wrought fuch distraction and confufion in his mind, that he fainted away, and lay for fome hours in a trance, during which time he had a vifion. He Jaw by night, and bebold, a man riding upon a red borfe, and be stood among myrtle trees that were in the bottom, and behind him were red borfes fpangled and while. Zech. i. 8.

Prodigalis had the use of all his faculties; but whether he was in the body or out of it, he could not tell. His mind was impreffed with awful thoughts of the grand affize; and the horfes that he faw in the vifion he took to belong to the retinue of his Judge, who was vifiting thofe parts in his perpetual circuit. And indeed he was not mistaken, for the horses belonged to the chariots of God, and were a part of the twenty thousand that always attended bim. Pfalm lxviii. 17. The poor man was forcibly feized, and led in the vifion by a strong hand to a lofty hill, the top of which was covered with a pillar of fmoke; the middle of it was all on a flame of fire, and juft under the fire hung a heavy dark cloud; before that cloud Prodigalis was placed; nor was it in his power to move one step from it, though he fain would have fled out of bis hand. Job xxvii. 22.

Out of the midst of that black cloud a fupernatural light broke forth, and forcibly darted its beams on the whole foul of Prodigalis. As foon as this light fhone upon him, all the corruptions of his heart boiled up, as the fre causeth the water

to

to boil. Ifa. Ixiv. 2.-His iniquities were fet before bis judge, and bis fecret fins in the light of his countenance. Pfal. xc. 8. He faw himself in his true colours indeed; for his polluted foul was discovered in fuch a loathfome condition, that no leper was ever fo corrupted in body as he appeared to be in foul; from head to foot there was no foundness; all was wounds, bruifes, and putrifying fores. Ifa. i. 6. He was a leper in the worse fenfe, and many filthy rags he had laid on to cover his wounds. Ifa. Ixiv. 6. But, alas, his spiritual defilements, and his legal coverings, were both of a piece, infomuch that he might truly be faid to be clothed with filthy garments. Zech. iii. 3.

In this deplorable and most miferable condition he found an accufer ftanding clofe to him upon the right hand; and he infufed into his mind fuch enmity against the light that fhined, and fuggefied fuch evils and hard thoughts against the judge, as are shocking to mention. Thus ftood Prodigalis, clothed in his filthy garments, filled with fhame and confufion of face, even before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at bis right hand to refift him. Zech. iii. 1.

In this perishing state, bitten with the gnawing worm of a guilty confcience, he found another enemy on his left fide, threatening every moment. to put a period to his existence; and if that had been permitted, he was fure that his accufer would gain an awful conqueft over him, and an eternal poffeffion

K 2

poffeffion of him. No free-will, no human power, no felf-righteousness can stand here;-Prodigalis found this;-these things blafted all his fuppofed power and free-will. His ftrength was hunger-bitten, and deftruction was ready at his fide. This devoured the ftrength of bis fkin; the firft-born of death devoured his ftrength. Job xviii. 12, 13. Now I will leave you to guess at the fenfations of Prodigalis; thus fixed in the prefence of God, with all his fins in the light of God's countenance, covered with guilt and filth, Satan at his right hand, and deftruction at his left.

Ahimaaz.. A deplorable state indeed; but this is not the cafe with all finners.

Cufbi. There is not an unconverted foul in the world, as the Lord liveth; but what is in this ftate, whether he know it or not; and this he will find in a dying hour, his fins will stare him in the face,destroying death will appear at his left hand, and Satan at his right, if he die out of Chrift; and as fure as death cuts him off in his fin, fo fure Satan feizes the prey, he is delivered up to the tormentor, and has a diftant view of the burning throne of God -Then fhall the Spirit return to God who gave it ; and receive the fentence, Depart from me; I know ye not.

Prodigalis being thus arraigned at the bar, with his accufer at his right hand, and his executioner on his left, his judgment proceeded. There appeared a man under the burning light, that took

out

out a fort of poft-bag, in which were the indictments of Prodigalis-His tranfgreffions were fealed up in that bag, God had fewed up his iniquity. Job xiv. 17. And now the bag was brought forth, and unfealed-And lo the roll of a book was found therein; and it was spread before him; and it was written within and without; and there was written therein Lamentations, and mourning, and woe. Ezek. ii. 9, 10,

Abimaaz. Pray who was clerk of the peace? Who was he that read the indictment?

Cufbi. Mofes reads the indictments, enrolls the acts, and draws the process; but a man whose name is Confcience appeared as clerk of the affize; and produced many things that had been done in various circuits; he was clerk of the crown alfo, for he had framed and recorded many indictments, which were all now produced.

Abimaaz. Pray what was his indictment? Who had impeached him?

Cufbi. There were feveral indictments. against him. First, he was accused of tranfgreffing all the laws of his fovereign; fecondly, of private confpiracy and rebellion against the king's perfon; thirdly, of high treafon; and, fourthly, of murder, &c. as fhall be fhewed in the procefs.-First, the roll of lamentation, mourning, and woe, was read in the order following: Thou art indicted, by the name of Prodigalis, for adhering to an unlawful fovereign, for fin had reigned in his heart. Rom. v. 21.-Thou hast been disloyal to the king,

K 3

and

and haft fet up another in oppofition to him-be had fet up an idol in his heart. Ezek. xiv. 4-Thou haft opened thy mouth against his majesty, and fpoken lightly and vainly of his name and perfon. -Thou haft profaned the days of reft-the jubilee days-faft days—and all the days of festivity. Thou art charged with difobedience to thy progenitors, and with the dreadful crime of murder; thou haft hated thy brother for his loyalty, which is murder conceived in the heart-Thou art charged with adultery, and with theft; with speaking falfely of thy neighbour, and coveting his property after thou hadft wafted thine own. What fayeft thou to these indictments? Art thou guilty, or not?

Abimaaz, Pray what did the poor foul fay? I have fuch a feeling for him, I long to hear his deliverance; for I fancy myself at the very bar. Did he plead Not Guilty?

Cufhi. No, he could not do that, for the judge himself was a Swift witness against him; as it is written, And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a fwift witness against the forcerers, the adulterers, and the falfe fwearers. Mal. iii. 5. Befides, Confcience, who was clerk of the crown, had framed and recorded many indictments against him; for he had been privately arraigned and found guilty feveral times before; therefore to plead innocent would have been giving the lie both to God and Confcience; and who against these can be heard?

He