Island Of syria.
There was not The cold nakedness about the
7 Chapel ITSELF that expected 10 have found SO
I far away from all The arts. The doors were OF
beautiful yafiaehted marble the walls WIRE
hung, SO a. sombtimes 10 be concealed, with
smaf eaudg paittings, an. large number Of.
rich silver lamps were suspended from the eefl-
Jog, presents, understood, chiefly froms Russia
But ~ this coult not lIft The burden Of gloom
from my mind a looked upon lhese soliIsry
men chanting their devotion !; cot or from the
Kind affections pc society Withdrawing lheif
aid from The numerous ~ r@s S-ierpriSes sssbl
so much need their vigorous &C. and
spending lite liself 10 Ihe mlsisz q. n rnorti-
fsing themselves and exiendia. hospitality .oa
few uncertain strangers. After service we
commenced the ascent OF the lmounlain. accoms
panied b. q young Monk and several Atahs.-
There are a number Of mountains 10 the vicini.
ty.tand urlil The recent visit Of Dr.. Robinson,s
ooe Of them called the abiount Of Moses was
soprI,s1 10 be Sinai but heshas removed its To-
cation ~ most satisfactory arguments. and any
one who viii yis;k>the spot with The Bible iahls
hand, r. aa COT inced o. The, force Of hisslFa-
able naa for ID ~ g II his pleasure
For. while '.eTsf ~. I, - aakk sEryes. :
nosed b he cirdls bound you, leaves
the eject comples..
There is large p, S;jl.-Ss ID ciOiiy which t.
is evident muAt hiycssksa taf4sisf p 'srael's en-.
campmeni. SIaflir Reie isFsS 5, from
the expressions Of s. al NJ ~ ent up
'.in sight OF alt1he pc chat no was 10
leone nigh unto The mount 10 tUucn II, Sc.i
that "Jebel Mousan could NOT have been Sinai.
because il il en.iFkiy hidden except from The re-
.mcle borders Of the pain whereas another
mountain, which tonccals the former, rises alb.
rup,ly from lis lover verge and commands every
spot where q tenlcvu1d lavo been pitched cor
responding precisely with The account Of Scrip
Iure. After climbing for moresihan an hour
with considerable fsiigue, and danger 10 Two Of
us, for we ventufously len our guide, parry
reached he top ofssJebel Monsa'' OF The Mount
uf Moses We took some Refreshments, glanced
al the hole where Moses is said 10 have been /
placed when 10 answer 10 his prayer God
passed BY, and Continued our walk over the !
mountains westward; nov descending the rug
ged, sides Of raynes, now again ascending. and |
N an hour more ofJa.hair breadth 'scapes" aud
great fatigue. stood as we believed upon the brow
Gf the holy Mount itself 1900 feet below u.s.
kkca map, lay The broad plain Eli Raha with
waddy Shelk and Wadiy FL Leya Sirelching-out
TO tight aud left | opened my Bible and read
the account ofthe delivery o: The law 10 man
Here then was Siaai, the scene of Ibis sublime
event! Ny mind MOI oniy ran, backward and
seemed 10 witness The terrific grandeur OF that
day, but forward, Gown The tide Of time and of /
generations and IS The widening. spreading in.
huenee Of that great transaction upon the undy-
-iog millions Of the hannah family rose Before me,
my mind was ovetwhelmed. What spol!-
Many passages Of Sculpture occurred 10 me
suiiableto the august associations, but among
al HE sacred poetry of human composition,
with which I was acquainted, but one hymn ex-
pressed my emoliohs II.
2f"Eteraal Power, whose high abode
Becomes the grandeur Of. a God;
Inhaie lengths beyond The bounds,
Where stars reSolve1heir little roundS.n
Affcr lingering much longer than our guides
sssges,cd was py1dent, We commenced Ihesde- /
sceot, and reached The Convent sometime after /
dark. Thus formulated perhaps the suhhmesi |
Sasba.h Of mr. lfe. Amer such a day, conf /
dence ia our Religion receives neR strength /
The capability Of profound devolion seems in
creased; another moral pulSe throbs in the soul. \
Z, Monday was spent in visiting some supersli-
tious wonders about The place, such as the mould /
Of The golden calf he spot Ahere the burning i
bishn was seen hg Moses; Moses Rockn
which he struck fsr wafer. SC. This, By ihe I
war. Is very curious affair. II is rock ten
o. ffseen feet square, standing near The base OF
the mountain. with gutter down its face, thar
was either once The channel OF water, the work
Of most Ingenious chisel OF most curious
freak Of nature. We visited the Alorsue Of the /.
Monastery TIE bones Of ihe former members
Of The community lay here, piled 10 in CHASTITY
order and Il was chilling ID Sc ,ha Afohks
rof1t ous the remains Of The tI1fFersnf ,,r3.~. i,