Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-05-21
The Holy Places.

AA9'''Sm, "a WHICH the OlDle contains few
particulars, although the events that trans
Pired there are well-known The traveller
who describes them is the Rev. John UoI-
land, correspondent of the Louisville Cour-
ter, aud his letter is written from Constant.
nople, under date of March %:
There are two spots, however. in the yioin.
ity of Jerusalem of which must say some.
thing, more to crafty my own lore 60 talk
about them than to instruct or entertain you.
Ii not mentioned in the list, it is because thev
occupy a separate chamber OF the heart. hang.
lag just over the altar of its inmost sauct1>
ary. Before them affection, ike priest.
keeps It's golden lamps coutiuuaIly burning.
BETHANY AND GETHsEMANE.
Connected in situation, in history, in the
otogy. They are on opposite sides of Olivet.
1t was IN Bethany that Jesus was annointed
tOI his buTial, and in Gethsemane that he
was seized for his execution. 1t was in Beth
any that Jesus gave the sweetest token of
His friendship for man by sharing mans
home, its joys and sorrows, and in Gethsema-
pc that He gave the strongest evidence of
lis Infinite love for man by drinking to the
regs the wormwood aud the gall Of mans
nlquity and its penalty. / remember well
he day, as who would not, we visited those
pOtrrlnts of Divinity. Gathering out of St.
tePhen's Gate We passed through the Turks
emetery, where, vailed and draped in white.
e women, whose business it is to 90 morn.
and evening to the tombs and mourn.
ere leaning against the soul lptnred turbans,
IN the tormalities of grief. We then
led steep hill by the spot pointed
that where the prOtO-martyr 'sfell
eep undeC the stones of the mob and
h the heavens open to receive him. Cross
the bridge over the Kedron, and eariug
tomb of the virgin on our left, we turned
corner of the wall of GethsemaueS and
ted before the gate of its upper or eastern
3, until Antika our guide, could notify the
re of our presence. Antika dismounted
raped energetically, but the padre did
respond, SO we determined that he was
er dead to the world" in slumber, or alb
on an errand OF charity, and concluded
not to tarry longer, but to continue our
to Bethany and rap again on our return.
route was that taken by David in his
from AbsalOm. AS we tolled M the
h, century>wOrn road, every particular
bat sad event so minutely and vividly
ted IN Ii Samuel, XIV and XVI, came to
indulgent father and exiled
from his son and throne, event
k kcdron toward the way of the
And went up the ascent of Oh
ps he went up, and had his !
he went barefoot; and all
with him covered every
went up weeping as
summit we rested
David worship
Archite, came to
Rnd earth upon
we crossed |
Qt and ar
le below
at which
the top of
I-Gephiboseth,
Die Of asses sad |
loaves of bread,
isens, and hun
bottle of wine"
tlivity there was an
flight. Shemei, the
th cursinS as he came,
David, his servants, his
people, and the mighty men
10 hand and his left. ! couid but
tnlnE while riding along that even had the
monarch been able to have held his kingdom
and quclIed the insYrrection, the pain caused
by the ingratitude and rebellion of his idol
lied son was enough for the stoutest spirit to
support, but when to that pain was added the
treachery of officers and subjects, the neces-
sIty of sudden departure, the sweeping away
as by Whirlwind Of his prosperity, the dan
ger OF starvation, of capture, of death at the
hands of his own offspring, wondered that
he did not sink somewhere upon this road and
die with broken heart.
How l rejoice that it was Otherwise
Death would have snapped the Tyre strings
which the measure of the calamity served on
ly to strike as with bold hand into psalms
that have never been silenced since-that.
floating through ages of sorrow, have been
increasingly sWelled by the praises thev
evoked from the signing ones they comforted
into singing; and their end is not vet. nor
can be until God shall have wiped all tears
from His children's eyes.
But we are in sight of Bethany. There it
sits IN It's sequestered nook, hamlet of about
twenty halt-ruined houses 1t has begpar's
look. 1t was never the home of the rich. the
proud, the grand. But He who, though
rich, for our sake became poor, abided with
its humble inhabitants And now what
name that conquered world and that made
senates tremble and nations applaud. is so
familiar to Christendom's ear and tongue ami
heart as the names of Martha and her sister
and Lazarus" the family that Jesus loved
When Paris and London shall be as Min.
evan and Babylon to-day are when the names
of them all shall have entirely faded from
memory, this insignificant village shall still
be young in its Immortality of reuowu. For
Bethany is celebrated in the annals of heaven.
and on resurrection day, whose morning star
was lighted here in the resurrection of Laza-
rus to his anguished sisters, Bethany shall
be distinctly heard and form thrilling note
IN the hosannah chorus of the redeemed.
TIE TOMB OF LAZARUS.
But digress. The path is precipitous.
We dismount and lead our horses down. We
have reached the tomb of Lazarus. We en-
ter by low opening, and feel our way down
long, winding, dilapidated staircase to
small chamber, the walls of which are nartIv