THE 34.3 EVANGELICAL GUARDIAN, BY AN ASSOCIATION OF MINISTERS OF THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED SYNOD OF THE WEST: EDITED BY REV. D. MACDILL. Library of VOL.TLOGICAL SEMINARY. N.S., Pittsburgh, Pa. ROSSVILLE, OHIO, PUBLISHED BY J. M. CHRISTY. 1845. CAMBRIDGE, MASS., EVANGELICAL GUARDIAN. VOL. III. JUNE, 1845. No 1. For the Evangelical Guardian, The following piece was not originally prepared for publication; but circumstances rather forbidding its being employed as was intended, and being advised by those who had a knowledge of its contents to publish it, my desire to add every item which I can to the advancement, especially of our Foreign Mission, forbids me to refuse. THE PRESENT MORAL AND RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF SYRIA. Our design, at present, is to give as full and correct a view, as time and other circumstances will permit, of the present moral and religious condition of Syria, but as a knowledge of its natural and civil condition may not be altogether unimportant, or uninteresting, but may tend somewhat to illustrate, or at least prepare the way for our better comprehending the moral and religious condition, we shall before passing to the main part of our subject, give a brief view of these. Syria embraces that portion of the Turkish Empire which lies between Arabia and the Mediterranean sea, including Palestine or the Holy Land. It extends from the southern to the northern extremity of the sea, is bounded on the north by Mount Amanus or Ahuada, on the north-east by the Euphrates river, on the east and south-east by Arabia, and on the south by Arabia Petrea and Egypt. Its medium length from north to south is about 300 miles, and its médium breadth from east to west about 150 miles. The Climate. In Syria there are three distinct climates. The summits of Libanus or Lebanon, covered with perpetual snow, diffuse VOL. III:-SIG. 1 |