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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lebanon.—Its Memories And Lessons.
LEBANON . —ITS MEMORIES AND LESSONS .
FROM THE VOICE ot * MASONRY . [ T was night—dark , qniet , silent night . The intense heat of the day thafc had closed was being modified by the cooler hours of approaching midnight , yet sleep camo not to my wearied and exhausted frame . It was long ago , when I waa younger and fresher and stronger than now ; yet , worn with the labours of the day , aud with deep anxiety about the future—tho privations and labours of ,
perhaps , years to come—I laid down near the door of my tented home beneath tho spreading boughs of a fragrant ancl grand old cedar which had grown for centuries oa the side of Lebanon . There I sought and waited for rest and slumber . The craft , known as the Tyrian Workmen , whom tbe King of Tyre had sent to Solomon to perform tho special service of preparing timber for the contemplated
building on Moriab , were , like myself , seeking rest from tbe exhausting labours of the day . They wero gathered in groups or singly , some sleeping , some conversing on matters pertaining to the plans and purposes of the great enterprise , the object , the manner and duration of their labours , and , the work completed , their return to home and friends and rest , to enjoy a well-earned reward . It was
a night and a scene such as Syrian landscapes and Syrian skies and Syrian mountain-airs alone conld furnish two thouand and more years ago . Tho skies wore clear and bright , the stars shone with a brilliancy known to no other clime , the old forest trees waved their branches gently , as though stirred by the wings of disporting spirits—prophets and kings and saints of the still elder days , while
the airs were scarcely equalled by those exhaled from the " groves and gardens of Araby tbe blest . " Away down along the mountain sides , and around about up to higher zones , from which a plateau overlooked the lower lands bending toward the coast-range , where the toiling thousands were wooing rest , there came occasionally a tumult of voices , now rising
almost to confusion , and now sinking to an occasional expressionmurmuring or earnest or vehement , and at last quietly subsiding until there seemed to be only a faint whisper , as though night were folding its wings , and then—silence like the sleep of the grave . I listened and waited and wondered ; what could all this mean ; by whom were all these babbling midnight noises made , and for what
purpose or object ? Suddenly the sounds came again , voices were uttered , discussions ensued , and opinions advanced , some of which seemed to meet the general approval , but into which there was occasionally interjected a different or discordant note . Occasionally I could catch something about the wonderful enterprise , the great
Temple to bo erected in Jesusalem , and to bo devoted to the exclusive worship of the GOD of Israel . Now and then a reference waa made to the subordinate parfc the speakers were acting in the great enterprise , their promise of ample rewards and their hopes of final return to homes and friends in Tyre—to be toilers and wanderers
no more . And then all was quiet again . Sleep came afc last to all , as it camo to me , and nature claimed its seance , and the wearied frames rested , and the vesper hymns of a quiet world were chanted by tbe spirits that waited and worshipped amid the forests and mountain ranges of graud old Lebanon . And then came the whispering of a
waking world , the first faint ; auroral glow along the distant orient , tbe departui'e of dreams and visions , the hush of angel-win ^ s , and the advance courier of another day ; ancl then came once more the stern realities of life , tbe preparations for active exertion , and toil and tears again . Such was life on the summit and declivities of Lebanon , while work preliminary to tbe great achievement was
going forward . Mighty and beautiful Lebanon , shall I ever forget thee or tho lessons learned in thy green and golden retreats ? "Never , while memory remains , or the heart clings to lessons of wisdom tanght and treasured there . Days and months and years passed away , while the work went steadily forward . It was a cold , dark , gloomy morning ; the chill ¦
winds from tbe surrounding hill-tops camo with shivering on their wings , and told of their birthplace among the snow banks of the higher mountain regions . Three or four of the operative craftsmen met , as was their custom , either to consult about the coming labours of the day , or to receive or give instructions in relation to the character and designs of the work now approaching its completion .
The giant cedars that had taken root and grown and flourished in Lebanon for a thousand years , had fallen before the blows of the sturdy Tyrians , and now they were taking shape and form , under the direction of the , arcbitecfc , for their appropriate places in the building . The plans had been drawn and the work accomplished by one specially appointed and fitted for the task , by these very workmen
who often met in the dim , hazy atmosphere of tho morning , or in the gloaming of the eventide . It was an ordinary occasion , an event of every-day life amid the activities of the upper Lebanon . " We parfc to-day , " said one who had been a co-labourer for years in preparing material for the construction of that Temple which was to be , not only tbe crowning glory of Israel , but " the joy of the
whole earth . " "We are Tyrians , and the peculiarities of our religion have been imbedded in our natures for centuries ; they have grown with our growth and mingled with our natures until we could see nothing beyond the dim outlines of our idol-worship , and yet may we nofc be in error , in whole or iu part ? May not onr deities be but
a dark reflection of the GOD of Israel , and our forms of worship but a mockery of thafc higher and purer worship outlined and prefigured by tho preparations of such a house of worship as are indicated by the wonderful designs after which we have been labouring for years ? I await a reply . "
" You surprise me , brother , " said the person addressed , " and yet it is not surprising , if all things are considered . The circumstances surrounding us from childhood , the limited culture we received in
early life , and the strong influences by which belief and character were formed , all attest the powerful influences of early education . We believed in our Tyrian Deities and in our national habits of idolatry . Wo may have been right , bnt , somehow , I begin to doubt ifc after working so long in the preparation of material for the projected Temple at Jerusalem . And believe me , my brother , I am
not alone in these doubts about tbe substantial , or what we have supposed to be the substantial troths of our Tyrian religion . We are boi'n to live and die as fcho wild animals of tho mountains , the forests , or the sea ; is there nothing further , nothing beyond ?" " I am equally surprised with yourself , " said tbe other . " When I came up here to aid in preparing materials for the wonderful Temple ,
ifc was in obedience to tho commands of our King Hiram , and with all my inborn and life . cultured sentiments about religion ; they were seeds planted centuries ago , and fostered by example and culture from generation to generation . Bnt the horizon of my thoughts haa been enlarged , and in the opening dawn of what I begin to imagine a brighter day , induces me to think I maw have been mistaken , and
have failed to comprehend the great truths thafc were hitherto concealed and shrouded by the sleep and prejudices of centuries of heathenism . I have lived and wandered and worked amid these grey old mountains , now covered with the snow of winter , and now fragrant wifch aroma shaken from the boughs of these old cedars , which for thousands of years have been tbe glory of Lebanon . I have
stood in early morning on these hill-sides , and wondered to see the sun rising from the verge of yon eastern sky , and followed hia path of glory to mid-day , and down to even-tide , and waited in confidence for his appearance a ^ ain iu the morning , and I have aaid ; " That is GOD ! " But I waa mistaken . I have looked around upon these craggy , grey , and gr ; ui < l old mountains , covered about their summits
with snows and frosts of centuries , and asked how were they formed , by what mighty hand were they upheaved , and how and when ? I have sat at the door of my tent of boughs and looked away over the quiet sea , and around on the low-lands of sea-girt Palestine , and the Tyrian vessels that lay in tbe harbour , loaded or loading , with the produce of nations , I said : ' Whence all this ? ' Tyrian deities sink
into nothingness in view of these wondrous scenes of beanty and grandeur . There must be a higher Power , a greater wisdom , a more abundant goodness , though at present partly concealed from our half-opened vision . And these , my brother , are the awakening sentiments pervading the thoughts , of many of our asaooiafce Tyrian workmen , for I am frequently a deeply interested and attentive
listener to their conversations . " Such was the tenour of the half free and half confidential conver . sation frequently indulged in by those men of mountains during the hours of rest , afc morning noon or night . The sentiment waa growing and spreading and the old Tyrian idolatry was rapidly being undermined by the anxious inquiries and discussions among the thousands
of Tyrian workmen scattered around among the forests of Lebanon . It was the auroral of a brighter day and a higher and purer senti - ment—the rnptnre of the first link in that chain which had fettered the Tyrian in ignorance for a thousand years . Abeam of li ght seemed to be breaking upon their mountain homes , and a brighter star shone from the clear glowing heavens above them . There was
the bright , sparkling , limitless western sea , spreading out apparentl y into unmeasured space , wifch its waveleta dancing and laughing in the bright rays of the morning sunlight , and reflecting back the glow of the sky which circled above it . Nearer were the bending shores of the coast , glowing and golden with the abundant harvests which waited for the reapers . Over the higher grounds and
meadowy plateaus feasted or rested the herds which added to tho wealth of the nation and made Tyre the home of plenty , and its Kino second in wealth and power only to Solomon . After a day of toil came the evening shadows , aud tho workmen rested from their labours , while they enjoyed the refreshment their honest toil of the day had merited , and for which the healthfnl nnd brae
ing air of tbe mountains gave them a zesfc . After their temperate repast was finished , during which the labours of the past day wore discussed , and tbe future with its hopes aud prospects contemplated , other workmen from neighbouring points called for pleasant conversafcion and mutual exchange of opinions . There were different characters among this pleasant circle of gathered workmen ; some were
growing aged and almost venerable with years , though still active ancl vigorous—the result of temperance and industry , the outdoor life and tbe health-giving airs of tbe spreading forest , mingled occasionally with the tincture . of sea breezes that now and then came to modify the perfume of the cedars and impart strength and buoyancy to tbe dwellers and toilers amid tbe mountains . But before
I wait to take note of the evening ' s interview , let me remind the reader of a few descriptive and historic facts . Mount Lebanon is one of the world ' s landmarks . It belongs to a mountain chain in Syria , running parallel with and not far back from the coast of Levant . At the time of which I write it was a portion of the frontiers of Tyre , a small city and nation on the coast .
Ita main posts were those of Tyre and Sidon , built in close proximity to each other , and the latter was afterwards absorbed by tbe former , until Sidon fell into decay and ruin . Hiram was the reigining King , and though a heathen , was the particular friend of King David , and his son and successor Solomon as well . Out of this friendship grew the contract between the two monarchs , by which , for a con .
sideration , Hiram furnished the " men of Tyre " to prepare timber from the cedars of Lebanon for the new temple to be erected in Jerusalem for the worship of the GOD of Israel , and which work occupied a period of several years duration for its completion . The cedars of Lebanon were known and appreciated from the earliest times , at least a thousand years before the advent of the
promised Shiloh . They grew to a gigantic size in girth , \ vhile the branches spread to an immense circumference , but the treea rarely exceeded fifty feefc in height . A small grove only of these trees remain , and they aro of comparatively modern growth , yet some of them are estimated to be from ten to forty feet in girth , and may be from two to four hundred years old j and there is one old gnarled and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lebanon.—Its Memories And Lessons.
LEBANON . —ITS MEMORIES AND LESSONS .
FROM THE VOICE ot * MASONRY . [ T was night—dark , qniet , silent night . The intense heat of the day thafc had closed was being modified by the cooler hours of approaching midnight , yet sleep camo not to my wearied and exhausted frame . It was long ago , when I waa younger and fresher and stronger than now ; yet , worn with the labours of the day , aud with deep anxiety about the future—tho privations and labours of ,
perhaps , years to come—I laid down near the door of my tented home beneath tho spreading boughs of a fragrant ancl grand old cedar which had grown for centuries oa the side of Lebanon . There I sought and waited for rest and slumber . The craft , known as the Tyrian Workmen , whom tbe King of Tyre had sent to Solomon to perform tho special service of preparing timber for the contemplated
building on Moriab , were , like myself , seeking rest from tbe exhausting labours of the day . They wero gathered in groups or singly , some sleeping , some conversing on matters pertaining to the plans and purposes of the great enterprise , the object , the manner and duration of their labours , and , the work completed , their return to home and friends and rest , to enjoy a well-earned reward . It was
a night and a scene such as Syrian landscapes and Syrian skies and Syrian mountain-airs alone conld furnish two thouand and more years ago . Tho skies wore clear and bright , the stars shone with a brilliancy known to no other clime , the old forest trees waved their branches gently , as though stirred by the wings of disporting spirits—prophets and kings and saints of the still elder days , while
the airs were scarcely equalled by those exhaled from the " groves and gardens of Araby tbe blest . " Away down along the mountain sides , and around about up to higher zones , from which a plateau overlooked the lower lands bending toward the coast-range , where the toiling thousands were wooing rest , there came occasionally a tumult of voices , now rising
almost to confusion , and now sinking to an occasional expressionmurmuring or earnest or vehement , and at last quietly subsiding until there seemed to be only a faint whisper , as though night were folding its wings , and then—silence like the sleep of the grave . I listened and waited and wondered ; what could all this mean ; by whom were all these babbling midnight noises made , and for what
purpose or object ? Suddenly the sounds came again , voices were uttered , discussions ensued , and opinions advanced , some of which seemed to meet the general approval , but into which there was occasionally interjected a different or discordant note . Occasionally I could catch something about the wonderful enterprise , the great
Temple to bo erected in Jesusalem , and to bo devoted to the exclusive worship of the GOD of Israel . Now and then a reference waa made to the subordinate parfc the speakers were acting in the great enterprise , their promise of ample rewards and their hopes of final return to homes and friends in Tyre—to be toilers and wanderers
no more . And then all was quiet again . Sleep came afc last to all , as it camo to me , and nature claimed its seance , and the wearied frames rested , and the vesper hymns of a quiet world were chanted by tbe spirits that waited and worshipped amid the forests and mountain ranges of graud old Lebanon . And then came the whispering of a
waking world , the first faint ; auroral glow along the distant orient , tbe departui'e of dreams and visions , the hush of angel-win ^ s , and the advance courier of another day ; ancl then came once more the stern realities of life , tbe preparations for active exertion , and toil and tears again . Such was life on the summit and declivities of Lebanon , while work preliminary to tbe great achievement was
going forward . Mighty and beautiful Lebanon , shall I ever forget thee or tho lessons learned in thy green and golden retreats ? "Never , while memory remains , or the heart clings to lessons of wisdom tanght and treasured there . Days and months and years passed away , while the work went steadily forward . It was a cold , dark , gloomy morning ; the chill ¦
winds from tbe surrounding hill-tops camo with shivering on their wings , and told of their birthplace among the snow banks of the higher mountain regions . Three or four of the operative craftsmen met , as was their custom , either to consult about the coming labours of the day , or to receive or give instructions in relation to the character and designs of the work now approaching its completion .
The giant cedars that had taken root and grown and flourished in Lebanon for a thousand years , had fallen before the blows of the sturdy Tyrians , and now they were taking shape and form , under the direction of the , arcbitecfc , for their appropriate places in the building . The plans had been drawn and the work accomplished by one specially appointed and fitted for the task , by these very workmen
who often met in the dim , hazy atmosphere of tho morning , or in the gloaming of the eventide . It was an ordinary occasion , an event of every-day life amid the activities of the upper Lebanon . " We parfc to-day , " said one who had been a co-labourer for years in preparing material for the construction of that Temple which was to be , not only tbe crowning glory of Israel , but " the joy of the
whole earth . " "We are Tyrians , and the peculiarities of our religion have been imbedded in our natures for centuries ; they have grown with our growth and mingled with our natures until we could see nothing beyond the dim outlines of our idol-worship , and yet may we nofc be in error , in whole or iu part ? May not onr deities be but
a dark reflection of the GOD of Israel , and our forms of worship but a mockery of thafc higher and purer worship outlined and prefigured by tho preparations of such a house of worship as are indicated by the wonderful designs after which we have been labouring for years ? I await a reply . "
" You surprise me , brother , " said the person addressed , " and yet it is not surprising , if all things are considered . The circumstances surrounding us from childhood , the limited culture we received in
early life , and the strong influences by which belief and character were formed , all attest the powerful influences of early education . We believed in our Tyrian Deities and in our national habits of idolatry . Wo may have been right , bnt , somehow , I begin to doubt ifc after working so long in the preparation of material for the projected Temple at Jerusalem . And believe me , my brother , I am
not alone in these doubts about tbe substantial , or what we have supposed to be the substantial troths of our Tyrian religion . We are boi'n to live and die as fcho wild animals of tho mountains , the forests , or the sea ; is there nothing further , nothing beyond ?" " I am equally surprised with yourself , " said tbe other . " When I came up here to aid in preparing materials for the wonderful Temple ,
ifc was in obedience to tho commands of our King Hiram , and with all my inborn and life . cultured sentiments about religion ; they were seeds planted centuries ago , and fostered by example and culture from generation to generation . Bnt the horizon of my thoughts haa been enlarged , and in the opening dawn of what I begin to imagine a brighter day , induces me to think I maw have been mistaken , and
have failed to comprehend the great truths thafc were hitherto concealed and shrouded by the sleep and prejudices of centuries of heathenism . I have lived and wandered and worked amid these grey old mountains , now covered with the snow of winter , and now fragrant wifch aroma shaken from the boughs of these old cedars , which for thousands of years have been tbe glory of Lebanon . I have
stood in early morning on these hill-sides , and wondered to see the sun rising from the verge of yon eastern sky , and followed hia path of glory to mid-day , and down to even-tide , and waited in confidence for his appearance a ^ ain iu the morning , and I have aaid ; " That is GOD ! " But I waa mistaken . I have looked around upon these craggy , grey , and gr ; ui < l old mountains , covered about their summits
with snows and frosts of centuries , and asked how were they formed , by what mighty hand were they upheaved , and how and when ? I have sat at the door of my tent of boughs and looked away over the quiet sea , and around on the low-lands of sea-girt Palestine , and the Tyrian vessels that lay in tbe harbour , loaded or loading , with the produce of nations , I said : ' Whence all this ? ' Tyrian deities sink
into nothingness in view of these wondrous scenes of beanty and grandeur . There must be a higher Power , a greater wisdom , a more abundant goodness , though at present partly concealed from our half-opened vision . And these , my brother , are the awakening sentiments pervading the thoughts , of many of our asaooiafce Tyrian workmen , for I am frequently a deeply interested and attentive
listener to their conversations . " Such was the tenour of the half free and half confidential conver . sation frequently indulged in by those men of mountains during the hours of rest , afc morning noon or night . The sentiment waa growing and spreading and the old Tyrian idolatry was rapidly being undermined by the anxious inquiries and discussions among the thousands
of Tyrian workmen scattered around among the forests of Lebanon . It was the auroral of a brighter day and a higher and purer senti - ment—the rnptnre of the first link in that chain which had fettered the Tyrian in ignorance for a thousand years . Abeam of li ght seemed to be breaking upon their mountain homes , and a brighter star shone from the clear glowing heavens above them . There was
the bright , sparkling , limitless western sea , spreading out apparentl y into unmeasured space , wifch its waveleta dancing and laughing in the bright rays of the morning sunlight , and reflecting back the glow of the sky which circled above it . Nearer were the bending shores of the coast , glowing and golden with the abundant harvests which waited for the reapers . Over the higher grounds and
meadowy plateaus feasted or rested the herds which added to tho wealth of the nation and made Tyre the home of plenty , and its Kino second in wealth and power only to Solomon . After a day of toil came the evening shadows , aud tho workmen rested from their labours , while they enjoyed the refreshment their honest toil of the day had merited , and for which the healthfnl nnd brae
ing air of tbe mountains gave them a zesfc . After their temperate repast was finished , during which the labours of the past day wore discussed , and tbe future with its hopes aud prospects contemplated , other workmen from neighbouring points called for pleasant conversafcion and mutual exchange of opinions . There were different characters among this pleasant circle of gathered workmen ; some were
growing aged and almost venerable with years , though still active ancl vigorous—the result of temperance and industry , the outdoor life and tbe health-giving airs of tbe spreading forest , mingled occasionally with the tincture . of sea breezes that now and then came to modify the perfume of the cedars and impart strength and buoyancy to tbe dwellers and toilers amid tbe mountains . But before
I wait to take note of the evening ' s interview , let me remind the reader of a few descriptive and historic facts . Mount Lebanon is one of the world ' s landmarks . It belongs to a mountain chain in Syria , running parallel with and not far back from the coast of Levant . At the time of which I write it was a portion of the frontiers of Tyre , a small city and nation on the coast .
Ita main posts were those of Tyre and Sidon , built in close proximity to each other , and the latter was afterwards absorbed by tbe former , until Sidon fell into decay and ruin . Hiram was the reigining King , and though a heathen , was the particular friend of King David , and his son and successor Solomon as well . Out of this friendship grew the contract between the two monarchs , by which , for a con .
sideration , Hiram furnished the " men of Tyre " to prepare timber from the cedars of Lebanon for the new temple to be erected in Jerusalem for the worship of the GOD of Israel , and which work occupied a period of several years duration for its completion . The cedars of Lebanon were known and appreciated from the earliest times , at least a thousand years before the advent of the
promised Shiloh . They grew to a gigantic size in girth , \ vhile the branches spread to an immense circumference , but the treea rarely exceeded fifty feefc in height . A small grove only of these trees remain , and they aro of comparatively modern growth , yet some of them are estimated to be from ten to forty feet in girth , and may be from two to four hundred years old j and there is one old gnarled and