Opening The Prison Doors-


"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because

 the Lord hath anointed me to preach good 

tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind 

up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the

 captives, and the opening of the prison to them

 that are bound.”

You will find this scripture in Isaiah 61:1. It

is spoken of Jesus. His office is here announced,

or the purpose for which he was to

come into the world: to preach good tidings

or good news to the meek; to bind up the

 brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the 

captives; and the opening of the prison doors to

 them that are bound.

These are all glad tidings of great joy to the poor

inhabitants of this sin-cursed earth; but my 

present purpose is only to speak of the last the

 opening of the prison doors to them that are

 bound.





The readers, no doubt, are all

acquainted with the wicked rebellion of the

 South, and probably some of you have friends or

 relatives who have been taken prisoners, and

are now bound or confined in their prison 

houses. And it would no doubt gladden your 

hearts could President Lincoln, or the armies of

 the North, overcome those rebels who have 

them confined, and open the prison doors, and 

let the prisoners go free, and permit them to 

return to their friends and homes again.

But these are not the captives the Saviour came

 to free, nor are these the prisons he came to 

open. You probably have relatives, a father or

 mother, or perhaps a little brother or sister, who

 have died and are now in their graves; and you 

no doubt loved them dearly, and grieved very 

much when they were laid away in the cold and

 silent tomb. They are now the captives of Satan,

 and are confined by him in the grave, which is 

his prison house. These are the captives which

 Jesus is going to free, and this is the prison 

which he is going to open. Satan has had the 

power of death for nearly 6000 years, but that

 power will soon be taken from him, and he will

 be destroyed. The Saviour has obtained the keys

 of this prison house. He was once confined in it

 for three days; on the third day he arose a

 triumphant Conqueror, and at that time he

 delivered a multitude of captives the rest of the

 righteous dead He will release when He comes

 the second time. Yes, the Saviour is soon 

coming to this earth again, to destroy the 

wicked, to release from the prison house, or 

graves, all who lived and died Christians all 

those little boys and girls who obeyed their 

parents in  the Lord, and kept all the 

commandments while  they lived, will also be 

released; and those who are alive, that are good,

 will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of 

an eye, and, together with those who are raised,

 will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Would you not all rejoice to see your friends

again, who are now sleeping in the cold grave

 not pale and sickly as they were before they

 died, but healthy and lovely, beautiful and bright

 as the angels? Would you not wish also to see

 the dear Saviour who has done so much for you,

 and endured so much in order to overcome him

 that had the power of death, so that he might

 give life again everlasting life—to the good of all

 ages? If so, get good, do good, and be good; live

 faithful; the time is short. You will not have to

 wait long the Saviour will soon come "to 

proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening

 of the prison to them that are bound."


 

E. S. WALKER.

Battle Creek, Mich.


 He Bore Our Sins.


"For God so loved the world that he gave His 

only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in

 Him should not perish, but have everlasting 

life." John 3:16.

BLEST be the Lord, that sent his Son

To take our flesh and blood;

He for our lives gave up his own,

To make our peace with God.

He honored all his Father's laws,

Which we had disobeyed;

He bore our sins upon the cross,

And our full ransom paid.