Ere yet the Sun three annual Circuits went Round the terraqueous Globe, his Fortune's spent. Oh! what a Fall is here: "Alas! he cries,

"The Homage of the World with Fortune flies. "Thy flatt'ring Cronies, are like Bubbles flown, "And as they pass by, turn their Heads, and frown. "Thefe Rags, thy Robes! Thy Mouth fo coftly fed, "Hath not a common Pris'ner's Share of Bread. "On empty Hufks, the Refufe of the Swine, "With Dung half-mingled, thou,OWretch, muft dine!

66

Nay, Dogs, at thy Condition, bark and ftare, "Carefs'd in Houfe, thy Lodging open Air;

86

Thy famifh'd Body, tho' but young, looks old "Confum'd by Vermin, Hunger, and by Cold. "The Scoff of Slaves! and pointed at by all, "This is the Beau! This is the Prodigal ! "This is the topping Gentleman, that came "From a far Country, Prodigal's his Name.

"Oh! that I had my Father's Counsel took, "And never Virtue's facred Paths forfook.

What have I done? What fhall I do, O LORD!

"For thy great Mercy's Sake, Relief afford!

"I am a Sinner of the deepeft Dye!

I am thy Creature, I for Mercy cry!

"I will arife, and to my Father go,

"And let my Father all my Sorrows know; "For in his Houfe there many Servants are, "There's Bread enough, and Bread enough to fpare."

View him now begging his Way home in Tears, Divided between Hope, and his juft Fears; Whether, when come, Acceptance he should find A Son fo difobedient, fo unkind!

Thus Convicts live, and yet they do not live,
Between a State of Death, and a Reprieve.

He, after many tedious Months, arriv'd
In Sight of Home; Oh! how his Soul reviv'd.
Yet, Fear a-while did check his Over-joy;
Yet, Fear did not his conftant Hope destroy.

His Father, now furveying his Eftate,
Perhaps on rifing Ground, at Distance great,
In a clear Day, his coming Son efpy'd,

;

And ran with Speed, " My Son, My Son !" he cry'd: The Son, who faw his Father run with Speed;

"How oft, faid he, Thou'ft made his Heart to bleed!

"Father, O loving Father! Pardon me,

"Thy Son, who hath offended GOD, and Thee; "Thy Son! Unworthy of the Name of Son; "Of thy hir'd Servants, let me be as one."

The weeping Father clafps him round the Neck, And mingling Tears with Kiffes, thus did fpeak:"This is my Son, was loft, and now is found;

"Whom I thought dead, he is alive, and found.

Dry up thy Tears; arife, my Son, arife!

"And for my living Son, the fat Calf dies. "Bring the best Robe, the Marriage-Ring, new Shoes: "My Son's reform'd, he other Courses goes."

So, gracious GOD, recal us when we ftray From our known Duty, and thy perfect Way. What Joys to Angels in the Court of Heav'n! What Praise to GOD, for Penitents, is giv'n! How pleas'd art Thou, Almighty God, to fee When Sinners leave their Sins, and turn to Thee! They have their full Rewards in endless Blifs:

GOD's beatific Vision Heaven is.

ན་ གས་

THE

PRODIGAL SON,

In PRO SE.

St LUKE XV. 18, 19.

I will arife and go to my Father, and will fay unto him, Father, I have finned against Heaven, and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me as one of thy hired Servants.

THERE is not one among us living, but hath fomething of the Prodigal in his Nature, which fhould be repented of, and forfaken, before he can be in a State of Grace. The Regenerate makes loud Complaints against himself; for when he reviews his Life by the Light of the Gospel, he finds fo many Infirmities lurking about his Heart, that he is forced daily to make his Cafe known to the Almighty for Succour, before he can get the better of them: They appear to him as fo many Monsters in Nature, ugly and deformed, ready to devour him; but as he useth his utmost Endeavours to fupprefs them, the LORD

will

will be on his right Hand and on his left, fo that these fubtil, and inveterate Enemies fhall not prevail against him.

The Prodigal, in Scripture, was the fecond Son, (the Elder staying at Home, always dutiful, and minding his Father's Bufinefs, and, to whom, after his Decease, the Estate descended,) this fame Prodigal, I fay, had a good Education and a religious Dispofition, though debauched by bad Company, Whoring, Drinking, Gaming, and the Diverfions of that Age: This appears from his Humiliation in these Words, I will arise and go to my Father, and say, Father, I have finned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. Here he was moft fenfibly affected for his Sins, by humble Submiffion to his heavenly Father; that he had wilfully and deliberately committed Sins against his divine Majefty, acted against his own Confcience and the Light of Knowledge; and hoped that he would pardon him, upon his true and fincere Repentance. He likewife acknowledges his Undutifulness to his earthly Parent, and hoped that he would take him as the meaneft of his Servants, having forfeited the Honour of being his Son. Here is a great Change; the Almighty forgives, and receives him as a converted Sinner; his Father as an humble, and penitent Son. He clothes him with a Robe, a Ring, and new Shoes on his Feet, and all other Things neceffary to make

him