"And he divided himself against them, he and his servants by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus."-GEN. xiv. 15. "DAMASCUS." This is the first mention of a From "The Pictorial Bible." London Knight. The city which hereafter makes a great figure in scripture. Its origin must have been very ancient; for the way in which it is spoken of here and in the next chapter (verse 2) does not indicate that it was then a new or unknown place. We hear nothing more of it till the time of David, when we find second part of the new edition is now out. We are indebted it the seat of a state, the interference of which in to the publisher for the accompanying illustration.-ED. VOL. XXI. D D aid of the enemies of David led to its subjugation by him (2 Sam. viii. 5, 6; 1 Chron. xviii. 5, 6). But it threw off this dependance upon Israel in the reign of Solomon, when Rezon, a servant of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, gained possession of Damascus, and established the kingdom, which is the "Syria" of the subsequent history (1 Kings xi. 23, 24), and which appears eventually to have comprised a very considerable dominion between the Antilibanus and the Euphrates, seeing that under the second Benhadad thirty-two "kings," or petty princes, attended that monarch in his campaign against Samaria (1 Kings xx. 1). This was only one of the numerous acts of hostility which took place between the kingdoms of Syria and Israel, which seem to have regarded each other as natural enemies. Many interesting facts of scripture-history are connected with, or grow out of this warfare. The line of Rezon ceased with the murder of Benhadad II. by Hazael, who usurped the throne, and, by his great abilities in war, proved a terrible enemy to Israel; of all whose territories beyond the Jordan he gained possession, and placed the kingdom itself under tribute (2 Kings x. 32, 33; xiii. 3). But by his successor all these advantages were lost; and the Israelites, under Jeroboam II., not only threw off the Syrian yoke and recovered their former territories, but captured Damascus itself (2 Kings xiv. 28). It was soon restored to its own kings; and, at a subsequent period, we find Israel and Syria in an unnatural confederacy against Judah, by which the king, Ahaz, was induced to purchase the aid of the Assyrians, who fell upon Damascus, took it, carried the inhabitants away captive, and, having slain the king, Rezin, annexed his territories to their own dominion (2 Kings xv. 37, xvi. 6-9; Isa. vii. 1, viii. 4, x. 9, xvii. 1). After this, Damascus fell successively under the dominion of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. In and after the time of Christ the city contained numerous Jews (Joseph. "De Bell. Jud.," i. 2, xxv. 2, xx. 2; comp. Acts ix. 2); and it was when on a mission from the sanhedrim, to suppress the growth of Christianity among them, that St. Paul was miraculously converted (Acts ix. 3; Gal. i. 12). The city then belonged to the dependent kingdom of the Arabian prince, Aretas. At a later period it was reckoned among the cities of Decapolis. From the time of Hadrian it bore the honorary title of metropolis, but did not enjoy the rights of a metropolis. Under the Greek emperors Damascus became the most celebrated city of Western Asia, remarkable for its wealth, luxury, and magnificence, and for its numerous Christian population. After its conquest by the Arabians, in 633 A. D., it became the capital of their mighty empire, till that distinction was, after about a century, transferred to Baghdad. Damascus remained under the sway of the khalifs of Baghdad, till it passed to the Fatemite khalifs of Egypt; from whom, towards the latter end of the eleventh century, it was wrested by one of the generals of Malek Shah, the Seljuk sultan of Iran, who, under a nominal lieutenancy, swayed all the real power of the Baghdad khalifat. The conquering general and his descendants ruled in Damascus with the title of attabeks with increasing power and territory, and lessening dependance upon the Seljukian sultans, till at length, under the famous Núreddin, Damascus became the capital of a great and prosperous realm, which held even Egypt in subjection. Soon after his death, Saladin, who had been his lieutenant in Egypt, but had eventually secured the sovereignty of that country for himself, found means of adding the Damascene territories to his dominion, from which time Damascus became virtually his metropolis, as it was that of his descendants. It was here that this conqueror died in 1193; and it was here that, in 1207, his son, Malek-al-Adel, received from the khalif at Baghdad (Al Nazer) a kaftan of honour and a crown of gold. The city remained under the rule of this family till 1301, when Timur Beg made his fierce inroad into Syria, and reduced Damascus to ashes. It afterwards revived, and remained attached to Egypt till 1517, when the inhabitants sent forth their elders to tender their homage to the sultan Selim, as he approached the city after his conquest of Egypt. Under the Osmanli Turks it has since remained, except for the few years in which Syria was lately subject to Mehemet Ali of Egypt. Damascus is situated in 36° 25' E. longitude, and 33o 27' N. latitude, in the north-west of an extensive level plain, which is open eastward beyond the reach of vision, but is bounded in every other direction by mountains, the nearest of which-those of Salehie, to the north-west-are not quite two miles from the city. These hills give rise to the river Barrady, and to various rivulets, which afford the city a most liberal supply of water, and render its district one of the most pleasant and fertile of Western Asia. The district within a circumference of from twenty to twenty-five miles is thickly covered with well-watered gardens and orchards, in the midst of which stands the town itself. It thus appears as in a vast wood; and its almost innumerable public buildings, including an extensive citadel and a vast number of mosques, with their domes and minarets, give it a fine appearance as viewed from the neighbouring hills; but, on approaching over the level plain, the plantations by which it is environed shroud it entirely from view. Its finest building is a grand mosque, of the Corinthian order, said to have been built as a cathedral church by the emperor Heraclius. It was dedicated to St. John of Damascus, and is still called "the mosque of St. John the Baptist" by the Turks, who believe that in the latter days Jesus shall descend thereon, and from its summit require the adhesion of all his followers to the Moslem faith. The city is surrounded by an old wall of sun-dried brick, strengthened with towers; but this wall has fallen to decay, and the town has so greatly extended beyond its limits, that the number of houses without the wall much exceeds that within. The houses in the city have flat roofs, while those in the suburbs have domes. Damascus is said to contain five hundred mansions entitled to be called palaces; and the general splendour of its houses is much extolled in the east. But little of this is visible in the streets, which in general exhibit nothing but walls of mud or sun-dried brick, that fill the narrow streets with dust in dry weather, and render them perfect quagmires when there is rain. The houses themselves are built with the same materials, although stone might be easily obtained from the adjoining mountains. The streets present scarcely any windows, and only low and mean-looking doors; but these often conduct to large interior courts paved with marble, refreshed by gushing fountains, and surrounded by apartments ornamented and furnished in the best and MISSIONARY RECORDS. No. XVII. "O Divine Redeemer and Lord of all, who, after shedding thy most precious blood, art, " as a lamb that was slain," pleading for a lost world, and waiting for "all things to be put under thy feet," look down in thy pity upon us; bedew our very souls confessors, martyrs !" (Bishop of Calcutta's sermon, preached be with thy blood: let this blood raise up ministers, missionaries, fore the Church Missionary Society, 4th May, 1846.) CHINA.-Christianity appears to be making considerable progress, not only in the districts adjoin poor, but richest oriental taste. The thirsty Arabs from the desert regard Damascus with rapture, and are never tired of expatiating on the freshness and verdure of its orchards, the variety and richnessing the coasts, but in the interior of the country. As yet, however, the Romanist missionaries are of its fruits, and, more than all, its numerous the most numerous; much more so, indeed, than streams, and the clearness of its rills and fountains. the protestant: their whole number amounts to There is a tradition that Mohammed, coming to eighty, sixty of whom are Frenchmen, and the the city, viewed it with great admiration from the rest Italians. They traverse the interior of the mountain Salehie, and then turned away, refusing to approach, with the remark, that there was but empire in all directions; while there is, on the other hand, scarcely a single missionary of the gospel to one paradise designed for man, and he was deter- be found in those parts. The latter make over this mined that his should not be in this world. But work to converted Chinese; who, we are told, there is no historical foundation for this story. acquit themselves of the duty with much zeal and Damascus is about six miles in circumference, self-denying devotedness. These native “messenand its population is estimated by Mr. Bucking-gers of the glad tidings" already amount to thirty. ham at 140,000; of whom 90,000 are native They addressed an appeal to their brother-ChrisSyrian Arabs, 10,000 Turks, 15,000 Jews, and tians of Europe, who are in China, at the begin25,000 Christians. But Dr. Richardson does not reckon the Christian population at more than ning of this year, praying them to take their 12,000; and the rev. E. S. Calman states that poverty to heart, and to aid them with the means of the Jews do not exceed 5,000. Mr. Addison carrying the message of Christ's salvation to all thinks 200,000 the lowest estimate for the whole parts of their native land. They have already population that can be admitted; but he allows penetrated deep into the heart of China, with the the uncertainty of conjectural estimates. Damas- fished little flocks of believers, from one of which gospel in their hands, and in some localities estabcus is the rendezvous of many thousand pilgrims they brought a handsome subscription to Hongwho proceed to Mecca in one great body every kong, in aid of the missionary work. This is, we year, and many of whom make a considerable stay before the caravan departs. Many of these believe, a fact quite unprecedented in that empire; and it shows that, not merely the pilgrims unite commercial with religious objects, affluent and intelligent individuals among the loading their beasts with the produce of their own countries, which they dispose of on the road, and Bettelheim, a converted Jew, of Hungarian birth, Chinese are embracing our holy religion. Dr. bring back in the same manner the products of India, who was brought to confess Christ at Smyrna, has received from Jedda, the port of Mecca. This has contributed greatly to the prosperity of Damascus, and has lately left Hongkong on a mission to the joined the ranks of the protestant missionaries, which is also the emporium of an extensive caraLoo-Choo islands. Both the Romanists and provan trade with the ports of the Mediterranean on testants are well aware that the Chinese are great the west, and with Baghdad on the east. Damascus has obtained fame for some of its manufac- readers, and thirst after knowledge: on this actures. The fine temper of its sword-blades has count, religious books have always been and are long been proverbial. This reputation has, how-der God's blessing, to their conversion as preachjustly regarded as a means quite as conducive, unever, of late years much declined; but the Damas- ing. A Mr. Ball, a missionary, has therefore cenes still excel in the art of inlaying metals with published a Chinese-Christian calendar, which congold. The manufacture of the kind of silk called tains, amongst other matter, all the treaties negodamask" originated here. The inhabitants of tiated between China and foreign states, as well Damascus have the reputation of being the most fanatical and intolerant people of Turkey; but the of Christianity and social improvement. as a number of useful dissertations on the subject measures of Mehemet Ali put some restraint upon Bridgman, who edits "The Chinese Repository," the outward manifestations of their fierce hate has, as well as Mr. Medhurst, prepared also seveagainst all other religions than their own; and, ral popular works for the press. One of the most although that restraint is now withdrawn, some zealous of the missionaries, a German, was comeffects of the habits of forbearance which it created missioned, about fifteen months ago, by his friend Kiyung, the uncle and representative Taokuang, "the imperial son of heaven," to undertake a description of all the countries in the world, for his Chinese majesty; and he sent off the first volume of this comprehensive work, including several maps, to Pekin, in the month of April last. Promise has been made to him, that the "Handlien," or supreme council of studies, will undertake its publication; and the task of superintending the press has been assigned to Tshao, a member of the council. Some works from the pen of still remain. Mr. of the active Romanist missionary, Ricci, have also been admitted into the imperial collection; but the admission took place 200 years after they had been printed in China, and become manuals in use among the Christian converts. The author of the extensive geographical dictionary, now in progress, has likewise written a very extensive history of the Chinese empire, which he has forwarded, for the express purpose of publication, to the secretary for public instruction in Prussia. It is to be hoped that the obstacles which have hitherto impeded the appearance of this important work, will be removed ere long.-Augsburgh Allgem. Zeitung. revered founder. Instead of two solitary missionaries, and one unwieldy mission, Tanjore now boasts of six missionaries, each residing in the midst of his people, and six flourishing and promising missions; each missionary being provided with a comfortable residence, and with ample means at his disposal for carrying out his missionplans. Instead of a paltry and worthless seminary of eighty boys, whose highest attainments amounted to an ability to read the English New Testament without understanding it, and who knew nothing critically of their own language, being but just elevated above the level of the rude and uncultivated peasants they were sent to teach, we have at Vediorporam an efficient educational establishment, which promises fair to make its influence felt throughout the length and breadth of Tanjore. Instead of a number of small villageschools, in which, in most instances, not even the ability to read the vernacular Tamil was obtained by the scholars, and in which English was never thought of (because there was no missionary to superintend, and no master to teach), each missionary district has its superior preparatory English and Tamil school, which even now has attained a point which the old Tanjore seminary never could have attained, because they are superintended by missionaries and taught by superior masters educated in the first schools of Madras. TOULOUSE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.-According to the last report of this protestant institution, it is pursuing an active and a flourishing career: its operations are not confined to France, but extend to all parts of the world-Africa, North America, Canada, New Orleans, Turkey, &c., where considerable depositories have been opened. Last year the number of publications sent forth was 141,700; and the sales amounted to 40,799 francs, or about 1,6307. The society is not content with merely spreading and circulating good books, but it awards prizes for the best compositions on given subjects. The two subjects chosen for last year were-"The lust after worldly interests, as estimated in a Christian point of view;" and, "On the most suitable means of restor-Under such a regime as this, it is not too much to ing morals among all classes of men to their proper sway." It would seem, from the report, that the greater part of the voluntary contributions to the society's funds have been derived from foreign countries. MOUNT CARMEL.-Father Clement, who is busied in collecting subscriptions for the erection of an " Hospitium" for the board and lodging of travellers of all denominations in that part of Palestine, has received the following sums from sovereign princes: The emperor of Austria, 3007.; king of Prussia, 707.; king of Bavaria, 1007.; king of Saxony. 607; grand duke of Baden, 401.; grand duke of Hesse, 251.; duke of Nassau, 107. The estimate for building the asylum amounts to 60007. TANJORE.-Tanjore, with its 4000 native Christians, was, until lately, distributed in congregations, some of which were very nearly 100 miles apart, under the charge of two missionaries, who had at the same time the seminary intended for the training of catechists and schoolmasters for the whole of the Tanjore and Tinnevelly mission, with a male and female boarding-school, containing upwards of 160 children, and 9 heathen schools in the city and suburbs of Tanjore, to superintend; and an English and Tamil congregation to minister to at Tanjore; 66 native congregations and schools in villages, some of which were 60 miles distant, with a congregation and schools at Ramnal, 120 miles distant, together with the catechists and schoolmasters connected with them, under their charge. And, as might be naturally expected, where there was so much to be done, and so few to do it, everything was rapidly declining and going to apparently utter and hopeless decay. This mission is now in a very different state, and has brighter and more extensive prospects of usefulness than it has ever enjoyed since the death of its expect that, under God's blessing, the Tanjore mission will be raised, as it were, from the dead; and so far, this expectation has been fully realized. Every village congregation is steadily increasing in numbers: the doctrines and discipline of the church are inculcated and enforced, and the consolations of the gospel carried to the house of every native Christian, whatever may be his caste or rank in life. Thousands also of heathens, who never heard before of the gospel, have it now preached to them in all its fulness and power (Rev. T. Brotherton, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 30th June, 1846). PRAYER BOOK AND HOMILY SOCIETY.-Report, 1846.-In the port of London, during the past year, there have been 3667 ships and other vessels visited or re-visited. Much interesting conversation on the duties of our holy religion, and especially on the subject of prayer, has been held with the seamen and with emigrants. The society's address, calling attention to the prayerbook and homilies of the church of England, has rendered much service; and the homilies, both in small volumes and in tracts, have proved very acceptable and useful. The commanders of 885 ships visited were spoken with particularly: of these, it was ascertained that 361 held divine worship on board when at sea, and that 524 do not observe that duty. "In the course of the year, 1550 English prayer-books and 34 in German and Spanish, have been sold to seamen and others on board the ships visited in the port of London only, at reduced prices; besides nine copies of the book of homilies. One captain purchased 100 homily-tracts, for circulation amongst our countrymen abroad. There have likewise been distributed gratuitously, for the use of masters and crews of ships, 683 books of select homilies, and upwards of 1000 homily-tracts. Ten copies of the liturgy, and ten copies of the homily 'On the Reading and Knowledge of Holy Scripture,' as being the chief thing, as far as we are at present SIERRA LEONE.-Joy on a Missionary's Arrival.-"The report of our arrival," says the rev. J. Beale, "quickly spread through the town and villages. Many members of our church met us at the waterside, and gave us a regular black man's hearty welcome to their shores. They gladly carried all our boxes and luggage, &c., to the mission-house, without any pay. I offered money to one man: he said, "No, massa, no mind that; me no want that:' yet this man was not a member, although he partook of the joy which animated the rest. Early on Monday morning, a scene commenced which would have gladdened any heart: it was the people coming in from different towns, in great numbers, to see us, and bid us welcome" (Mr. B. had returned from a visit to England). "We shook hands with so many, young and old, as at length to be quite fatigued. All were thanking God for our safe arrival. For several days the same pleasure was afforded us, during which we could scarcely turn our heads in the street without being saluted by some smiling face; and How do, massa? you done come; me glad to see you, massa, thank God, thank God!' - Report to the Church Missionary Society. THE MOUNTAINS OF THE BIBLE. No. X. HOREB, SINAI, &C. BY DR. WILKINSON. PROCEEDING onward to the south-west, we now come to a mountainous height, distinguished above all others for a demonstration of the presence and attributes and revealed will of Jehovah, the most memorable that mortal man was ever called to witness. Amidst legions of angelic ministers, the Lord himself descended upon the top of that mount. Amidst scenes of terrific splendour, God talked with man, and he lived. This material SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. At the monthly meeting of the 10th October last, books for the performance of divine service were granted for twelve new churches and chapels and twelve licensed schoolrooms. Fiftyone grants of books were made for schools, lend-world may be swept away, and the visible heaing libraries, and distribution. CONVERSION Of the Jews. We derive the following note from a letter of bishop Gobat's, dated Zurich, 21st August last: "How could I be indifferent to the Jews? I, who more than forty years ago used to shed tears, and to pray for the conversion of the Jews, when I observed that my mother never mentioned the name 'Jew' without adding, 'Poor Jews! they have no peace, no hope, since they rejected and crucified him who had come to be their Saviour and their King; but still, the time will come when they shall hear the gospel, believe in Jesus, and be saved.' One thing, I hope I shall never forget, nor cease to consider vens, having served the end for which they were created, may disappear; but the law then and there promulgated is as immutable as the very being of the Law-giver, and not one jot or one tittle of it can ever fail. Blessed be God, we may add that that mercy, which likewise shone upon the cliffs of Sinai with excessive brightness, is also from everlasting to everlasting:"The law was given till the Seed should come to whom the promises were made :" "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious: this is his name for ever, and this is his memorial unto all generations." About two months after Israel had departed from Egypt, they entered the wilderness of Sinai, |