Tyre before the Christian era.) . . . At the north-west point of the island forty or fifty such columns are thrown together in one heap beneath the waves.

Along this coast, too, it is apparent that the continual washing of the waves has, in many places, had the effect to form layers of new rock, in which stones, bones, and fragments of pottery are cemented as constituent parts

"The present Sûr is nothing more than a markettown, a small sea-port, hardly deserving the name of city. Its chief export is the tobacco raised upon the neighbouring hills; with some cotton, and also charcoal and wood, from the more distant mountains. The houses are, for the most part, mere hovels; very few being more than one story high, with flat roofs. The streets are narrow lanes, crooked, and filthy. Yet the many scattered palm-trees throw over the place an Oriental charm; and the numerous Pride-of-India trees, interspersed among the houses and gardens, with their beautiful foliage, give it a pleasing aspect ... The population is less than three thousand souls The earthquake of 1837 was felt here to a very considerable extent. A large part of the eastern wall was thrown down, and had just been rebuilt; the southern wall also had been greatly shattered, and still remained with many breaches, over which one could pass in and out at pleasure. Several houses were destroyed, and many injured; so that the inhabitants, at the time, forsook their dwellings and lodged in tents, regarding the place as ruined. Twelve persons were killed outright, and thirty wounded."-ROBINSON's Researches, vol. iii. pp. 382-401. "We travelled along the coast of Tyre and Sidon, from whence came many forth to witness, and to be benefited by, the miracles of our Saviour. We passed near the site of Sarepta. The scenery was exquisitely beautiful on the left; the country rising gradually into hills of moderate height, whose declivities, even to their summit, were covered with grain, and interspersed with olive trees.

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“After a ride of seven hours, we found ourselves in Tyre, once the crowning city,' now, most emphatically, the abode of indigence. We went directly to the house of our consular agent, a respectable native, of the Greek Catholic Church, who treated us very hospitably. While arrangements for the night were going forward, I sat with my pencil, taking notes of the occurrences of the day. One of the ladies took a bit of wax taper in her hand, and, dropping upon her knees by my side, kindly held the light as long as I wished to write, interrupting me occasionally with questions about the object of this, that, and the other articles of dress, &c. which I readily answered. As I sat, thus occupied, and thus attended, I thought to myself, Can it be that this is the ancient Tyre?' I made some inquiries respecting the present condition of the place, of this kind, yet simple-minded woman. 'Have you gardens, &c. here?' No,' said she, there is nothing here but poor people, and nothing to look at but the sea;' and this remark was accompanied by that very significant gesture of the Arabs, by which they express utter destitution. It is by putting the thumb and fore-finger together, and snapping the end of the upper teeth with the nail of the thumb, bringing it suddenly from the mouth. This female little imagined how strikingly she was testifying to the truth of prophecy respecting that merchant of many isles' . . The only object of interest worth examining is the site of a very large church, part of whose walls and sculpture remain, showing it to have been in the shape of a cross. Here repose the ashes of the celebrated Origen, and of Frederick Barbarossa."-Memoir of Mrs. S. L. Smith, pp. 152-154.

Tyre is now a poor small town, situated on a low promontory, projecting into the sea.

"On the extreme end of a low, sandy isthmus, which seems to have crawled out as far as it could, stands the fallen city of Tyre, seeming, at a distance, to rest on

the bosom of the sea. A Turkish soldier was stationed at the gate. I entered under an arch so low that it was necessary to stoop on the back of my horse, and passed through dark and narrow streets, sheltered by mats stretched over the bazaars, from the scorching heat of a Syrian sun. A single fishing-boat was lying in the harbour of the crowning city,' whose merchants were princes, and whose traffickers were the honourable of the earth."-STEPHENS's Incidents of Travel.

"We had read," writes Mr. Jowett, during his visit to Tyre," in our social devotions, with the most lively interest, the 23d chapter of Isaiah, and the 26th, 27th, and 28th chapters of Ezekiel; tracing-so far as we knew the different countries therein mentioned and the produce of each-the sources of Tyrian wealth and glory; especially the 27th chapter. What a minute, and varied, and splendid record of earthly prosperity concentrated in this vast emporium! But, on this deserted shore, not one sight, not one sound remains to bear witness to her former joyousness and pride! have seen the ruins of Athens, and the innumerable memorials of Egyptian glory in Thebes. There, enough survives to lead the mind to expand with wonder, or to sadden with regret; but of ancient Tyre, there just remains that utter nothing which seems best suited to prepare the Christian for imbibing the spirit of the prophetic language."-JOWETT's Researches, p. 136.

I

"We spent this day, the Christian Sabbath, at Tyre,” writes Dr. Robinson. "After breakfast I wandered out alone, towards the south end of the peninsula, beyond the city, where all is now forsaken and lonely, like the desert; and there bathed in the limpid waters of the sea, as they rolled into a small and beautiful sandy cove among the rocks. I continued my walk along the whole western and northern shore of the peninsula, musing upon the pomp and glory, the pride and fall, of ancient Tyre. Here was the little isle, once covered by her palaces and surrounded by her fleets; where the

builders perfected her beauty, and her traffickers the honourable of the earth; but, alas! 'thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that were in thee, and in all thy company,'-where are they?

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Tyre has indeed become 'like the top of a rock, a place to spread nets upon!' The sole remaining tokens of her more ancient splendour lie strewed beneath the waves, in the midst of the sea; and the hovels which now nestle upon a portion of her site, present no contradiction of the dread decree, Thou shalt be built no more !'"-ROBINSON's Researches, vol. iii. pp. 395, 396. We will close our account of Tyre with the words of Mr. Hardy. "The stirring scenes of a sea-port exhibit a picture of more constant excitement than can ever be presented by any other place. . . A thousand. . . scenes of noise, and joyousness, and wealth, have been exhibited upon these shores. They have passed away, like the feverish dream of a disturbed sleep. Ships may be seen, but at a distance; no merchant of the earth ever enters the name of Tyre upon his books, and where thousands once assembled in pomp and pride, I could discover only a few children amusing themselves at play, and a party of Turks sitting in gravity, and sipping their favourite coffee It was impossible not to think of another people, still more favoured in their privileges, and whose commercial transactions are as extended as the world. Cities of my country! shall it ever be said of you, that ye are no more?—The patriot may sing exultingly over his cups the praises of Britannia, ruler of the waves; but the Christian will fear and tremble, and offer up prayer to God, that what we deserve in justice, may be withheld from us in mercy !”– HARDY'S Notices, pp. 114, 115.

"Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,

and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."-Psalm ii. 10-12.

ZAREPHATH OR SAREPTA.

SCRIPTURE NOTICE.

"AND the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she

said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do