Thy breast, Maria, as he was to emerge,
That fleeter than the lightning-glance of God,
More winged than his inger.kindled thoughts,
Would the young infánı giant-like arise
To meet the heavens. Methought I was to see
Him mighty tread with one the ocean-depths,
And with the other foot the orbs of earth;
His right band stretching o'er the sun, his left
Grasping the morning stars. He comes, I said,
Amid the rush of storms, and winds call’d forth
From ev'ry cavern of the universe
To burst on Victory! Ah Satan fly,
Fly lest the powerful thunder fasten round,
And hurling through ten thousand worlds, at last
Dasb thee exhausted, senseless, even dead
Amid the regions of inanity!
Thus thought I, gods of hell, but 'twas not so.
It pleas'd him, rather, to become a child,
A puniest child of dust; of those, who weep
E'en from their birth mortality! 'Tis true,
Sang forth his praise, a choir of seraphim ;
Such as from time to time will leave their heaven
To seek our realms of earth, and viewing spread,
With death, her fair hills, that were wont to glow
With tints of paradise ; will wipe away
Some trickling tear, and, then, consoled mount
Toward their slavish skies'; hymning to God!
Ev’n thus 'twas then. They left the child of earth,
(Or, seems it fitter, ruler of the skies,)
To fly from Satan: but such puny fóe
Was worthy not of me: yet, as mine arm
Of listlessness grew weary, I inspir'd
The soul of Herod, mine high-priest on earth,
To ordain the infant massacre. That blood,
That spouted so from forth the quiv’ring joints ;
Those shrieks of madd’ning mothers, as escap'd
With groans some soul from out its tenement;
All pleasing burst upon me. But hark!
Is't not the soul of Herod wandering there?
Answer, thou hell-foredoomed wretch; was't not
Satan, who plann'd those murders ? O! can e'er*

Th’ Almighty guard from me his works of might,
His souls eternal, that I shed not o'er them
My hidden banes, and prompt them on to ruin?
Yes, wretch, thy poor complaints, thy faultering doubts,
And the short sobs of those thine hand hath launch'd
To other worlds with curses on their lips
Against thyself and their Creator; such,
Such was a sacrifice acceptable
To him who now torments thee! At the death

Of Herod, gods assembled, soon return’d
The child froin Egypt's plains : bis years of youth
Did he, upon a lenderest mother's breast,
Amid her soft caressings spend, unknown,
And yet, unfear'd. No fire of heaven, as yet,
Had spurr'd him on to undertakings, vast,
And full of awe. And yet I think, ye gods,
Some loneliest grove, or solitary place
Must, oft, those thoughts of greatness have inspir'd
That menace now, though distant, to o'erthrow
Hell's dark foundations; and call forth anew
Her seeds of bravery. This 'twas, methinks,
Which more employ'd his greener infancy,
Than fields, and flowers, and praises slavish tun'd
By those around him, to the God whose hand
Shap'd ignominiouis, with their kindred worms.
Yet this I beeded not. Still there was nought
To break my long repose ; except, when earth,
With cares unceasing, sent her souls ; which, spite
The looks of angry heaven, I view'd to throng
And populate mine heritage below.
At last may I upmindful look no more ;
For late, as by the Jordan's coasts he* went,
God's holiness came brightening down from heaven.
Say not, ye princes, some illusion then;
Or image falsely cheated ! 'Twas these eyes,

These eyes immortal, that beheld it gleam,
Lucid, as when from out the throne of God
It wandereth through the ranks of praying seraphs :
'Twas thus. But, whether sped that son of earth
To honour, or hell's vigilance to awake,
Satan decides not. True I heard around
Thunder's awe-striking peal, and words went forth :
6 This is my loved one; behold the Son
Shap'd from my soul.” But, by the night I swear
Of gloomiest hell, it was not there the voice
That us'd, in ages past, to speak the Son
Of space eternal to our slavish ears.
No! 'Twas Eloa, or, some other sped
From forth the throne, hell's monarch to deride.
A dotard, too, e'er wandering ’mong the clefts
Of some bleak wilderness, hath prophesied,
And bail'd this son of earth. I beard him cry :
“ Mortals, behold th’ Eternal Lamb, whose power
Shall pitying loose your sins: all hail ! thou Son
Of Him, who scannest o’er eternity :
Thou, who wast ages ere me! from the full

. * Jesus Christ. 49 GOSPEL ADVOCATE, VOL. III.

Of thine exalted pity, shall we know, nevis ir
Grace and benevolence: through Moses came ,,voin 1
The law, but truth doth emanale from Him,

foi The anointed of the Lord!” Is't not enough.

i
Prophetick? Elevated ? Thus do err
Those wild enthusiasts ; yet build round themselves in,
A gloom of holiness, which vainly strive

,
Our deathless eyes to penetrate. The Seer* s .
Would fain persuade us, how, beneath that form, sunt
That death-subjected form, there lies conceal'd in !
The Thunderer of the Highest; He who drove, spin ! Ata
(Our wortbiest, most exalted enemy,) . in Bolt vi
Hell's armed spirits to their new-form'd worlds ; en in
Self he of earth, of whom this prophet dreams, ģiinii
Believes it so, and ev’n must Satan's voice wit h
Confess biin soinething: for, from off the bed w ill
Of life expiring, will be oft arouse,
And bid new force invigorate my prey. ... y
Yet is this nought. Still greater things frown o'er us; na
For, from their load of sin, he menaces
Our race of man to free ; froin sin, which e'en
Th' All-framer hath implanted in the breast
Of all, though 'gainst himself, and unsubduedia
By slavish duties, ever bids arise ;
Death, too, whose arm doth butcher each one down
Oft as we wink upon bim : all will he, .
All liberate! Ev’n to you, ye souls, that, since ?
Creation, I have, like the swelling sea,
Collected round me ; numerous as the stars.

i n."
Countless as those, who bow, and tune their harpsing
To please the arrogant; yes, ye, whom nigbit
And Aames of hell eternally torment,

" ? I to Ye shall be liberale! Yet can I doubt,'. ....wirid si agi! The pang-dispenser o'er mankind, my powers Or think that they, who trembled not to curse; ; ! very And scoff at Godhead, and at slaves, should yield ? . To one unarm'd 'gainst death ; 'what thunders strove it ! But strove in vain to effect? Avaunt, thou thing Of proud audacity, and liberafe

t tin Firstly thyself; then, free thy kindred mortals!,,'s, ;?'. Yes, he shall die, that gisted one from self, I bogenie To overthrow my realıns! Amid the dust deform’d; -* ** And cold, and pale be sball be laid ! 'Tis then that Exulting, to those eyes, that'e'er sball- veili ng.no Night and obscurity, 1911 say, behold: Ž ii. ' Behold the resurrection! To those ears, which sound and No more shall penetrate, my wrath sball speak: ii ts3 Hark! I will cry, Is’t not the awful voice ! . That bids the dead arise! And, when the soul,

, * John the Baptist.

Shall flit from forth its clay, and seek, perhaps,
In hostile guise, mine hell, in thunder tone
Will I scream out: 0! baste thee back to earth
'Tis there thou conquerest ! 'Tis there thine arm
Shall fetter gods; and triumph waits thee there!
For thee the gates of hell shall ope themselves,
And groan the abyss, and crowds of souls pour thick
To hail thy presence with their prostrate gods !
'Tis thus I'll say; and, ere I do it not
What mine eternal wisdom now 'resolves,
Shall the Almighty, whilst I now address
My train of spirits, haste bimself to earth
And raise ber with her curst inhabitants
To His own heaven! True, as that Satan lives
Unvanquish'd through eternity, shall die .
The abject wretch! Yes, soon, amid the ways
That lead from earth, will I strew forth his dust
Before the face of heaven and its Lord !
Such is my project; such is hell's revenge !

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

JMARYLAND. The annual convention of the diocese of Maryland, was beld in St. Paul's church, Baltimore, on the 28th, 29th, and 30th days of May, 1823. The clergy consist of the bishop, 41 presbyters and 5 deacons ; of which number, 7 presbyters and 1 deacon, were absent. There were present. 48 Jay delegates, the representatives of , 47 parishes. The convention sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Barry. The Rev. Dr. Wyatt was elected secretary, The subject of taxation in the several parishes, for the payment of the expenses attending the meetings of the general and state conventions, having been committed at the preceding convention to a committee of the laity, they report. ed the following resolutions, which were adopted by the present convention : 1. Resolved, That the funds heretofore denominated the deputies’ fund and incidental expenses, be and they are, hereby united into one, to be called “the convention fund,” and that each and every parish in the diocese shall be required to pay to the next, and every succeeding stated convention, the sum of $6 for defraying the expenses of the deputies to the general convention, of the members of the standing compittee, and the incidental expenses.

2. Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the treasurer to the convention, to open a separate account with each parish in the diocese, in which he shall duly charge the amount of annual contribution, and give credit for all sums received, and that he shall submit a statement of his accounts to every annual convention, which statement shall be published in the journal.

The committee on the state of the Church presented the following abstract of the parochial reports of this year.

Abstract of the PAROCHIAL and DIOCESAN REPORTS, made to the Convention, by the Rectors of the

de several Parishes, and by the Comınittee on the Funds of the Church.

Fund for
CHE CUPCE yu com

Bap- Mar Fune Communi Bp. lde
Konoba Y PARISHES.
NAMES OF CLERGYMEN.

dep. & inc.
tismsfriages. rals. cants. fund.

expenses.
St. Paul's Church
St. Paul's Church,

Rt. Rev. J. Kemp, D. D.?
St. Paul's parish, Baltimore city . Rev. W

123 28 1341
Christ Church,

350 880 | 812 00

E. Wyatt, D. D. S
Trinity Church, Baltimore city, ' . .

J. V. Bartow, .

6 00 St. Peter's Church, Baltimore city, .

J.P.K. Henshaw, .

240

600 Grace Church parish, Baltimore city, .

- H. H. Pfeffer,

6 00 All Saints, Frederick county,

- J. Johns, .

6 00
St. James's parish, Baltimore county, .

- G. McElhiney,
2013 40

6 00
Christ Church, Washington city,

- A. T. McCormick,

20 55

6.00
Shrewsbury parish, Kent county,

– P. F. Smith, ..

18 16

5 00 St. James's, Anne Arundel county, i

- Thomas Horrell,

5 38

6 00 Trinity parish, Charles county,

J. Reynolds, . 120 30 180

00. St. Paul's, Chester, Kent county,

W. Jackson, .

56 St. Michael's parish, Talbot county,

F. Schroeder,

11 All Faith parish, St. Mary's county,

N. H. Shaw,

43 Coventry parish, Somerset county,

110

S. C. Stratton,
All Hallows parish, Worcester county, S2

- 5 00
All Saints parish, Calvert cour

M. Johnson,

1760 4 6 00 Prince George's parish, Montgomery county,

T. G. Alen, 16

9 14 49 10 4.00 St. Peter's parish, Montgomery county,

- W. Armstrong, Jr.

161 48 8 6 00 St. Thomas's parish, Baltimore county.. .

- C.C. Austin,

8 11- 14 10 h 300 William and Mary parish, Charles county,

- Charles Mann,

61141 54 10 1 5 00 St. John's parish, Prince George's county,

Ethan Allen,

124 - 37 80 5 6 00,

- T. G. Allen,
St. Bartholomew's parish, Montgomery county,

3 44 5 4 42
St. John's parish, Hagerstown, Isberguos

- George Lemmon,

nug St. Paul's parish, Queen Anne's county,

- G. Aisquith, . 5 - 6201
St. Stephen's parish, Cecil county,

- G. Weller,
Christ Church, and St. John's, Balt. and Harford counties, - J. R. Keech,

.5 43 63

6 00 St. Margaret's Westminster parish, Anne Arundel county,

- G. B. Schaeffer,

5 00 Great Choptank parish, Dorchester county,

- J. Judd,

106 00 St. John's Church, Washington, . . .

- W. Hawley, .

106 00