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cient Zion, inasmuch as here the King delights to dwell. Forsake not therefore the assembling of yourselves together," for it is the place where the worship of the Most High is perpetuated.

6th. The realization of deserved good and the banishment of deprecated evil attendant upon their return. They shall obtain joy and gladness. We shall obtain it as the result of our Father's eternal love, and our great Ransomer's sure oblation; this the happiness which his people would possess, was the joy set before him, who for the joy, &c. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away: Oh! they shall not be found in heaven. Their abode shall be in a far distant place. It may not be amiss to say here, dear hearer on what do your hopes depend? Are you walking in the pathway of the ransomed, or are you going to the abodes of sorrow and sighing? May the Holy Ghost lead you to see in what pathway you are treading, and lead you if it be his will, in the narrow way that leadeth to eternal life; and to sing the song of the ransomed : "Now unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, be honour, blessing, praise, and power, now and for ever.' Amen.

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J. P. SEARLE.

the plan of salvation, in the peculiar choice of the election of grace, some have thought have far exceeded any other of the prophets; but be that as it may, it is very evident that he was greatly indulged by the Lord, not only to gaze with inexpressible delight upon the wonders of redeeming love, but he had a correct view of the revelation or manifestation of it to the heirs of grace. We have an ample proof of this in the portion of Holy Writ at the head of this paper, in which with an humble dependance on the Lord the Spirit, I purpose to notice

First the prison; you know beloved brethren, that a literal prison is built for the confinement of persons that have violated the laws of our land, men that have committed crimes worthy of death, are there laden with chains to prevent their escape, and thus it is with all Adam's progeny, they have all violated the laws of the King of kings, so much so, that they have justly deserved eternal death; they are all (whilst in a nature state) bound with the chains of sin, and in a dark prison, for says the Holy Ghost "darkness hath covered the earth and gross darkness the people," (Isaiah, xlii. 7. also lx. 2.) but it is very obvious that they do not know the awful condition that they are in, they are not aware that the sword of infinite justice hangs impending over their Reader is this your condition, does your religion consist only in talk, do you feel an antipathy against those who insist upon the necessity of God the Holy Ghost's saving operations upon the mind of a sinner, discovering to him the spirituality of the law, &c. before he can know anything of the sweets of pardoning love? if so, I must tell you in the language of scripture, that you know not what spirit you are of.

THE PRISON DOORS OPENED AND THE guilty heads.

CAPTIVES SET FREE.

"That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth, to them that are in darkness shew yourselves they shall feed in the way and their pastures shall be in all high places." Isaiah, xlix. 9.

It is very obvious that the prophet Isaiah was highly favoured with the Lord the Spirit's teachings and holy anointings. This truth we shall perceive from a fair perusal of his prophecies; his views of Jehovah in his Trinity of Persons were most sublime; his knowledge relative to the great transactions of the eternal Three in

But to return I make no reserve in saying that the prisoners alluded to in the text, are the children of God, whom the Holy Ghost is pleased in the appointed time to breathe into

their souls the breath of spiritual life, which discovers to them their just demerits. This Holy Agent brings to light the before hidden evils of their hearts, he makes a disclosure of the purity of the law of God, and exhibits to view the malignant nature of sin; the sinner has light to see his true character, and life to feel his imprisoned condition; his mind is enveloped in darkness, guilt seizes fast hold of him, bondage of spirit is sensibly felt, Satan roars, and Sinai's terrors fill his soul with great surprise.

O what a prison to be in,
Whilst Moses cries, pay me my due!
He feels the bitter plague of sin,
And justice stands in open view.

but shall the elect sinner perish in this state? surely not, though the enemy of souls suggests that such will

Their chains of guilt shall break in twain,
They then shall of Salvation sing;
Our God doth over devils reign,

And he will them from prison bring. Secondly-we will enquire who it is by, and how it is, that they are brought out of this prison house; if we refer to the chapter before us, we shall find that God the Father is there speaking expressly of the Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest, said he, say to the prisoners go forth, &c. this is an expression which clearly proves his etenal Godhead, secondly it is conclusive evidence also of his willingness to perform the mighty deed, and shews that his heart was intensely set, not only upon the work appointed for him to perform, but upon the objects of his special favour, given to him in covenant relation; thirdly it is an expression that proves his power must be felt in the soul when he speaks, which is a blessed truth, which the elect sinner knows, for he by his Spirit speaks with power into the heart which makes it melt like wax before the flame; tho chains of sin break in pieces; guilt is removed: darkness

disappears; Sinai ceases to roar; Satan cannot stand before it; incredulity takes to flight; despair vanishes and the before lame man (in soul afflictions) leaps as an hart and the stammering tongue is loosed,

To praise the great Almighty God
Who spake and with a single word,
Made every foe to flee;

Sin flees at his delightful voice,
In Christ the soul doth then rejoice,
Who sets the prisoners free.

I proceed thirdly, to notice to whom they shew themselves, when brought out of this prison. The word of divine truth informs us that when the Lord brought Peter out of prison, he soon found his way to his spiritual brethren, who were met together for prayer, and in all probability they were supplicating the Lord on his behalf. At the very juncture of time that the chains fell off from his hands, and the prison doors were opened, it is said that as Peter knocked at the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda, which name signifies a rose. You know beloved, that a literal rose in its season, presents a beautiful aspect, and sends forth a most fragrant perfume and when Rhoda ran and told these praying people that Peter stood before the gate, did not the rose of a good hope, that God had answered their prayers for him begin to bud? and when they saw him, did not this rose appear in full bloom, did not its odoriferous influence make all their hearts to rejoice? surely it was so and was it not so when the Lord brought the Apostle Paul out of the spiritual prison cited above, did he not soon rehearse the joyful news to the Church of God, surely his language was in unison with one of old, when he said

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come all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for my soul," thus beloved brethren we

see

That God's elect from bondage freed
To Zion's sons will say,
Come bless the helping hand indeed,
That turn'd my night to day.

I come now in the fourth place to make a few remarks relative to where they feed, and describe the nature of their food; also notice the word high recorded in the portion of scripture under consideration. The term high means to be litted up, as it is written "they that wait upon the Lord shall mount up as eagles, &c. they shall dwell on high and there place of defence shall be the munition of rocks." Isaiah, xxxiii. 16. xl. 31. And again he (the Lord) raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, &c. Samuel, ii. 8. It is very evident that the persons alluded to in the above scriptures, are the beloved of God, for says the Holy Ghost, wisdom is too high for a fool. Proverbs, xxiv. 7. and their pastures are to be in all high places. A literal pasture is the peculiar property of one or more individuals, it is an enclosed spot of ground, and no stranger has any right within the circle of this enclosure, and every spiritual blessing that the Church receives, flows from and centres in Christ: he is the grace head of all supernatural influence, he is the covenant performer or fulfiller; and the election of grace are said to be brought into this covenant; Ezekiel, xx. 37. or in other words, they embrace by faith a precious Christ, the Lord the Spirit leads them into the truth as it is in him, and they feed upon him as the bread of eternal life, they find his flesh meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed; that is his mighty deeds done in the flesh, his infinite merits, his conquest over hell, his magnifying the law, and making it honourable. Isaiah, xlii. 22. his choice sayings, his sweet invitations, his precepts, his precious doctrines, his faithfulness to his people under every sorrow that befals them whilst in these low lands of misery, and his ceaseless reign as king in Zion, become as the Holy Spirit carries on his work in the sinner's heart harmonious indeed. It is said that they are to lay down in these green pastures

to shew that the grace of God enjoyed in the heart of a sinner, is of an humbling nature, and sure to lay the recipient of the same in the dust, and no stranger to God, to his truth, or his ways in bringing sinners to a knowledge of themselves, and of himself is admitted into these luxuriant pastures as it is written, no lion-like men who fight against the gospel of our God shall be there, nor any ravenous beast who would if possible, devour the sheep of Chrlst, shall go up thereon, but the ransomed of the Lord shall walk there. Isaiah, xxxv. 9. Oh! belov ed brethren,

How pure their food, how sweet their rest,
By God they are completely blest,
With blessings all divine:
They travel on in Zion's road,
Revere his name, admire his word,
Whilst he upon them shine.

But when from them he doth retire,
Again they feel temptations fire,

But soon it will be o'er;
That doth the truth of God oppose,
When they shall bid adieu to those

And never sin no more.

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their souls the breath of spiritual life, which discovers to them their just demerits. This Holy Agent brings to light the before hidden evils of their hearts, he makes a disclosure of the purity of the law of God, and exhibits to view the malignant nature of sin; the sinner has light to see his true character, and life to feel his imprisoned condition; his mind is er veloped in darkness, guilt seizes f hold of him, bondage of spi sensibly felt, Satan roars, and terrors fill his soul with

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T was with much pleasure e piece in your March numom a member of a church in North of Ireland. I find the hildren of promise have the same conflict with the bond children there, as we have here. Nature is nature all the world over, and grace is grace all the church over. The seed of the woman are heirs of grace, the seed of the serpent are sticklers for what they call good works: these read not the scriptures with a discri

What then shall I minating eye, a circumcised heart, Yare withing to urge, the light of the letter, but not in the Burnul to me a sin- light of the Spirit-in the light of pardon my sins, for the nature, but not in the light of grace. thy Sou Jesus Christ our I have

nor a quickened soul; they read it in

These profess a great deal of love to the souls of men in general; but

have no real love to the real children

I have often longed to be amongst of God, to the real truth of God, nor vest in his great salvation. baptized in a Saviour's name; but I their universal charity an universal desired to join the church by being is darkness, their love is fleshly, and the Lord's people; I have frequently to the real Christ of God: their light am afraid that they would not receive cheat.

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soul is in a precious Christ, well knowing" there is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved." I dare not think my affiction is hard-it is the will of God; the Lord gave and the Lord can take but blessed be his name, though heart and flesh fail, "the Lord is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever." I do greatly love the friends of Immanuel, who shew love to me for his sake. I think I can say, Jesus is to my soul both sweet and precious, I esteem his holy word more than all besides. Thus, dear sir, I have given you a short account of my feelings. May a gracious Lord help you to be faithful unto death, that you may receive a crown of life," is the sincere wish of an afflicted child,

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But of the Lord's people the Holy Spirit is the teacher; he brings them to a knowledge of the truth, makes them free by the truth, enables them rightly to divide the word of truth, causing them to buy the truth, to keep the truth, to walk in the truth. So that they are children that will not lie, and God is their Saviour.

But to the request of our friend in the north of Ireland. Be it then remembered, that the repentance to which Simon Magus was exhorted, was natural not spiritual, temporary not permanent, circumstantial not general.

True repentance stands connected with a knowledge of the need of Christ, together with the remission of sin hence the Saviour is exalted

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f faith, nor of remission by now both these are insespiritual repentance. even preach the gospel e than did Elijah to et him in the vinebab was humbled, t and sense of is repentance herefore merely it appear that the Le Ninevites was any Man natural.

A repentance is connected knowledge of salvation and ssion of sin; but Simon's repentance was not of this kind, and consequently it was temporary. But the repentance which the Lord bestows upon his people, is a repentance unto life and salvation; this is a repentance that needeth not to be repented of. The man who thus becomes a christian, is a christian for ever. We clearly see that Ahab's repentance was only temporary, as we find him again exercising his persecuting spirit, in commanding Micaiah to be imprisoned, and fed with the bread and water of affliction. Thus it is one thing to be for a time (like king Saul) turned into another man, and another thing to become a new creature in Christ Jesus.

As the repentance of Simon Magus was natural and temporary, so it was circumstantial and not general. Annanias and Sapphira were struck dead for exercising covetousness and telling lies; thinking, as did Simon, to make the religion of the Son of God subservient to their abominable covetousness. And when Peter said to Simon, "Thy money perish with thee," Simon seems to have feared that some judgment or judgments would have come immediately upon him; therefore Simon said to Peter, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things ye have spoken come upon me.' Thus he was somewhat sensible of the wickedness of the thought of purchasing the Holy Ghost with money;

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yet he manifests no sense of his state as a sinner in general, nor does he even express any desire after Jesus Christ, nor any real knowledge of him. Nor does Peter exhort him to pray, in the way that the children of God are exhorted to pray; for they are exhorted and enabled to pray to their heavenly Father in secret, and he will hear them and answer them openly. This is often done by the ministry of the word, when the Lord sends his ministers with a blessing to their souls, and enables his ministers to open the very things concerning which his children have been exercised.

Peter exhorts Simon to repent of this his wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of his heart may be forgiven him. That is, that he may not be cut off as were Annanias and Sapphira. This kind of forgiveness, and pardon through the blood of the Lamb, are essentially different. Simon was by the rebuke Peter had given him, sensible of the wickedness of his conduct in thinking to purchase the Holy Ghost with money; and Peter assured him that he [Simon] had no part nor lot in the matter of the ministry of the word, yet gave Simon some little hope that if he humbled himself and confessed his fault, he would not be there and then destroyed.

The whole circumstance amounts to this. Here is Simon the sorcerer awfully tampering with the truth of God; the apostle rebukes him, and exhorts him to repent of such wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps such wickedness be not immediately punished. I therefore repeat, that the repentance to which Peter exhorted Simon was natural and not spiritual, temporary and not permanent, circumstantial and not general. That is, it did not allude to his state altogether as a sinner, but to the particular circumstance under which the apostle addressed him. When our antagonists can prove that the re

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