for his enemies," Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke xxiii. 34. He gave me letters for Safet. At Said are ten families of Jews. Hanno Jussuf Lajin Alkalebi gave me letters for Damascus, that I may be introduced to the Jews of that place. They are in Damascus, mighty, rich, and learned. Jan. 10.-Left Said, in company of Mr. Carne, and arrived at Beyrout in the evening. The Jews here are in a1 very ignorant state. I preached the Gospel to two of their rabbies, without the least opposition. There are only five families of Jews. I here met my old friendMr. Burt, who promised to correspond with me; and to forward, as much as possible, my views as to the conversion of the Jews in mount Lebanon.

Jan. 17.-My soul was oppressed and low, and I did not know how to console myself. I read Luke xv. and was struck with the words: "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." O Lord, wilt thou have compassion on me? I am yet a great way off; I feel it daily more and more. Have compassion on me, run and fall on my neck, that I may not be able to fly from thee! A Maronite priest called on me, and said that he loved me very much; but that I want one thing, viz. to believe in the pope.

1. Shew me by the Gospel, that the belief in the pope is necessary for our salvation, and I shall most heartily subscribe to your wish.

Maronite. "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matt. xvi. 18.

1. And our Lord faithfully accomplished that promise, when Peter, by his first preaching, added 3,000 to the believers of Christ, who continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers; and in this manner we see that Peter became a rock; for the foundation of the church was laid; those

3,000 brought the doctrine of Christ to the several parts of the world; and the gates of hell, persecution and death, have never been able to prevail against those believers. Maronite. Where has Peter been?

I. At Antiochia and Cesarea.

Maronite. And lastly, at Rome.

1. Although it is uncertain, I am ready to admit that he was at Rome; but it does not follow that Peter was head of the apostles, or that the Pope is the rock upon which Christ builds his church.

Maronite. What do you think of Augustin?

I. He was a very good Christian.

Maronite. Did he believe in the pope of Rome?
I. No, not at all.

Maronite. You are now going to the convent of Ayun Warga, I will give you a letter for the Bishop Gibrail, who is able to argue better than I can.

Jan. 18.-I was getting ready for my visit to the prince of mount Lebanon; Mr. Abbott prepared the letters of introduction. Monsieur Rattier, Eleve Interprete de France, and Mr. Palani from Piemonte called on me. The first is residing at Ghazir, upon mount Lebanon, for the purpose of learning the vulgar Arabic. Mr. Abbott, and a Turkish merchant, named Haygi Mahomed Hareishi from Fez, spent the evening with me in my room.

Jan. 19. Read the Bible, took lessons in Arabic, and was introduced to the governor, who expounded the Koran to us.

Jan. 20.-Read the prayers of the church of England. › Jan. 21.-Prepared myself for going to the Emir Bashir, but was not able to leave Beyrout.

Jan. 22.-Sent my servant to Ghazir, a Capuchin convent, where Mr. Rattier, a French gentleman, resided, to

learn Arabic; and I went to Emir Bashir, the prince of the Druses in the mountains of Lebanon. I slept the first night in Dir Alkamo, in the house of Germanus Serkis, curate of Dir Alkamo.

Jan. 23. Mr. Abbott provided me with a letter of introduction to the prince of Lebanon.

Jan. 24-Introduced myself to the Emir Bashir, who received me very kindly, and gave me a letter for the president of Ayun Warga, that I may learn the Arabic lan guage, and a firman for the whole country of mount Lebanon. Returned to Beyrout, and slept on my return in the village called Ahyun Ameb, in the house of the Maronite peasant, called Nicola.

Jan. 25.—Arrived at Beyrout; slept in the house of Mr. Abbott, where I tried to turn M. from his foolish idea of marrying an eastern lady for novelty.

Jan. 26. Left Beyrout, passed Nahr Alkalb, where here is a remarkable Latin inscription in the rock; and arrived in the house of Monsignor Luigi Gandolfi, Vicario Apostolico di Roma, upon mount Lebanon, who showed me letters of Shech Ibrahim. I gave him my confidence, and told him, that I revere many members of the Romish church. He knew Burckhardt the missionary, very well. He requested an Arabic Bible. He observed that he is persuaded the Bible Society has not made any alteration

in the text.

Jan. 27.—Arrived in Ghazir, which was formerly a convent of Capuchins. I there met with my servant, and a Sicilian physician, called Mr. Fernando. Mr. Rattier was returned to Beyrout. I was introduced to the prince of this place, Abdallah, who is only fourteen years of age, and to the Bishop Gibrail, to whom I delivered the letter of a Pater, who wrote to him, that he should try to convert me to the Catholic church; for I had told him that I was ready to acknowledge the pope, if he would show me the necessity of acknowledging him by Scriptural proofs.

Jan. 28.--I deft Ghazir, and went to the Maronite col

lege, Ayun Warga. We stopt for three hours in the Armenian convent, called Bait Hashbuh, Dir Alarmin Mar Antonius Beduani; the name of the superior is Gregorius; they expressed a desire of establishing a college in England. They were very hospitable and kind indeed. They argued with me, and asked me as to my belief. I said, I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of the living God, and came down from heaven to die for poor wretched sinners, and arose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven, from whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead!

Rais Gregorius. Your faith is very good, but one thing more, and you shall be saved, and this is, believe in the vicar of Christ, the pope.

I. Paul and the apostle spake otherwise to the keeper of the prison, when he asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" For they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts xv. 31; viii. 37.

Padre Stambuli, my Arabic master at Ayun Warga, who was present, replied, "If we believe in Christ, we must believe the words of Christ, and the word of Christ is contained in the Old and New Testament." I wondered that the Maronite did not mention belief in tradition.

I. I agree with you so far, and I am ready to acknowledge the pope, if you can show me by Scripture that it is

necessary.

Hannat Stambuli. You acknowledge that Peter was the first of the apostles?

I. No; not at all.

Stambuli. Why did our Lord ask Peter thrice, "Simon Peter, lovest thou me?" and no other apostle; and why did he charge him thrice to feed his lambs? John xxi. 15.

I. He had reason for asking Peter so impressively, for Peter denied him thrice. We learn by this, that the Lord receives repenting sinners.

Stambuli gave up the point, and said, You say you believe all that is written in Scripture, why do you not believe

that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ, which Christ affirms, saying: "Take, eat, this is my body." Hoc est corpus meum (every Maronite knows those four Latin words). Matt. xxvi. 26.

I. That these words must be taken spiritually, is clear from John vi. 63.

I

After we had dined, we proceeded on our journey for Ayun Warga, an hour distant from Mar Antonius Beduani. The Rais received me kindly, introduced to me the eighteen pupils, who receive eating, drinking, and clothing, gratis from the convent. I went in the evening to the church, and heard them sing the Syrian Psalms. The old priest Ibrahim spent the evening with me, and spoke of former times.

Jan. 28.-To-day the Maronites of Ayun Warga celebrated the feast of Ephraim Syrus. The fifteen pupils of the convent of Ayun Warga, assemble themselves three times daily before the altar of God; their master stands in the midst of them; and they praise, in melodious harmony, the Redeemer of the world, in the Syrian and Arabic language! Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, is heard repeatedly. Oh, that no prayer to a creature may be mixed with it! But, alas, this is not the case, they unite their voice in the exclamations, "Mar Ephraim, Asalli min Agelnar, Holy Ephraim, pray for us!" I took a walk in the company of my master, Huri Hannat Stambuli, to the Armenian convent, called Dir Alkareim. The Rais of this convent did not receive me so warmly as the Rais of the Armenian convent, S. Antonio Badwi (Padua). They have very few books in their library. I feel a most awful barrenness in my heart, since I cease to labour among my brethren.

Jan. 29.-Read the Gospel in Arabic with the priest Stambuli. Oh, my Lord, I perceive that I shall always remain the same Wolf, in whatever object I may be employed. I need thy grace, I want thy help, that thou mayest overshadow me with thy Holy Spirit. Mayest thou