CAPTIVES BY THE RIVER OF CHEBAR, THAT THE HEAVENS WERE 1850. The River Chebar.-"I had long wished," writes Dr. Layard, "to visit the banks of the Khabour. This river, the Chaboras of the Greek geographers, and the Habor, or Chebar, of the Samaritan captivity, rises in the north of Mesopotamia, and flowing to the west of the Sinjar Hills, falls into the Euphrates near the site of the ancient city of Carchemish or Circesium, still known to the Bedouins by the name of Carkeseea. As it winds through the midst of the desert, and its rich pastures are the resort of wandering tribes of Arabs, it is always difficult of access to the traveller. It was examined for a short distance from its mouth by the expedition under Colonel Chesney; but the general course of the river was imperfectly known previous to my visit. 66 The Khabour flows through the richest pastures and meadows. Its banks were now covered with flowers of every hue, and its windings through the green plain were like the coils of a mighty serpent. An uncontrollable emotion of joy seized all our party when they aw the end of their journey before them. The horsemen urged their horses to full speed; the Jebours danced in a circle, raised their coloured kerchiefs on their spears, and shouted their war-cry; the Tizari sang their mountain songs and fired their muskets into the air. Trees in full leaf lined the water's edge. We rode through a mass of flowers, reaching high above the horses' knees, and such as I had never before seen, even in the most fertile parts of the Mesopotamian wilderness. We had passed several tels and the double banks of ancient canals, showing that we were still amidst the remains of ancient civilization. Flocks of sheep and herds of camels were spread over the meadows on both sides of the river. On the morning after our arrival we crossed the Khabour on a small raft, and pitched our tents on its northern bank, near the ruins of Arban, which consist of a large artificial mound of irregular shape, washed by the river. From the top of the mound the eye ranged over a level country bright with flowers, and spotted with black tents, and innumerable flocks of sheep and camels. During our stay at Arban the colour of these great plains was undergoing a continual change. After being for some days of a golden yellow, a new family of flowers would spring up, and it would turn almost in a night to a bright scarlet, which would again as suddenly give way MARCH, 1868. D to the deepest blue. Then the meadows would be mottled with various hues, or would put on the emerald green of the most luxuriant of pastures. The glowing descriptions I had so frequently received from the Bedouins of the beauty and fertility of the banks of the Khabour were more than realized. The Arabs boast that its meadows bear three distinct crops of grass during the year, and the wandering tribes look upon its wooded banks and constant green sward as a paradise during the summer months, where man can enjoy a cool shade, and beast can find fresh and tender herbs, whilst all around is yellow, parched, and sapless." After describing the various sculptures, &c., discovered in the ruined mound of Arban, which bore marks of great antiquity, Dr. Layard continues, "A deep interest attaches to these remains from the site they occupy. To the Chebar were transported by the Assyrian king, after the destruction of Samaria, the captive children of Israel, and on its banks, the heavens were opened' to Ezekiel, and he saw visions of God,' and spake his prophecies to his brother exiles. Around Arban may have been pitched the tents of the sorrowing Jews, as those of the Arabs were during my visit. To the same pastures they led their sheep, and they drank of the same waters. Then the banks of the river were covered with towns and villages, and a palace-temple still stood on the mount, reflected in the transparent stream. We have, however, but one name connected with the Khabour recorded in Scripture, that of Tel-abib, 'the mound of Abib, or of the heaps of ears of corn' (Ezekiel iii. 15); but whether it applies to a town or to a simple artificial elevation, such as still abound, and are called 'tels,' is a matter of doubt. We know that Jews still lingered in the cities of the Khabour until long after the Arab invasion; and we may perhaps recognise in the Jewish communities of Ras-al-Ain, at the sources of the river, and of Carchemish, at its confluence with the Euphrates, visited and described by Benjamin of Tudela in the latter end of the twelfth century of the Christian era, the descendants of the captive Israelites. 66 'But the hand of time has long since swept even this remnant away, with the busy crowds which thronged the banks of the river. From its mouth to its source, from Carchemish to Ras-al-Ain, there is now no single permanent human habitation on the Khabour. Its rich meadows and its deserted ruins are alike become the encamping places of the wandering Arabs." Psalm viii. 2.-"OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES AND SUCKLINGS HAST THOU ORDAINED STRENGTH BECAUSE OF THINE ENEMIES, THAT THOU MIGHTEST STILL THE ENEMY AND THE AVENGER. 1851. Christ, not the Virgin.-The Dying Child.—A little girl the child of Roman Catholic parents, lay dying. When she had been in health, a lady visiting in the district had taught this little one, as she found opportunity, some verses in the word of God, and some simple hymns, and explained in easy language the one and only way of salvation. It was now evident that this dear child, taught by the Holy Spirit, had received the truth as it is in Jesus. When her illness unexpectedly took a serious turn, the mother asked her if she was happy to die. "Yes, mother," she calmly said, "I am going to Jesus." The neighbours standing round said, “Would you not like to see the priest, Annie?" "No," she said, "I do not wish it; I have Jesus." The priest was, however, sent for in haste, as the child's time was seen to be short. He came, and asked her to look to the mother of God to intercede for her. She seemed scarcely to hear his words, but looking upwards with a smile of sweetest love and confidence, whispered the name which is above every name-" Jesus." "Annie," said the mother, "don't you see his reverence holding the cross before you?" Dear child, she answered not, neither did she regard it. Then, though unconscious to all that was passing around her, she clearly repeated the following words, and sweetly slept in Jesus::- "Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me, Bless Thy little lamb to-night; Isa. lv. 2.-"WHEREFORE DO YE C. W. SPEND YOUR LABOUR FOR THAT WHICH SATISFIETH NOT?" 1852. Useless Labour.-It is a thing that the emperor Caligula is laughed at in all stories. There was a mighty navy provided, well manned and victualled, and every one expected that the whole country of Greece should have been invaded; and so it might have been; but the emperor had another design in hand, and employed his soldiers to gather a quantity of cockle-shells and pebble stones, and so returned home again. Just such another voyage doth almost every man make here in this world, were the particulars but truly cast up.-Old Author, 1600. Matthew xviii. 35.-"so LIKEWISE SHALL MY HEAVENLY FATHER DO ALSO UNTO YOU, IF YE FROM YOUR HEARTS FORGIVE NOT EVERY ONE EIS BROTHER THEIR TRESPASSES. 1853. God's Forgiveness dependent on ours.-Two wheels protrude from a factory, and are seen in motion on the outer wall by every passenger. They move into each other. The upper wheel is large, the under small. From without and at a distance, you cannot tell whether the upper is impelling the under, or the under moving the upper. This question, however, might be settled by an inspection of the interior. By such an inspection it would be found that the larger and higher wheel communicates motion to the lower and smaller. If the upper wheel, which communicates the motion, should stand still, so also would the lower: but more than this, if the lower wheel, which receives the motion, should by some impediment be stopped, the upper wheel also would stand still. It is in some such way that God's goodness in forgiving freely for Christ's sake our sins, impels us to forgive from the heart those that have trespassed against us. The power is all from above; yet though we by our goodness do not set the beneficent machinery in motion, we may by our badness cause it all to stand still.-Arnot, "The Parables of our Lord." Matthew xxiv. 44.-"THEREFORE BE YE ALSO READY FOR IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK NOT THE SON OF MAN COMETH." 1854. The not Ready and the Ready.-The Dying Youth.During the closing service, one Sabbath, says a pastor, my eyes rested on a lovely youth. I approached him, and exhorted him to repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. He replied, “I am not ready now, but in two weeks I am resolved to seek the salvation of my soul." A few days after, his minister was summoned to visit him upon a bed of sickness. He said to the minister, I was invited to the Saviour at the meeting of the Sabbath. I replied that I was not ready then; and now I am not ready to die." On a subsequent visit, the dying youth exclaimed, "I was not ready to seek God at the meeting; I was not ready to die when the message came; and now I am not ready to lie down in hell! My two weeks have not yet elapsed, when I hoped to make my peace with God; and sickness, death, and hell, have overtaken me, and I am for ever lost!" A perfect contrast to the above is furnished by the follo wing account of The Dying Indian Boy.-I found him dying of consumption, and in a state of the most awful poverty and destitution, in a small birch-rind covered hut, with nothing but a few fern-leaves under him, and an old blanket over him. After recovering from my surprise, I said, "My poor boy, I am very sorry to see you in this state; had you let me know, you should not have been lying here." He replied, "It is very little I want now, and these poor people get it for me; but I should like something softer to lie upon, as my bones are very sore." I then asked him concerning the state of his mind, when he replied that he was very happy; that Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, had died to save him, and that he had the most perfect confidence in him. Observing a small Bible under the corner of his blanket, I said, "Jack, you have a friend there; I am glad to see that; I hope you find something good there." Weak as he was, he raised himself on his elbow, held it in his attenuated hand, while a smile played on his countenance, and slowly spoke in precisely the following words -"This, sir, is my dear friend. You gave it me. For a long time I read it much, and often thought of what it told. Last year I went to see my sister at Lake Winnipeg (about two hundred miles off), where I remained about two months. When I was half way back through the lake I remembered that I had left my Bible behind me. I directly turned round, and was nine days by myself, tossing to and fro, before I could reach the house; but I found my friend, and determined I would not part with it again, and ever since it has been near my breast, and I thought I should have buried it with me; but I have thought since I had better give it to you when I am gone, and it may do some one else good." He was often interrupted by a sepulchral cough, and sank down exhausted. I read and prayed, the hut hardly affording me room to be upright, even when kneeling.-Missionary Letter in Bishop of Montreal's Journal. : 2 Timothy iv. 5.- "WATCH THOU IN ALL THINGS." 1855. Watching against Evil.-Birds on the watch.- Some birds live by themselves, having their own little nests apart, and flying about alone. But some live in flocks, and make bird communities. Their nests are found together, and they fly about in regiments. The rooks are an example. Now when a flock of these |