opinion of most of the fathers, vid. Irenæus, lib. v. cap. ix. lib. ii. cap. xxxiii. Ed. Par. Clem. Alex. Strom. iii. p. 542. Ed. Oxon. Origen. Philocal. p. 8. Ignat. Ep. ad Philadelph. ad calcem. See also Joseph. Antiq. lib. i. cap. ii. p. 5. Constitut. Apostol. lib. vii. cap. xxxiv. But above all these is the authority of scripture, which, speaking of the original formation of man, mentions the three distinct parts of his nature; Gen. ii. 7, viz. the dust of the earth, or the body; the living soul, or the animal and sensitive part; and the breath of life, i. e. the spirit or rational mind. In like manner, the Apostle Paul divides the whole man into (to πvevμa, n Juxn, xxι to caμx,) the spirit, the soul, and the body, 1 Thess. v. 23; and what he calls aux he calls vs, Rom. vii. 24, the word which Antoninus uses to denote the same thing. They who would see more of this, may consult Nemesius de Natura Hominis, cap. i. and Whiston's Prim. Christ. vol. iv. p. 262.

All the observations I shall make hereupon is, that this consideration may serve to soften the prejudices of some against the account which scripture gives us of the mysterious manner of the existence of the divine nature; of which every man (as created in the image of God) carries about him a kind of emblem, in the threefold distinction of his own; which, if he did not every minute find it by experience to be a fact, would doubtless appear to him altogether as mysterious and incomprehensible as the scripture doctrine of the Trinity. "Homo habet tres partes, spiritum, animam, et corpus; itaque homo est imago S. S. Trinitatis." August. Tractat. de Symbolo.-Mason on Self Knowledge, Part I. ch. 2.

THE GOSPEL OFFERED, NOT FORCED UPON MANKIND.-The influence of the gospel is of a moral nature. It does not break in on the constitution of the human mind by any necessitating and irresistible power. Men are left to judge of its nature and qualities by the common lights of the understanding; and it is in the power of the will to resist its evidence. If the faculties were controlled by its force, there could be no merit in yielding to its influence. It would cease to be a moral means of conversion, if it left no exercise for the judgment, and no choice for the will. As so much depends on a man's own conduct, in order to constitute him a moral agent, a subject of rewards and punishments, we cannot conceive any scheme that would necessarily prevent the admission, and, in some situations, the prevalence of errour, without a total alteration in the plan of moral government. The faculties that may be employed to a good purpose, are liable to be perverted to a bad one. Divine wisdom from time to time corrects and restrains the abuses that arise from their mismanagement; but to prevent them alto. gether, would require such a perpetual intervention of a miraculous power, and such a constant bias irresistibly preponderating over the mind, as would destroy the very design of the gospel, which is intended to produce a voluntary service by moral motives; and not a necessary effect by a constraining and irresistible impulse.-White's Bampton Lecture Sermons. Notes, pp. iii. iv.

FOR THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

EXTRACT FROM THE MESSIAH.

BOOK H.

Translated from the original German of Klopstock.

(CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 320.)

MEANWHILE had Adramelech, with his lord,
Almost the earth approach'd. Silent they went,
Each wrapt in self; and first the subject-fiend
Beheld the world in gathering darkness near.
And art thou here? (he said within himself
While thoughts roll'd o'er him as the ocean waves
When first they brought to view of triple worlds
Thee, distant land, America.) 'Tis here,
Utter'd the baleful fiend, that, when remov'd
Satan the heaven-combatant, stand thrones
I long have coveted; where I shall reign
Creator of the wicked, sole in power.

Yet only thee? Why scale not those bright stars,
That flit so blessed by me through the heavens?

O yes! There, too, shall death reign; from one orb
Ev'n to the distant other shall he kill

Within the Thunderer's view! Then, would I not,
Like Satan singly choose. No! 'neath my touch
Myriads, whole worlds, should die and be extinct!
I would look on with rapture, as they lay
Writhing 'neath ever sharp'ning agonies.
Then all triumphant sit me down; or here,
Or midst eternity, and joy to see

Myself and death alone. And then I'd gaze,
With eye exulting, on thine endless grave,
O Nature, where lay pil'd my victims high;
And fiendship laugh; and let the Eternal form,
If it so pleas'd him, other creatures out
The universal tomb; those in like wise,
Through cunning or vast enterprise, destroy;
And other worlds mislead and crush again!
Thus Adramelech aims. Delightful thought!
O may'st thou but succeed! Ha! shall I find
A death for spirits: shall through me be kill'd,
For ever kill'd, and made a thing of naught,
Satan the lord of hell; and I perform
No more a servile, second office 'neath him!
O mighty spirit, that my bosom now
Inspirest, give me powers to crush them all,

I go,

All our rebellious train: Give, or I curse thee,
And would I could annihilate! Or grant,
Sullen 'mongst spirits, my desire, or yield
The sway thou holdest o'er my soul.
Yes, I will speed to summon up my thoughts,
Numerous as gods, and give them edge to kill.
'Tis now the time that I have longed for,
Ev'n since eternities, a time to act;
Haply deceive the soul of Satan; now,

When our robb'd realm of heaven has sent below
A Mediator of mankind (to prove,

So my soul hopes, its fall eventual.)
And Satan sure is not deceiv'd for man,
Since Adam hath known best to prophecy
And all have told Messias: O, 'tis so!
Once Satan vanquished, all hell shall rise
And offer me its throne; or what, still more
My godliness desires, what more shall suit
Thy soul, O Adramelech; it will be

To murder Satan ere Messias. This,

O this shall end eternal servitude.

"Twill be the first of those bright deeds through which, Arch-monarch of the gods I hope to rise.

Satan, 'tis hard for thee to butcher God,
To butcher ev'n corporeal. Yes, to thee
(Perchance thou may'st achieve it) I will leave
Such secondary office, ere thou beest

A nameless thing which winds shall round disperse.
But, 'tis to me that's left the nobler part

To kill, annihilate the soul. Do thou
Strew the corporeal dust along thine hell!
Thus finish'd the infernal spirit; he

Who dar'd to threaten God. Jehovah heard
Th' insulting wretch, and paus'd to view his works.
Unmark'd, upon a cloud which 'neath his tread
Was pitchiest night, revolved Adramelech,
With front ire-glowing, his tremendous thoughts.
Yet soon the rush of the quick-turning world,
Now doubling with the darkness, woke him up
From out those dreams so wild and measureless.
Sullen he look'd around; then join'd himself
To his companion. On they went, 'mid storms,
Toward the Olive mount, the Christ to seek.
So rush two mighty chariots, from the height
Of mountains, sent by warriour train against
Some fearless leader in the vale below.
With wildest clangour roll they on, o'er rocks
And scatter'd trunks; and, frightful, kill from far.

Thus Adramelech and the arch fiend found
The Olive mount, still burning to destroy.

END OF THE SECOND BOOK.

Here ended the labours of the author of this translation of the two first books of Klopstock's Messiah-Mr. John Temple Palmer. Immediately after completing the above, he left Boston; and on the 25th of March, 1822, was drowned while crossing a brook near Durham, Connecticut, in the mail stage. For an account of this melancholy event, and some notice of the character of our lamented correspondent, see our volume for 1822, p. 103.

FOR THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

HYMNS FOR CHRISTMAS.

DAYS of affliction! your gloom is declining;
Sadness and sin! ye may hasten your flight;
Beams of rich splendour around us are shining;
Visions of glory have burst on our sight.

Welcome, O welcome, the promis'd salvation;
Jesus, the Mighty, descends from his throne;
Augels announce him with high acclamation;
Monarchs are destin'd to yield him the crown.
Low though he lies, yet divine is his mission ;
Vast are the treasures he comes to secure ;
Pardon for guilt, and a hope to contrition;
Peace to the mourner, and love to the poor.

Blest be the hour when, to mortals admiring,
Gifts of such value their lustre display;
Pure is our faith, and, with rapture inspiring,
Bright is the Star that illumines our way.

Saviour Almighty! accept our devotion;
Shed through this temple thy favour divine;
Guide with thy Spirit the heart's strong emotion;
Smile on our altars and own them as thine.

Days of affliction! your gloom is declining;
Sadness and sin! ye may hasten your flight;
Beams of rich splendour around us are shining;
Visions of glory have burst on our sight.

S.

II. L. M.

THE prophet's weeks, at length, fulfill'd,
Give promise of a brighter day;
And Cesar's arms a triumph yield,
For blest Emmanuel's peaceful sway.

The altar fires more faintly glow,
And trembling saints in transport stand;
Judea's sons forget the wo

Which long has veil'd their guilty land.

And now, low bending from on high,
The heav'nly host, a shining throng,
With loud hosannahs fill the sky,

And this the burden of their song:

Mortals, awake! with transport rise,

And view your great Deliv'rer near;
With joy lift up your wond'ring eyes,
And hail a Saviour's entrance here.

Go, seek, in David's town, your Lord,
And bow before his humble throne;

Go, worship the incarnate Word,

And thus, with angels, praise the Son:

Glory to Him who comes from heav'n!

The world's Redeemer! Prince of peace!
Salvation now to men is giv'n,

And Jesus' reign shall never cease.

S.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

NORTH CAROLINA.

FROM the journal of the proceedings of the eighth annual convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this diocese, holden on the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th of May, 1824, the following particulars are selected.

The committee on the state of the Church report, "That since the last convention, the Church has continued to prosper, in a degree commensurate with all reasonable hopes and expectations. The Sunday schools have generally continued in a flourishing condition. Four new congregations have been added to the Church; the number of communicants has been greatly augmented. It has pleased the great Head of the Church, to bless the efforts of the ministry, and to dispose the hearts of the people to increased piety and purity; and the progres Sur faith is such, as to call for renewed gratitude to God for