It Is Written

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW023267S


00:17 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 ♪[pensive orchestral music]♪
00:22 [waves crashing]
00:35 ♪[contemplative synth piano music]♪
00:39 [indistinct voices, traffic noise]
00:46 >>John Bradshaw: He's one of the great figures
00:47 of modern Christianity.
00:49 John Newton, born in London, the son of a ship's captain,
00:54 his mother died when he was young.
00:56 He became an angry young man, a drunk, a blasphemer.
01:00 He even got involved in witchcraft.
01:02 It's said that Newton could use profanity for half an hour
01:07 without ever repeating himself.
01:09 He said himself that he would invent new curse words.
01:12 Sent to work at the age of 10, at sea by 11,
01:16 he was hated by those he worked under
01:18 and worked with on the water.
01:21 A vicious storm at sea jolted him out of his recklessness.
01:26 How the ship he was on even made it back to land
01:28 is hard to understand, except that his mother,
01:31 who died when he was just 6 years old,
01:34 was a woman of great faith, a woman of prayer,
01:37 and she had dedicated her son to God and to ministry.
01:41 Satan put up a serious fight for John Newton,
01:44 but God wasn't going to let Newton go without a struggle.
01:47 ♪[music continues]♪
01:49 Newton's life is often reduced to two events:
01:52 one, he was a slave trader,
01:55 and, two, he wrote "Amazing Grace."
02:01 Today, we struggle to understand how anyone could purchase
02:05 and resell human beings.
02:08 But when John Newton was trafficking in humans,
02:11 the trade offended essentially no one--
02:14 except, of course, those being trafficked.
02:17 It had been socially acceptable in countries around the world
02:21 for hundreds of years, thousands, even.
02:24 There are currently more enslaved people on earth now
02:27 than at any other time in the history of the world:
02:30 between 40 and 50 million.
02:33 That's one in every 160 people or so enslaved.
02:38 Seventy-one percent are women.
02:40 One in four is a child.
02:44 Around 13 million people were captured and sold as slaves
02:48 globally between the 15th and 19th centuries--
02:52 today, three times that many, at least.
02:57 So, that's one thing he's known for: the slave trade.
03:00 He worked on slave ships, and he captained a slave ship.
03:04 He was an exceedingly vile person at that time, he says.
03:09 "Amazing Grace" is the most popular hymn in the world.
03:12 It's been recorded thousands of times.
03:15 It was even sung at Live Aid and Woodstock.
03:19 But Newton was even bigger than that.
03:22 He was a pastor, an author.
03:25 He was a mentor.
03:26 He was a giant in Christianity.
03:29 >>Tom Jones: I mean, it's only one of 280-odd hymns
03:33 that he wrote, for start with, so if you're only talking
03:36 about his hymn-writing career,
03:38 uh, you're reducing it to a, a lower level.
03:40 And, uh, he, I, I don't think regarded the hymn
03:44 as, as one of his better hymns.
03:46 It was only in later years that it's been taken up by, um,
03:51 but particularly by, you know,
03:52 the gospel movement in the States and such like.
03:55 >>John: Through a remarkable series of providences,
03:58 Newton became the pastor of this church here in Olney
04:02 in Buckinghamshire, which is an hour or so by train
04:05 from St. Pancras station in London.
04:08 Olney is famous for its annual pancake race, which,
04:12 according to tradition, was first run in the year 1445.
04:18 Around 6,000 or 7,000 people now live in Olney,
04:21 three times as many as lived here when John Newton
04:25 came to be the pastor in 1764 when he was 39 years old.
04:30 >>Tom: He expanded the, the role of the, the church;
04:34 so no longer just a sermon on Sunday, um,
04:38 he would have sermons during the week.
04:39 He would have Bible studies
04:41 in, in the Earl of Dartmouth's house, the, the great house
04:44 here, which no longer exists, in, in Olney.
04:47 Um, so he was very, very active.
04:50 Um, he made, uh, a reputation for himself,
04:54 so much so that they overfilled the, the church, and they,
04:58 in 1765, they had to put a new gallery in the church
05:01 just to fit everybody, everybody in.
05:04 Uh, and he became something of a, a roving sensation as well.
05:08 So he would walk across country into other parishes,
05:11 uh, and give, uh, sermons wherever he went.
05:15 ♪[soft piano music]♪
05:16 >>John: But one of his most creative innovations is that
05:19 he began to compose hymns for his church members.
05:24 He wanted to really teach his people the gospel.
05:27 The Anglican Church's Book of Common Prayer was,
05:30 in his opinion, too complicated
05:32 for the people to whom he was ministering.
05:34 He felt that if he wrote songs, the people could better learn
05:38 his teachings if they learned the teachings in song.
05:42 Now, before he entered the ministry,
05:44 Newton had a proven track record as a composer.
05:48 While he was working on ships he would write songs to ridicule
05:53 the ship's captains and then teach the songs to the sailors,
05:56 who all thought it was riotously funny.
05:59 He made plenty of enemies writing bawdy, ribald songs.
06:03 Now he could use his talent for the glory of God.
06:09 It's also interesting that Newton was influenced
06:11 as a child by Isaac Watts.
06:15 He and his mother would listen to Watts preach in Wapping,
06:18 where Newton was raised.
06:20 Watts wrote hymns such as "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,"
06:25 "Joy to the World," the tune of which
06:27 was written by George Frideric Handel, who wrote the "Messiah."
06:31 Watts wrote the verses to "Marching to Zion."
06:35 He wrote "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and "At the Cross."
06:40 So, Newton's keen intellect, his creativity, his desire
06:44 to reach simple people, and his pedigree,
06:48 all came together to make him an effective hymn-writer.
06:53 The museum here in Olney is the Cowper and Newton Museum--
06:57 and, yes, that's "coo-per," not "cow-per."
07:01 It's, it's an English thing.
07:03 Cowper was a poet--
07:04 in fact, an excellent poet, admired by both Coleridge
07:07 and Wordsworth, with Samuel Coleridge calling him
07:10 "the best modern poet."
07:13 Cowper's poem "The Negro's Complaint" was often quoted
07:16 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
07:19 Newton and Cowper became very close friends.
07:22 Cowper struggled with mental illness,
07:25 and Newton spent countless hours with his friend,
07:28 helping him, ministering to him,
07:30 and, at times, literally saving his life.
07:34 >>Tom: Newton supported Cowper
07:37 when he had his melancholic episodes.
07:41 Twice Cowper moved into the vicarage, and Newton and Polly
07:45 looked after, after him when he was, uh, depressed.
07:50 I always like, I, I like the relationship with Cowper,
07:54 the, the odd couple, if you like.
07:56 I think, what, what was it
07:58 that attracted them to each other?
08:01 Um, and they fed off of each other, uh, throughout
08:04 the, the time here and continued to write to each other,
08:07 um, thereafter.
08:08 So, Cowper's, um, poems were published with a foreword
08:14 by John Newton, who introduced him.
08:17 So, so, uh, um, you know, they, they were both,
08:21 uh, familiar names around the, around the town
08:24 at the, at that time.
08:27 >>John: Cowper wrote hymns that are still sung today.
08:30 "There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood"
08:33 and "O for a Closer Walk [With God]."
08:36 That old saying, "God moves in...mysterious [ways],
08:39 His wonders to perform," Cowper wrote that.
08:42 He was a big deal.
08:45 Newton lived in the vicarage,
08:46 while Cowper lived only 150 yards away.
08:49 They spent a lot of time together,
08:51 and together they wrote a lot of hymns.
08:54 And it was in the vicarage, in what today we'd call the attic,
08:58 that Newton wrote "Amazing Grace."
09:01 So, how did this song come about?
09:03 I'll tell you in just a moment.
09:06 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪
09:15 >>John: It's the challenge that confronts every human heart:
09:19 evil.
09:20 How can you be kept from sin?
09:22 And why do everyday people commit truly despicable acts?
09:26 Get today's free offer,
09:27 "Evil: The Challenge of the Sinful Heart."
09:30 Call 800-253-3000.
09:33 Your can visit us online, write to the address on your screen,
09:36 or text "freeheart" to 71392.
09:41 Be sure to request your free copy now.
09:46 >>John: There's something placed by God inside the human heart:
09:51 a yearning to be free.
09:52 ♪[soft orchestral music]♪ [sound of writing]
09:54 And the actions of some went beyond the page
09:57 and the lecture hall
09:59 to the tracks of something that became known as
10:02 the Underground Railroad.
10:05 [America Wilson singing] ♪ Steal away, ♪
10:09 [creak of opening door] ♪ steal away, ♪
10:13 ♪ steal away to Jesus. ♪
10:20 ♪ Steal away, ♪
10:24 ♪ steal away home. ♪
10:30 ♪ I ain't got long to stay here. ♪♪
10:38 >>Announcer: Watch "Midnight to Dawn"
10:40 on itiswritten.tv.
10:43 ♪[music ends]♪♪
10:47 ♪[soft piano music]♪
10:50 >>John Bradshaw: As John Newton was preparing
10:52 a New Year's Day sermon to be preached on January the 1st,
10:56 1772, he wanted to write a hymn that would speak to the heart
11:01 and reinforce the text he would be using,
11:03 1 Chronicles 17:16 and 17.
11:08 "Then King David went in and sat before the Lord;
11:10 "and he said: 'Who am I, O Lord God?
11:13 "'And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
11:17 "'And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God;
11:20 "'and You have also spoken of Your servant's house
11:22 "'for a great while to come, and have regarded me
11:25 according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God.'"
11:31 The famous hymn "Amazing Grace" was the result of that burden.
11:35 In many ways, it was an autobiographical work.
11:38 By the time he wrote the famous hymn, his conscience burned,
11:42 owing to his work on slave ships some years before.
11:46 "I once was lost, but now I'm found" is a reference
11:48 to the prodigal son, and Newton, whose Christian mother
11:52 prayed much for him before she passed away when he was a child,
11:55 was definitely a prodigal.
11:57 "Was blind, but now I see" comes straight out of John 9
12:01 from the story of a man Newton could relate to,
12:04 owing to the blindness of his former years.
12:07 "Through many dangers, toils, and snares
12:10 I have already come" was written by a man who himself
12:13 had been a slave and who had survived shipwrecks,
12:16 who'd been taken captive by the Royal Navy and forced to work
12:20 at sea with little prospect of ever coming home.
12:24 "Amazing Grace" came from his heart.
12:28 >>Tom: It was one of the hymns that was being written
12:32 by Cowper and Newton in collaboration.
12:35 In particular it was started in 1772, December, uh,
12:40 and it was written for the sermon that was,
12:43 was given on the 1st of January 1773.
12:47 So that was its first performance.
12:49 We don't know the tune that it was sung to
12:52 with, with any precision, only the words that, that he wrote.
12:56 Um, but the tune was added in 1835 in the States,
13:02 um, by a chap called, uh, William Walker.
13:06 Uh, and, uh, again, we don't know for sure
13:09 where that tune came from.
13:10 Various suggestions, it came from Southern spirituals,
13:13 Scottish folk songs, um, and, uh, it became bigger,
13:20 more of a sensation in the States than it was in the U.K.
13:25 Uh, and I think it was Mahalia Jackson,
13:27 after the Second World War,
13:29 who really brought it to the, to the fore.
13:32 It was the first big popular, uh, delivery of,
13:36 of that song to, uh, to folk in the States.
13:40 >>John: One thing you notice about "Amazing Grace"
13:42 is that of its 146 words,
13:45 125 of them contain just one syllable.
13:50 He kept it simple.
13:52 Newton, who was 47 years old at the time he wrote the song,
13:56 couldn't have realized how popular it was going to be.
13:59 >>Tom: I think he would be extremely surprised.
14:02 And I don't think he regarded it as his best hymn.
14:06 Uh, and, and some purists still don't see it as his best hymn,
14:11 but somehow it's, it's, uh,
14:14 uh, attracted the popular imagination.
14:17 It's to, to the point, it's very personal, um,
14:21 and it does everything that people want
14:23 from, really from any denomination, I think.
14:27 >>John: The song didn't catch on in England.
14:31 Maybe that had something to do with its original title.
14:34 Newton called it "Faith's Review and Expectation"--
14:38 not so catchy.
14:40 But it caught on like wildfire in the United States,
14:43 especially once the words were coupled
14:45 with the tune we know now.
14:47 Later, Mahalia Jackson would sing "Amazing Grace"
14:50 at civil rights rallies.
14:52 Singer Judy Collins' recording of the song
14:54 went to number 15 on the pop charts,
14:57 and another version charted in the U.K.
14:59 There's no bigger Christian song today than "Amazing Grace,"
15:04 a song that speaks to every person of the amazing grace
15:09 of a patient, loving God.
15:13 Not all of John Newton's songs were masterpieces.
15:16 Newton biographer Jonathan Aitken wrote
15:18 in "John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace,"
15:22 "He was an unashamedly middlebrow lyricist
15:25 writing for a lowbrow congregation."
15:28 But between them, Newton and Cowper wrote hundreds
15:31 and hundreds of songs.
15:33 Three hundred and forty-eight of them were compiled
15:35 in a book titled "Olney Hymns,"
15:38 and it sold like wildfire.
15:41 ♪[music crescendoes and fades]♪
15:43 But it was as an author
15:44 that Newton really distinguished himself in Britain.
15:48 Although his book "An Authentic Narrative" was an autobiography
15:52 published anonymously, people figured out before too long
15:56 who the author actually was.
15:58 The book was a sensation.
15:59 Newton shared in vivid detail accounts of his life
16:02 on the high seas, his entanglement with slave trading,
16:05 his contradictory Christian experience,
16:08 the struggles he had with sin and temptation.
16:10 He shared the story of the love
16:11 between he and his wife Mary, or Polly, Catlett.
16:14 The book established Newton as an icon,
16:17 according to biographer Jonathan Aitken.
16:20 He was better known than the other Newton, Sir Isaac Newton,
16:23 the man who discovered the laws of gravity,
16:25 who died when Newton was an infant.
16:29 >>Tom: He made his name, um, writing his autobiography
16:33 within a series of letters.
16:35 This was common in the Georgian period, so, um,
16:38 even novels were what they would call epistolary novels,
16:42 uh, based on, on, uh, letters.
16:45 So, he wrote a series of letters to the Earl of Dartmouth.
16:48 It was his, became his sponsor.
16:50 The Earl of Dartmouth was so impressed by these--
16:52 he must have been a good writer--uh,
16:55 that this was later published as the "Authentic Narrative,"
16:59 and this is what made his name, and it was a bestseller.
17:02 [traffic noise]
17:03 >>John: After 16 years in Olney, Newton moved to London,
17:07 where he pastored at St. Mary Woolnoth, a stone's throw
17:11 from the Bank of England on Threadneedle Street
17:13 and almost halfway between St. Paul's Cathedral
17:16 and the Tower of London.
17:18 >>Tom: Well, this was, uh, uh, a church that was,
17:22 uh, controlled--the appointment was controlled by a chap
17:25 called John Thornton, who had already maintained and, and, uh,
17:29 supplemented his income here
17:32 for him to distribute to the poor in, in Olney.
17:34 Um, St. Mary Woolnoth, where he went, was the parish church
17:39 of the lord mayor of London.
17:41 So, this was seen as a, as a pulpit
17:44 rather than a ministry, if you like.
17:47 So he didn't have the poor to minister to;
17:49 he was preaching to "the great and the good of the country"
17:52 at the, the time.
17:53 It certainly was a massive, uh, promotion.
17:56 ♪[contemplative piano music]♪
17:57 >>John: Here he grew in stature and influence,
18:00 even going so far as to be a key player
18:03 in the abolition of slavery.
18:07 By now, Newton was seen as an elder statesman
18:09 among gospel ministers.
18:12 While in London he received a surprise visit
18:15 that ultimately would impact the world.
18:20 Newton had known William Wilberforce
18:22 when Wilberforce was a lad.
18:25 His family even traveled from London to Olney
18:27 to hear Newton preach.
18:30 Now that Wilberforce was in his 20s and was a member
18:32 of parliament, this visit had the potential to be significant.
18:36 ♪[bells tolling]♪ It was.
18:40 Wilberforce was disillusioned with politics.
18:43 He was certainly disillusioned with himself.
18:46 By his own admission he had done nothing,
18:49 achieved nothing as a politician.
18:52 He was busy living it up, clubs and gambling and high society.
18:57 But then Wilberforce was converted.
19:00 He told Newton that he intended to give up politics.
19:04 Newton advised him strongly not to do so,
19:06 suggesting the younger man serve God
19:09 as a Christian politician.
19:11 Taking Newton's advice changed the course of history.
19:16 Without Wilberforce there would have been no abolition
19:19 in Britain, but without Newton there would have been
19:22 no William Wilberforce.
19:25 Wilberforce was a close friend of William Pitt,
19:27 who became prime minister of Great Britain
19:29 at the age of just 24.
19:31 By staying in politics, Wilberforce was able to have
19:34 an enormous amount of influence.
19:38 Newton didn't just give good advice to his younger friend.
19:42 He wrote a pamphlet titled
19:44 "Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade," which was a bestseller.
19:49 In it, he expressed his deep remorse
19:51 for his role in the slave trade.
19:53 He described the horror of the slave trade, the barbarism,
19:58 sharing how it was usual for a third of the slaves on a ship
20:01 to die during the journey, owing largely to overcrowding.
20:07 He spoke about the cruelty of the slave trade,
20:10 saying English slavers were the cruelest of all.
20:14 He stated that 1,500 sailors died every year
20:17 in the slave trade.
20:19 One antislavery organization bought more than
20:22 3,5000 of the pamphlets to sell or give away
20:26 and sent a copy to every member of parliament.
20:30 The message got through.
20:33 Newton even addressed the privy council,
20:36 which advises the British monarch.
20:39 His experience, his passion, and his integrity
20:42 all spoke clearly to the elite of British politics.
20:46 He saw a lot in his time,
20:48 but perhaps nothing gave him more joy
20:51 than what would happen shortly before his death.
20:54 Back with more in just a moment.
20:56 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪
21:05 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written
21:07 exists because of the kindness of people just like you.
21:11 To support this international life-changing ministry,
21:13 please call us now at 800-253-3000.
21:18 You can send your tax-deductible gift
21:19 to the address on your screen,
21:21 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
21:25 Thank you for your prayers and your financial support.
21:27 Our number again is 800-253-3000,
21:31 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
21:37 ♪[soft instrumental music]♪
21:40 [birds twittering]
21:42 >>John Bradshaw: During John Newton's lifetime,
21:44 the American War of Independence was fought
21:47 between the colonies and England.
21:49 England went to war with France twice,
21:51 and Newton very nearly found himself in the thick
21:54 of one of those wars having been press-ganged
21:56 into the Royal Navy just weeks before that war began.
22:00 The Gregorian calendar was introduced in Britain,
22:04 and the Battle of Trafalgar was fought,
22:06 with the navies of Spain and France being defeated
22:09 by Lord Nelson and the British.
22:13 But the greatest piece of history
22:15 occurred nine months before he died.
22:18 Newton lived to witness the abolition of slavery
22:21 in the British realm,
22:23 which happened on March the 25th of 1807.
22:28 Newton was dead nine months later at the age of 82,
22:32 a good innings in an era when the average lifespan in Britain
22:36 was under 40 years of age.
22:39 This was a young man who understood something
22:41 about the power of a second chance.
22:44 He came perilously close to death on numerous occasions
22:47 as a young man.
22:49 He considered murder and suicide.
22:52 But there was something that restrained him,
22:54 in part the love and prayers of his mother.
22:57 Even though she died when he was very young,
22:59 she poured herself into young John
23:02 and clearly touched his young heart.
23:04 There was love for the woman he married, Polly Catlett,
23:07 that restrained him.
23:09 But by his own admission, Newton was an evil young man.
23:12 He described himself in "Amazing Grace"
23:14 as "a wretch," remember.
23:16 Later in life, he was a changed man.
23:20 According to biographer Jonathan Aitken,
23:22 there were several things Newton devoted himself to
23:25 when he committed his life to God.
23:28 He devoted himself to prayer, reading, and meditation,
23:32 to reverence in his demeanor,
23:33 to moderation in all things, to eating less,
23:37 to speaking with plain words.
23:40 And the three ideals he clung to in life and ministry
23:44 were Christ crucified, the doctrine of love,
23:48 and the practice of holiness.
23:50 ♪[contemplative synth music]♪
23:53 So how is it with your heart?
23:55 If you're in need of grace, and everybody is,
23:59 then you can know that God extends grace to you.
24:01 As Paul wrote to the Romans,
24:03 "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."
24:08 ♪[synth music continues with piano]♪
24:11 John Newton understood that grace was not just pardon;
24:15 it was also cleansing.
24:17 He knew it wasn't just forgiveness; it was also power,
24:20 the power of God at work in a person's life.
24:24 Newton experienced that power--
24:26 and longed for others to do the same.
24:31 Near the end of his life, Newton,
24:33 the self-proclaimed wretch saved by God's amazing grace,
24:38 is quoted as saying,
24:40 "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things:
24:46 that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Saviour."
24:52 ♪[music fades]♪
24:54 When John Newton died, he was buried in the crypt
24:57 beneath St. Mary Woolnoth Church,
24:59 about a mile from where he'd been born in London.
25:02 But he was interrupted in death
25:04 by London's need to enlarge its subway system.
25:08 When they excavated to build a tube station
25:11 near the Bank of England,
25:12 it meant that John and Mary Newton's remains
25:15 would need to be relocated.
25:18 So, they were brought here to Olney;
25:20 Newton and Mary were buried right behind the church
25:24 that John Newton had pastored.
25:27 If Newton was able to do so,
25:28 he would tell you that God's grace is amazing.
25:31 Well, I guess, he did tell you, didn't he?
25:34 He talked about how it saved a wretch like him,
25:36 that Newton once lost was then found,
25:39 once blind, he was enabled to see.
25:42 And why? Because of grace.
25:45 And God extends the same grace to you today.
25:48 The Jesus who died on the cross for John Newton
25:51 died on that same cross for you, to take away your sin,
25:55 to remove your guilt and shame,
25:57 to give you a new heart, to give you hope for a future.
26:01 That's what the grace of God does.
26:03 Jesus is coming back soon; He's coming back for you.
26:06 Not because you deserve everlasting life, nobody does,
26:09 but God gives it by grace.
26:14 Would you respond to the grace of God today?
26:16 Just say yes to Jesus, allow Him to live in your heart,
26:20 and then you'll live for all eternity because of grace,
26:26 which, as we now know, is amazing.
26:29 ♪[music ends]♪♪
26:32 >>John: It's the challenge that confronts every human heart:
26:35 evil.
26:37 How can you be kept from sin?
26:39 And why do everyday people commit truly despicable acts?
26:42 Get today's free offer,
26:44 "Evil: The Challenge of the Sinful Heart."
26:47 Call 800-253-3000.
26:50 You can visit us online,
26:51 write to the address on your screen,
26:53 or text "freeheart" to 71392.
26:57 Be sure to request your free copy now.
27:03 >>John: Let me pray for you now.
27:04 Our Father in heaven, we thank You today for grace
27:07 and that You'd extend it to a wretch like me.
27:10 I wonder, friend, as we pray, if you would respond
27:12 to God's grace and say yes to Jesus, yes to the cross
27:16 where Jesus died for you, yes to everlasting life,
27:19 yes to forgiveness.
27:21 If you'd say yes right now,
27:22 then you can say, with Newton, that grace is truly amazing.
27:26 You have eternity to look forward to.
27:29 Our Father, we thank You that when we were undeserving,
27:31 You extended grace to us anyway,
27:34 so that now on this earth we can look forward
27:36 to everlasting life with hope and confidence.
27:40 For that we thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name.
27:44 Amen.
27:46 Thank you so much for joining me.
27:47 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
27:50 Until then, remember:
27:52 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
27:56 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
28:01 ♪[dramatic, triumphant theme music]♪
28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪


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Revised 2024-06-26