FREQUENT REFERENCES TO THIS MOUNTAIN IN SCRIPTURE-VIEW OF LEBANON FROM BEYROUT CLEARNESS OF THE ATMOSPHEREASCENT OF LEBANON-VALLEY OF BEKAA-NIGHT ON MOUNT LEBANON-THE CEDARS-TERRACE CULTIVATION-VILLAGES, FOUNTAINS, ETC.

SCRIPTURAL NOTICES.

"I PRAY thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon."- -Deut. iii. 25.

"... The valley of Lebanon."-Joshua xi. 17.

"Command thou that they hew me cedar-trees out of

Lebanon "(for the building of the temple).-1 Kings v. 6. See whole chapter, and Ezra iii. 7.

"Thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar-trees thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof."-2 Kings xix. 23.

"Streams from Lebanon."-Canticles iv. 15.

"His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars."-Canticles v. 15.

"The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be . . . upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up."Isa. ii. 12, 13.

"The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the firtree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious."-Isa. lx. 13.

"The snow of Lebanon."-Jer. xviii. 14.

"Thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah ; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness. . . . Go up to Lebanon, and cry."-Jer. xxii. 6, 20.

"He shall .... I cast forth his roots as Lebanon. . . his smell (shall be) as Lebanon . . . . the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.”—Hosea xiv. 5, 6, 7. "The flower of Lebanon languisheth."—Nahum i. 4. [Isa. x. 34; xxxiii. 9; xxxv. 2.]

The name Lebanon signifies White Mountain, in Hebrew. "The whole mass of the mountain consists of whitish limestone; or at least, the rocky surface, as it reflects the light, exhibits every where a whitish aspect. The mountain teems with villages. When one looks upwards from below, the vegetation on the terraces is not visible; so that the whole mountain side appears as if composed only of immense rugged masses of naked whitish rock, severed by deep wild ravines running down

precipitously to the plain. No one would suspect, among these rocks, the existence of a vast multitude of thrifty villages, and a numerous population of mountaineers, hardy, industrious, and brave. There are

great numbers of convents on Mount Lebanon.”—See ROBINSON'S Researches.

REFERENCES TO LEBANON IN SCRIPTURE.

"THE first mention of Lebanon is in the prayer of Moses, when he besought the Lord that he might see 'that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.' It was then inhabited by the Hivites. There is frequent reference to the fountains, wells, and streams of Lebanon, as well as to its vines, flowers, roots, fir-trees, box-trees, and cedars; and in one description of the latter-day glory, it is said, that the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon.' The allusions of the prophets appear very striking to those acquainted with the circumstances of the place. We learn from Hosea, that Israel shall one day be as 'the vine of Lebanon ;' and its wine is still the most esteemed of any in the Levant. What could better display the folly of the man who had forsaken his God, than the reference of Jeremiah to the 'cold flowing waters' from the ices of Lebanon-the bare mention of which must have brought the most delightful associations to the inhabitants of the parched plain? The Psalmist declares, that the voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon ;' and a more sublime spectacle can scarcely be conceived than the thunder rolling among these enormous masses, and the lightning playing among the lofty cedars, withering their foliage, crashing the branches that had stood the storms of centuries, and with the utmost ease hurling the roots and trunks into the distant vale. But by Isaiah the mountain is compared to one vast altar, and its countless trees are the pile of wood, and the cattle upon its thousand hills the sacrifice; yet, if a volcanic erup

tion were to burst forth from one of its summits, and in torrents of liquid fire to enkindle the whole at once, even this mighty (offering) would be insufficient to expiate one single crime: and the sinner is told that 'Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof for a burnt-offering.' The trees of Lebanon are now comparatively few, and with them are gone the eagles and wild beasts to which they afforded shelter; and it is of its former state, and not of its present degradation, that we are to think, in reading the glowing descriptions of the prophets. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious."-HARDY's Notices of the Holy Land, pp. 271-273.

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VIEW OF LEBANON FROM BEYROUT.
"His countenance is as Lebanon."

SUCH is the figure used by Solomon to indicate the dignity, beauty, and majesty of the great Head of the

Church. They who have gazed upon Lebanon from the heights about Beyrout must have felt how noble an image it is. Lebanon is a little world in itself. It is still abundantly populated, notwithstanding the ravages of war; and its fertility is very great, by means of the terraced manner of cultivation, which has so generally prevailed in the East. From Beyrout the eye traces numberless villages, scattered about, even on the higher ridges, amidst forests of pine and majestic oaks. The loftiest peak of Lebanon is called Sannin, and is computed at 10,000 feet above the sea level. There is an indescribable air of grandeur and repose pervading this grand mass of mountain. But what must Lebanon have been, when the prophet Isaiah referred to it as an image to illustrate his announcement of gospel blessing and gospel glory— The glory of Lebanon shall be given

unto it? ""

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Frequently during our stay at Beyrout, we visited the residences of the American missionaries, delightfully situated on the high ground to the south of the town, and about half a mile distant, in the midst of mulberry gardens. From the roof and windows of Mr. Thomp son's house we enjoyed a splendid prospect. The coast of Syria, indented with numerous bays, stretched far to the north. But we were chiefly occupied with the view of majestic Lebanon. It is a noble range of mountains. It is cultivated in a wonderful manner by the help of terraces, and is still very fertile. We saw on some of its eminences, more than 2,000 feet high, villages and luxuriant vegetation; and on some of its peaks, 6,000 feet high, we could discern tall pines against the clear sky beyond. At first the clouds were resting on the lofty summit of the range, but they cleared away, and we saw Sannin, which is generally regarded as the highest peak of Lebanon. There is a deep ravine that seems to run up the whole way, and Sannin rises at its highest extremity, to the height of 10,000 feet. The rays of the setting sun gave a splendid tint to the lofty