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pardon and fellowship of his God, have far greater advantages for a could ever draw back unto per- more intimate communion with dition and sink down to the lowest God, and the Spirits of the just hell? Would not their alleluias made perfect.

It is only the be untimely and premature, and Church that makes known unto should they not be suspended till the principalities and powers in the ransomed sinner reaches the heavenly places the manifold mansions of bliss, if he who has wisdom of God;" and hence once commenced the Christian it is they delight to wait on the race shall not finish his course ransomed of the Lord, and enwith joy, and receive the crown deavour to catch from their lips of the life eternal? Do not the and their lives something more of And could the veil which happy choir above assuredly know the grace and the glory of their that no one can repent unless he God. be among the elect of God, who separates between us and the shall finally see his glory and be world of Spirits be this moment fellow-worshipper removed, you might see crowds their Own throughout eternity? Surely of seraphs from the third heavens there could be no joy in heaven waiting and watching for the reat his repentance, if he were not pentance of every sinful man, listto hold fast what he had received, ening with the profoundest attenand continue his confidence and tion to the words of eternal life, and the rejoicing of his hope steadfast deriving improvement and joy from the worship of saints on the unto the end. earth. Then,

3. The angels of God, who are 4. We see what great encousinevery peculiarly interested in the conversion of sinners, have received ragement there is for great addition to their happiness, ner to repent. It creates joy in their knowledge, and their glory, heaven-joy with God the Faby the redemption that is in ther, the Son, and the Holy That same work Ghost-joy among the angels, Christ Jesus. They are all which glorifies God and saves and joy among the spirits of the man, has greatly enhanced their just made perfect. enjoyment; and the more they concerned in the conversion of know of it, the greater is their even one rebel; and are all deHence they are sirous to welcome the penitent blessedness. said to desire to look into the and to receive their joy. And wonders of redeeming love, and are there not then some sinners to ponder with admiration on that who may read this, though they willing great mystery of godliness, "God have never yet gladdened the manifest in the flesh, justified in peers of heaven, are the Spirit, received up into glory." to do it now? For whom anThey have, by the mediation of gels shall chaunt their praise, and Christ, been gathered under the archangels strike their harps? Lord Jesus as their head; and Is there no weeping prodigal though not their Saviour, he is whose repentance some listening their head of government and of seraph shall carry up on high, influence, and they have thus and spread the gladsome and the become more nearly related to gladdening tidings through the the person of our Redeemer, and armies of the skies? Are there

none of our readers who have ways of iniquity and wo, and follost friends or relatives that lowing them up to the mansions they trust are now in heaven, of bliss? Oh! think how they and who they know would wel- would tune their golden harps to come them to the paradise of celebrate the riches of redeeming their God? And do you not wish grace, if your names were anto add to their triumph and their nounced among the penitent of joy? And though their spirits the earth and the heirs of heaven! are now perfect in glory, yet, as O, then, as you would rejoice the they most probably are informed spirits of your departed and gloof whatever takes place on earth, rified friends-as you would enwill you, if souls in bliss can joy their communion for ever in grieve, will you grieve them by glory, and not be separated from persevering in rebellion? They them when God shall come to know far better than you the in- judgment-as you would not grafinite blessedness of communion tify the prince of darkness, nor with God, and what must be the the fiends of the pit-but as you unutterable misery of banishment would make a jubilee above, and from his favour and presence. gladden the angels, your friends, They know, O sinful men, that your relatives, your God, your so long as you remain rebels Saviour, and your King, repent of against God and his Christ, the your transgressions and return wrath of heaven abideth on you, unto the Lord, for he will have that your souls are on the brink mercy upon you, and to our God, of everlasting perdition, and have for he will abundantly pardon. no title whatever to the glories of 5. If such be the joy of heaven eternity. And how would they at the conversion of a sinner, how rejoice to hear of your being de- great must that joy be when the livered from endless torments, converted sinner is received up and of your turning from folly and to glory-when, after having from sin! Have none of our rea- passed through all the sorrows of ders, then, lost some dear friend of life and the conflicts of his faithhis heart, that has gone up to the when, after having wrestled with third heavens? No ungodly son flesh and blood, and with princior daughter who has lost a pious palities and powers, and passed and beloved parent, or no un- through the dark valley of the godly parent that mourns for a shadow of death, his redeemed dear and precious child? No spirit is loosed from its tabernacle unconverted husband, the be- of clay, and mounts the angelic loved partner of whose bosom wing that wafts it up to Abraham's is now with her God, or some bosom! Oh! what tongue can bereaved and yet impenitent describe, or what heart conceive widow, whose partner has ex- the enrapturing jubilee that rings changed this world of sin and through the arches of the skies, sorrow for a world of life and while another, and another, and bliss? And will you not gladden yet another ransomed spirit joins their spirits by your repentance? the spirits of the just made perWill you not heighten their glory fect! How must its arrival be and their joy by turning from the welcomed by exulting seraphs and VOL.II....No. 7.

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glorified saints! And how must transgressing his commandments; the King of Saints and the Lord but rather add to their glory and of seraphs rejoice, as his ransom- their joy by walking in that path ed ones are thus gradually gather- of the just which shineth brighter ed home to himself, to celebrate and brighter unto the perfect day. his grace and to behold his glory! The angels of Jesus, O believers, How must the joy of the blessed, are continually encompassing your and the praises of heaven and of ways and guarding you from all heaven's King be thus continually evil. They are watching about advancing with every new-admit-your steps, and comforting you in ted saint, and rising higher, and all your sorrows; and when your higher, and higher in bliss, in glo- conflicts shall be ended, and your ry, and in praise! And oh! what days numbered on the earth— a grand and elevated song will be when that hour shall come in in heaven, when all the nations which all the vanities of time shall of the saved shall be united with for ever fade upon your eye, and angels and archangels around the all the realities of the eternal throne of God, and shall all, with world shall open to your view— one heart and one voice, pour that hour, when your quivering forth their alleluias to "Him that lips shall turn pale, and your exsitteth upon the throne, and to piring breath become cold-when the Lamb for ever!" your earthly tabernacle shall be Let then all who have not yet crumbling off from the exulting, repented, beseech the Saviour of disembodied spirit, and the hoIsrael for the heavenly gift, and vering soul shall be just on the let all in whom the good work of wing for glory-then, in that hour, God has been begun, implore the the seraphs of the third heavens divine Spirit to complete their shall pour in upon your ears the salvation, and enable them to music of the skies, and shall carry bring forth fruit meet for repent-you up, with the acclamations of ance. Let them not grieve the their joy, to the paradise of your angels, or the redeemed, or the God! Spirit, or the Son of God, by

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Account of the Proceedlings of a cerning Christ, on the 12th of

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Council of Jews in 1650.

"THE proceedings of a great

October, 1650.

"It hath been much desired by

many honest Christians, that this

council of Jews, assembled in the narrative of the Jews' council Plain of Ageda in Hungary, about should be published, which I did thirty leagues distant from Buda, intend only to communicate to to examine the Scriptures con- private friends. The chief argu

ment by which they have persua- [from it, to prevent entrance to all ded me to do it is, because they strangers, and to all such Jews as do conceive it to be a prepara- could not prove themselves to be tive and hopeful sign of the Jews' Jews by record, or could not disconversion, and that it will be pute in the Hebrew tongue, glad tidings to the Church of which many had forgotten, who Christ; and therefore I have lived in such countries where yielded to satisfy their desires they are not allowed their synatherein. And thus it was: gogues, as in France, Spain, and "At the place above-named those parts of Italy that do belong there assembled about three hun-to the king of Spain, viz. the dred rabbies, called together from kingdom of Naples, with the proseveral parts of the world, to ex-vince of Calabria and Apuleia; amine the Scriptures concerning the kingdom of Sicilia and SarChrist; and it seems this place dinia; in which places, if a Jew was thought most convenient for be found, and he deny the Popish this council, in regard that part religion, he is in danger to be of the country was not much in-condemned and executed for it; habited, because of the continual and yet profit and benefit allureth wars between the Turk and the them to dwell in those countries, king of Hungary; where (as I notwithstanding their fears and was informed) they had fought two dangers: and themselves are bloody battles: yet both princes, willing to forget, and so neglect notwithstanding their own differ-to teach their children their naences, did give leave to the Jews tive language, rather than they to hold their counci! there. And will lose their opportunity of profor their accommodation there, fit: and some have burnt the anthe Jews did make divers tents cient records of their tribe and for their repose, and had plenty family, that they might not be of provision brought them from discovered by searching or otherother parts of the country during wise. And for this defect, that the time of their sitting there. they could not prove their tribe There was also one large tent, or family, they were not permitbuilt only for the council to sit in, ted to come within the rail, but made almost four-square; the were commanded to remain withnorth and the south part of it be-out, with the strangers that reing not altogether so large as the mained there, to see the issue of east and west part thereof. It their proceeding, which were had but one door, and that open-above 3000 persons; and they ed to the east; and in the middle were, for the most part, Gerthereof stood a little table and a mans, Almains, Dalmatians, and stool for the propounder to sit on, Hungarians, with some Greeks; with his face towards the door of but few Italians, and not one the tent. The said propounder Englishman, that I could hear of, was of the tribe of Levi, and was besides myself.

named Zacharias; and within this "I was informed that the king tent round about were placed di-of Hungary, not favouring the vers forms for the consulters to Reformed religion, did give no sit on. It was also enclosed with encouragement to any Protestant a rail, that stood at a distance Churches to send any divines

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thither; but he did allow that that he was not come and some some assistants should be sent inclined to think that he was from Rome: and their coming come; being moved thereunto by thither did prove a great unhap- their great judgment, that hath piness to this hopeful council. continued now this sixteen hun"When the assembly did first dred years upon them. meet, they spent some time in I remember very well, one their mutual salutations; and, as of the council in his conference their manner is, they kissed one with me, seemed to be very apthe other's cheek, expressing prehensive of the great and long much joy for their happy meet- desolation of their nation, ever ing. And all things being pro- since their destruction by the vided for their accommodation, Roman emperors; and he imputthey considered of the Jews that ed this their affliction to their were to be admitted members of impenitency. And comparing this council; and they were only their present judgment with their allowed to be members which other judgments they had suffercould by record prove themselves ed before, he ingenuously confessto be native Jews; and for defect ed, that he did conceive it was herein, I observed above five for some great wickedness; and hundred refused: though doubt- that their nation was guilty of the less they were true-born Jews, blood of the prophets sent from yet they could not by record God to their nation, and the many prove themselves so to be; and massacres that had been commitfor this they were not admitted to ted by the several sects and facbe members of the council, but tions amongst them. For,' said they did abide without the rail he,' we are no idolaters, neither with the strangers that were do I think we were guilty of idolthere and the number of them atry since our captivity in Babythat were accepted to be mem-lon; and therefore,' said he, I bers was about three hundred do impute this our calamity and Jews. And this was all that was present judgment to the foredone the first day. named causes.' And this was the "On the second day, the as-sum of that which was disputed sembly being full, the propounder amongst them the second day of stood up, and made his speech their meeting; and so they adconcerning the end of their meet- journed till the next morning, ing and This,' said he, is to which was the third day of their examine the Scriptures concern-meeting. ing Christ, whether he be already "When being assembled togecome, or whether we are yet to ther again, the point that was expect his coming.' In examining chiefly agitated was concerning this question, they searched the the manner of Christ's coming. Old Testament with great care And this, some said, shall be like and labour, to be resolved of the a mighty prince, in the full power truth thereof, having many Bibles and authority of a king, yea, in with them there for this end. greater power than ever any And about this point there were king had; and that he will deliver great disputes amongst them. their nation out of the power of The major part were of opinion their enemies, and their temple

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