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ment seat, and Justice with his drawn sword close by him; Satan standing at his right hand, and Death at his left, his spirit would have failed from before his judge, and the soul that God had made, Isaiah lvii. 16; had he not been upheld by a divine power; for he knew that as soon as Moses had finished his accusation, the sentence must be passed; Justice would order the executioner to cut him down, and deliver the rebel to the tormentor, and then wo to him for ever. What to do he knew not; plead innocent he dared not; he was drove to his wit's end; his hair stood erect upon his head, and his heart was so pregnant with grief and horror, that he feared it would burst in his body. The burden of his sin, and the fear of death, overwhelmed him; for he knew that in the sight of his Judge no flesh living could ever be justified,

Moses began his accusation thus: Thou hast been a stubborn stiff-necked rebel ever since I knew thee. I had set before thee life and death, and told thee to choose life that it might be well with thee, and that thou mightest prolong thy days; but thou hast been one void of counsel, a perverse one, in whom is no faith. I told thee that thou shouldest find no rest for the soles of thy feet; that thy life should hang in doubt before thee, and that thou shouldest have no assurance of thy life; that the heavens should be iron over thy head, and the earth brass beneath thy feet; and that in the morning thou shouldest say, would God it were night; and at night, would God it

were morning: all these things thou knowest stand on record in my law. But thou hast cast all my words behind thy back, therefore thou must now expect the consequences. "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do

them,” Deut. xxvii. 26. Dost thou think that the law shall be made void for thee? "Shall an eternal act be repealed to screen a rebel? Shall a divine sentence be revoked? Shall divine truth stand in derision, or be exposed to scorn and contempt, or charged with falsehood to save an enemy? And shall immutability itself appear to change and waver, that a traitor may stand in judgment? Nay, divine veracity hath affirmed that "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail," Luke xvi. 17.

Now Justice began to vindicate truth and law. I have said, "the soul that sinneth it shall die,” Ezek. xviii. 4. "My sword shall be bathed in heaven, behold it shall come down on Idumea, the people of my curse, to judgment," Isaiah xxxiv. 5. "Cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites," Matt. xxiv. 51. "Cut it down [I say], why cumbereth it the ground?" Luke xiii. 7. Now his right hand accuser laid about him, as if he had almost swallowed him up alive as the grave, and whole as they that go down to the pit, Prov. i. 12. To be short, the poor prisoner could not persuade himself but that the execution was actually begun, and that he was really sinking into hell itself.

Ahimaaz. I never heard of so dreadful a trial in my life before; do relate his deliverance, for really I feel as if I was under the sentence myself. I cannot help weeping over him; I find my very soul drawn out in love and pity toward him. I have such a love to him, and such a sense of his sufferings, that I could give all that I have in the world to have a sight of him.

Cushi. While Moses was thus accusing, Justice threatening, and Prodigalis sinking as he thought into the belly of hell, he lifted up his right hand and gave such a smite upon his breast as if he would have beaten the breath out of his body, and cried out, "God be merciful to me a sinner." This was done with such fervour, and with such a strong voice, that it silenced every one in the court, except the devil, whose cursed breath is never spent. As for Moses, he had no more to say; for he knew that God would be gracious to whom he would be gracious, and that he would shew mercy to whom he would shew mercy, Exod. xxxiii. 19.

Moses never accuses any man that pleads or calls for mercy; nor did Justice proceed against this petition of Prodigalis; for justice is in perfect harmony with mercy; they have met together and kissed each other long ago, Psalm lxxxv. 10. Nor is Justice against the poor sinner that pleads for mercy in mercy's channel; far from it; for he says to such, I am faithful and just to forgive sins, and to cleanse from all unrighteousness, 1 John i. 9. Moses insisted on perfect obedience, and he aç

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cused for disobedience, John v. 45. Justice called for death on the transgressor, and Death stood ready to execute the sentence, and Satan to torment the executed.

The prisoner having recovered himself a little, repeated his old petition, being determined to discharge the arrow that would fly, "God be merciful to me a sinner." As soon as he had ended this lamentable cry, there came a person to him of singular beauty, fairer by far than any of the children of men, Psalm xlv. 2; and said, "Where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?" John viii. 10. The prisoner could not speak, for his words were swallowed up, Job vi. 3. He still stuck to his text, and a third time repeated the old cry, if possible louder than ever, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" The glorious person looked very hard, both at Moses and at Justice. "And he answered and spake to those that [for they still] stood before him, saying, [I] Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him [the prisoner] he said, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment," Zech. iii. 4. And true enough he did; for he took him and washed him in the midst of the court, saying, "For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed; for [I] the Lord dwell in Zion," Joel iii. 21. And to the And to the poor soul he said, "If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me."

Justice seeing this, stepped up and stood close by the Mediator, and acquiesced in the Saviour's

wonderful act of clemency, saying, I am faithful and just to forgive thee thy sins, and to cleanse thee from all unrighteousness, 1John i. 9. But Moses still kept looking about for a covering; for his law says, “And it shall be our righteousnesss, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us," Deut. vi. 25.

Washing, under the ceremonial law, was not sufficient to recommend a soul to God; a perfect obedience to the moral law was required. Nor had a sinner any call for a ceremonial cleansing, if he had never transgressed the moral precept. The Saviour obeyed the law perfectly, and therefore wanted no sacrifice for himself; he offered himself, but it was for us.

The Lord Jesus seeing Moses so bent upon a righteousness to justify the sinner, as well as a purification, the Mediator answered and said, I have magnified the law and made it honourable, Isaiah xliii. 21. My obedience is sufficient to justify him, and many more, Rom. v. 19. And to the prisoner he said, Behold, "I bring near my righteousness," Isaiah xlvi. 13; and I will clothe thee from head to foot with it, Isaiah lxi. 10. "And when Moses heard that he was content."

Then said the Mediator, "Let them set a fair mitre upon his head; so they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the Lord stood by," Zech. iii. 5.

As soon as the Mediator had washed him, clothed

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