NAZARETH.

BY JOHN HOLLAND.

Look, Christian, on that picture, 'tis a gem
Thy heart, thy taste, thy fancy may approve;
'Tis Nazareth in Galilee—the spot

Where, warned of God, obedient Joseph fled
With holy Mary, his espoused wife,

That thence the virgin-mother's first-born son,
Jesus, the world's Redeemer, promised long-
Might, as the prophets had foretold, be called
A Nazarene.

Oh! who would not, could aught Give instant wings and vision to our thoughts, Oh! who would not rejoice, a pilgrim glad,

To fly, and gaze a moment on the scene

So honoured oft by Inspiration's pen?

The scene to which, commissioned by high Heaven
God's first archangel, Gabriel, erewhile sped,
Saluting with strange words ineffable,

As highly favoured of the Lord! as one
Most blessed among women from thenceforth,—
Mary, the mother of the Son of God!

Look on that picture, Christian; it portrays

A spot despised through Jewry in old times,
Even as the Man of sorrows, who thence sprang,
Was the despised, rejected among men.

"Comes any good thing out of Nazareth?"
Inquired the sneering Jew:-Yes, 'tis the place
Low, mean, derided, scorned-the very place
Most honoured in the precincts of this earth:

H

There first the name of JESUS was announced,
While, by the o'ershadowing Spirit's presence taught,
HIM angel-lips proclaimed the Son of God:
There, with his parents, in unspotted youth
Obedient, dwelt the Saviour of mankind:
There, with the unction of the Holy Ghost,
Anointed to his office, Christ began

To preach, to work, to show himself indeed
Transcendent o'er humanity, nor less

Than God,-yea, the IMMANUEL-God with us!
Now change the scene- -a moment let the eye
Be fixed on Calvary: lo! on the Cross,
The Lamb of God in sacrificial death
Expires; and heaven is reconciled to earth!

Who is the victim? Read, oh! weeping, read
That triple superscription, nailed aloft
At Pilate's stern command: in Hebrew, read
"JESUS OF NAZARETH," ye mocking Jews!
In Greek, ye polished strangers of the west,
"JESUS OF NAZARETH," all trembling, read '
All ye
from Rome, and from the isles afar,
JESUS OF NAZARETH," in Latin read!

66

Thrice-honoured Nazareth! by Heaven's decree, Exalted highly, o'er all cities, thus—

Not Bethlehem, where our Lord was humbly born
Nor Jordan, in whose wave he was baptized;
Nor Salem, witness of his mightiest works;
Nor Tabor, the transfiguration mount;
Nor thy strange garden, dark Gethsemane !
Nor Calvary itself, such favour won,
As this despised, exalted city, Nazareth.

Sheffield, July, 1835

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A HINDOO CONVERT.

COMMUNICATED BY REV. JOHN REID, A. M.

MISSIONARY AT BELLARY.

In this

WHILE yet an infant, my parents sent me to school. school I obtained some knowledge, and grew up to the state of youth. At this period I used to observe my father, and others of his acquaintance, who professed the same religious tenets with him, manifesting considerable zeal in the service of the god called Vishnoo, in serving whom they hoped to obtain salvation. They, in the time of making their ablutions, meditated on and prayed unto him, and they also fasted in his name. Observing these things while in my youth, I also made my ablutions, praising Vishnoo; and I moreover fasted in his name, and repeated his name on a mala (necklace or rosary) made of the wood of the sweet basil tree; I also worshipped the sun by prostrations, and repeated stanzas to his praise.

When I arrived at man's state, my heart was distracted with carnal desires; "I abounded in wicked inclinations and wicked works," yet I contrived pretty much to secrete them, and I appeared gentle and devout in the eyes of the people. My father now became anxious that I should improve in knowledge, and, to effect this, sat by my side, and made me read books of various descriptions, explaining the meaning of them himself as he went on; the people around listening to his expositions. One effect of these exercises was, to excite in me a great desire to be esteemed learned, both in the Teloogoo and Sanscrit languages; that I might become acquainted with the purport of all kinds of shashters, and that people might say, "What a learned man he is!" To accomplish this design, I applied day and night to the study of these languages; and I afterwards determined on repairing to Benares, to finish my education there.

With this intention, I set out in company with two youths of the class of Cullingas; but after proceeding a few miles, my two companions having declined to follow me, I returned also. From this period my desire for knowledge subsided, but still, by my own application, I had acquired sufficient knowledge to enable me to compose a book of hymns and praises, which I dedicated to those idols which I supposed were gods. I became acquainted with a book which contained a full account of the religion of Juggernauth, and imbibed the sentiments which were therein contained. I at this time also wrote a book myself in three parts, which I filled with unheard-of and unseen prodigies; this met the approbation of some learned men, which circumstance transported me with joy.

[After describing his progress for some time, Poorashatam continues-]

One thing I now clearly saw by the truth of the shastrum, viz. that the soul was different from, and not a part of the body. The soul is immortal, and the body is corruptible; the body has a shape and is composed of elements, but not so the soul. There is an Almighty God, who created them both. However, I did not know the proper way to serve God, and was much perplexed; but being stricken in my thoughts by bigotry, I could not obtain light. I do not exactly recollect the date, but I think it was six or seven years before the period I am now speaking of, that I obtained a printed book from a Cullinga boy of my country, entitled "An Address to the Inhabitants of this part of the World by the Missionaries." This book I read, but not fully labouring to understand the excellent things in this book, and not discerning the way to save the sou clearly, I laid it aside in a box.

Some time after, an engineer officer came to survey the hills and lands in my part of the district, and the sight of him put me in mind of the book which I had; I took it out once more, and

by studying it found that there was a great difference between the notions I had imbibed and the virtuous precepts of the book. I now plainly saw that my former ways were all deception, and this book seemed to point out a better way, and I became convinced by it of my unrighteousnesses which I had committed. I shewed the book to several of my own religion, who said that doubtless the book pointed out a certain way of saving the soul, but that a reception of it was quite contrary to the order of my own religion. I anxiously longed to obtain the knowledge of salvation, and read the book with persevering application. I soon discovered that the forms of my own books and my own religion were useless inventions. I conceived that the principles of the little book were sound, and calculated to save the soul of man, and purge him from his iniquities; and greatly I wished for further instruction in the true and holy religion of Jesus Christ, for I was not well informed about the birth and wonderful works of Christ. I frequently engaged in disputes with men of my own caste, having the image of Christ impressed upon my mind. With the intent of obtaining a better knowledge of the scriptures, I twice went over to Berhampore, to converse with some gentlemen there; but such was the shame and fear which Satan put into my mind, that I could not accomplish my purpose. I inquired of several persons, but they informed me that there was no Missionary there. A little time before I went to Berhampore, when I was in a village called Tooloogoo, on the east of the Chicacole district, I obtained two books from a Teloogoo boy, one was entitled "A Description of the Creation," and the other “The Condition of Mankind." The perusal of these books was very profitable to me, and strengthened my mind in the belief and mission of Jesus Christ, in whom I now rejoiced exceedingly. I carefully copied these two books on Cadjoor leaves, hoping by their means to introduce myself unto some European gentlemen, that I might thereby accomplish my extreme wish of becoming acquainted with the religion which I was now in