but a mere Babel of broken walls, pillars, vaults, &c., there being not so much as one entire house left. Its present inhabitants are only a few poor wretches, harbouring themselves in the vaults, and subsisting chiefly upon fishing, who seem to be preserved in this place by Divine Providence, as a visible argument how God has fulfilled his word concerning Tyre, that it should be as the top of a rock, a place for fishers to dry their nets on?

"Was this ruin effected all at once, or gradually?" asked his mother.

"Not all at once, I believe. I know Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it the first time, and I believe Alexander the Great did again."

"Yes, and after Alexander's time, it fell successively into the hands of the Ptolemies, the Kings of Syria, the Saracens, the Christians, the Mamelukes, and the Turks. So that the prediction, 'I will raise up many nations against thee,' is verified. A recent traveller remarks, 'There are no signs of the ancient city; and as it is a sandy shore, the face of everything is altered, and the great aqueduct in many parts is almost buried in the sand.'

“Now, this entire destruction of an opulent, powerful, and commercial city, so favourably

situated as was Tyre, is something as improbable as was the ruin of Babylon, and furnishes an evidence of the truth of prophecy not to be set aside."

"And now, shall we go on to Nineveh, mother?" asked Fanny.

"No, I think we will not take up any more examples to-night. One remark, however, I will make about Nineveh. The very recent discoveries of Mr. Layard, of whom you have heard, have abundantly confirmed all the Scripture accounts of the greatness and magnificence of that city, and it may be expected that his further researches wi!! throw new light upon many passages of prophecy. Since his return to Nineveh, he has found a large room filled with what appear to be the archives of the empire, ranged in tables of terra cotta, the writings being as perfect as when they were first stamped. The rest of the building had been destroyed by fire, but this room was uninjured. It is supposed that this and the other surrounding buildings, in which the marks of fire are observed, were consumed when the Medes took the city, six hundred and six years before Christ. And this room has been kept sealed up during all these inter

vening centuries, to be opened now, in the Providence of God, and made to render up its contents, for the purpose of throwing new light on the word of God."

cr

"I hope I shall read Mr. Layard's accounts," said James.

"It will be a good book for you to read aloud to mother and me, perhaps," suggested Fanny.

"The history of the Jews furnishes many wonderful instances of the fulfilment of prophecy," observed her mother. "But we must pass them by, and go on to the prophecies about Christ."

CHAPTER XIX.

PROPHECIES RELATING TO CHRIST.

"IN what order shall we read our passages, mother?" asked Fanny. "Shall we begin with those in Genesis, and so go on through the Bible?"

"No, I think a different arrangement will be better. I will ask questions, and either of What was you may read passages in answer.

predicted in regard to the time of Messiah's birth?"

"I have no passage in answer to that," said Fanny.

"I have one," said James; "here it is, in Daniel; Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks.'"

"Very well," said his mother: "that is the most explicit of any of the predictions relating to time. Christ's coming was to be seventy weeks after the decree of Cyrus to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. But there are other prophecies which help to fix the time it was to be when the sceptre was departing from Judah (Gen. xlix. 10); it was to be while the second temple was standing (Haggai ii. 7, 9, and Mal. iii. 1); and while there was a general expectation of him (Haggai and Malachi). That such an expectation existed at the time of his coming, both among the Jews and other nations, we know from various sources. It is proved by the coming of the wise men from the East, saying, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?' and by the Pharisees going

to John to ask whether he were the Christ. What is predicted of the place of his birth?"

Fanny. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel."

"And observe," said her mother, "how this was accomplished. Joseph and Mary did not live in Bethlehem; and Christ would not have been borne there, but for the decree of Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed or enrolled, which obliged them to go up to Bethlehem, just at that time. But, next, of what family was Christ to be born?"

"Of the family of David," replied Fanny."And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.'"

"Yes, and it was also foretold that he should be descended from Abraham," said James; "for God said to Abraham, 'In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed;' and Christ said, 'Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad."

"What was to be remarkable in the manner of his birth!"