The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-11-28
THE SACRED MOUNTAINS.
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
BY J. T. HEADLY

The Mount of Olives stands Just without
Jerusalem, over the little stream of Kedrou
Its height and magnitude would not entitle il
TO the name ofmountain as we use the word
but being called such in the Bible, il belongs
among the "Sacred Mountains" In mora
grandeur it towers above all the preceding
mountains that rise along the horizon of his
| tory.
| 1t is difficult to recall any scene wildly
that has been so often described and so long
familiar to us as that which transpired on the
Mount ofOlives. The mind is prepared for
event in it, and hence cannot be taken by sur
prise, or held in suspense. But there are mo-
ments when The heart forgets all that it ever
heard, and seems for the first time to witness
that night of suffering. The Indifference
which long familiarity has produced disap-
pears before rising emotion. and that lonely
hill top-that midnight prayer-that pierre
ing agony, with its bloody testimonial, and
the rude shock ofthe Roman soldiers, ALL all
floats before the eye, with the freshness of
first sight, till the heart thrills and throbs at
the wondrous spectacle.
But as morally grand and moving as that
scene was, il caused but li'te talk in Jerusa-
lem. The streets of the proud city were fill
ed with careless menaders-parties of
pleasure were ssembled-dissipatio and
staid citizens home was not interrupted by
the tragedy Mount Olivet was to witness. Ev-
cry thing moved on in its accustomed way,
when, in an obscure street in the upper cham
her of an inferior dwellings, group of coarse
clad men sat down TO a table spread with the
plainest fare. The rafting of carriages and
the hum ofthe mighty city were unheeded
by them, and you conld see by their counten-
ances that some calamity was impending o.
yer their heads. Few words were spoken,
and those few were uttered in subdued and
saddened tone, that always bespeaks grief
at the heart At the head ofthe table SAT one
whose noble countenance proclaimed him
chief there. He had won the love of those
simple hearted men, and now they grouped
around him, expecting some sad news, but
oh, they were unprepared for the startling
declaration that fell from those lips: "Thls
night one ofyou shall betray me-" as it II"
as il II" ran from lip tolip in breathless con-
sternation. At length all eyes conferred on
Judas, and he rose and went away.
will not speak of the conversation that fol-
lowed, but amid words that thrilled every
heart were heard such language as, "This is
my blood shed for many" and as the bread
crnmbled beneath his fingers, "Ths is my
body:"-strange language, and awakening
strange sensations in the bewildered listen
ers; and n mournful sadness rested on every
face as through the silent chamber rang those
tones of tenderness.
Gradually the great city sank to rest, the
noise of wheels grew less 81 less, 81 only now
and thena solitary carriage went rumbling
by 1t was midnight, and from that solitary
chamber arose the voice of singing. The vic
tim at the altar-the sufferer by the wheel,
struck up hymn at the moment of sacrifice.
Was there ever before hymn sung under
such circumstances. rE aHr-
Through the darkened streets those twelve
forms are slowly passing towards the walls
of the city, cared for and noticed only by the
police whom the betrayer has put upon the
track. Kedron is passed, and they reach the
garden ofGethsemane. "Sit you here" says
Jesus, "while go and pray yonder," and ia
king with him only Peter, James and John,
he assembled the slope ofOlivet. As they ap-
preached the solitary summit, the human