During the stay of this party, I took Yaoub as guide one day, and went out to make a visit to Bethany. It lies on a pretty steep declivity on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives, and I believe I have already stated that there are two roads to it, one directly across the mountain, and another, much less difficult, winding around the southern extremity. By the latter it is about three miles distant. There are now only a few miserable houses remaining, together with the ruins of a large and massive building, which, they tell us, was the house of Lazarus. They take the visitor also to a cave, in which, they say, he was buried; but in all these assertions I have little confidence. The 25th was fixed upon for our departure, and at two o’clock in the morning our cavalcade was formed without the gates, and we began to move forward towards the ship. As we passed on, I turned often to take another look at the city, whose white domes and minarets were still visible above the serrated walls, and were now shining with silvery lustre in the quiet moonlight. Farewell then, Jerusalem, city of marvels; wonderful, awful, enthroned in the hearts of men, making a part of the very soul and life-blood of thy people. City of God! when shalt thou revive again? Terrible has been thy fall; wo upon wo was poured out upon thee; thou art stricken to the dust; and yet in thy humiliation, in the very depths of abasement, thou still art great! Thou drawest to thee pilgrims of three religions, whose empires stretch east and west till they meet again in the opposite confines of our globe; they come to thee to worship, they come to thee to die! In lands far distant and of recent birth, we are taught to lisp thy name in our childhood; thy scenes and thy history mingle in our earliest dreams; and in the moments when we most need comfort, our thoughts turn towards thee! Mount Calvary! the atmosphere does not more closely invest our globe, and enter into and support our systems, than does the comfort that flows from thy bloody cross encircle, and penetrate, and support our souls. Without it we gasp and perish. Mysterious! that to such a bloody scene we should have to resort for consolation. Wonderful religion, that teaches us that by the deep and awful humiliation of God we are elevated to glory; and, after leading us amid creation, and showing us that He is wise and powerful, takes us here and at the foot of the cross shows that He is also of boundless goodness. Saviour, who hast ransomed us, be thou enthroned in our hearts! We descend the winding pathway, and the city of our redemption is shut from our sight: help us to enter the New Jerusalem, and to come to that Zion where is everlasting gladness, and from which sorrow and sighing for ever flee away! FOOTNOTE: [72] Dr. Dalton, from England. CHAPTER XXI.