will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed; for I the Lord dwell in Zion," Joel iii. 21. And to the poor soul he said, "If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me," John xiii. 8.

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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," 1 John i. 9. But Moses still kept looking about for a covering; for his law says, "And it shall be our righteousness, 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 need of 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, answered and said, I have "magnified the law and made it honourable," Isa. xlii. 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," Isa. xlvi. 13; and I will clothe thee from head to foot with it, Isa. Ixi. 10. "And when Moses heard that he was content," Lev. x. 20.

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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 him with his robe, and set the fair mitre upon his head, then he took the poor sinner by the neck, and held him forth before the devil: "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan! even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Zech. iii. 2.

As soon as the devil saw that, he vanished like lightning falling from heaven," Luke x. 18. And there was heard a shout and a loud voice even from the celestial regions, saying, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night; and (Prodigalis) has overcome him by the blood of the Lamb. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them," Rev. xii. 10, 11, 12.

Ahimaaz. My very soul is fired with love to the dear Redeemer; well may he be called our "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," I Cor. i. 30. My soul is as if it was just delivered; surely I feel the blessed effects of that poor sinner's justification. O, what a friend is the Saviour to the poor! Pray go on with the account. Yo

Cushi. As soon as the Mediator had washed, clothed, and crowned, the poor prisoner, and had rebuked Satan the accuser, he then appeared at the right hand of Prodigalis, and stood as an Advocate, in the very place where Satan the accuser had stood.' Thus the Advocate displaced the devil. This made the prisoner cry out," I will praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to

save him from those that condemn his soul," Psalm cix. 30, 31.

Ahimaaz. Pray what said the great and terrible name to this-he " that spake out of the thick darkness?" Deut. v. 22. You know he is "a consuming fire," Heb. xii. 29.

Cushi. Why the Mediator took Prodigalis in his right hand, and led him up, even before that great and terrible name, as you call it; he led him up to him, I say, in his crown and robe, as he was, and said to his Father, "Behold me, and (one of) the children which thou hast given me," Heb. ii. 13. And that great and terrible name appeared one of the most compassionate and tender fathers that ever mortal heard of; for he rose up from his seat," and ran to him, and fell on his neck and kissed him," Luke xv. 20; and said, "This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found!" ver. 24. The poor soul cried aloud, seeing himself so unworthy of adopting grace, and said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am not worthy to be called thy son," ver. 21. And he lifted up his voice, and wept aloud. But the Father wiped his furrowed cheeks, saying, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying," Rev. xxi. 4. Then said the Mediator to Prodigalis, "Be not afraid, (Mark v. 26) for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me," John xvi. 27.

The Father seemed to take particular notice of the robe that the Mediator had put upon poor Prodigalis, "and smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell

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of a field which (I) the Lord have blessed. Therefore I will give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee, and (sinful) nations bow down to thee: be Lord over thy (fleshly) brethren, and let thy mother's (base-born) sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee," Gen. xxvii. 27-29.

Ahimaaz. Why the Father seemed as loving to him as the Mediator himself, who was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, Eph. v. 30. I cannot think how the poor soul could bear up under such unparalleled kindness and mercy. Astonishing love! But the Son's robe is pleasing to the Father; for he has ever pronounced a blessing on them whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sin is covered with that robe; and has promised never to impute sin to such again, nor charge their spirit with guile, Psalm xxxii. 1, 2.

Cushi. Indeed the Father seemed as fond of adorning him as the Mediator himself; for he did not think poor Prodigalis was fine enough. Therefore he said, "Put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet, and let us be merry," Luke xv. 22, 23. He ordered likewise all the hosts of heaven to acquiesce in this his sovereign will; and said that there should be "joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons (now in glory) that need no repentance," Luke xv. 7. Nor was the Father of eternity himself silent when the celestial triumphs began: so far from it, that the Almighty's voice was as plainly heard in the anthem as the music and melody of all the rest. And indeed it must be to fulfil the

scriptures, which cannot be broken: "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing," Zeph. iii. 17.

After the Father had kissed and blessed him, ordered the ring on his finger, and the shoes on his feet, and had joined in the anthem because he had received him safe and sound, the Saviour put one hand of Prodigalis into the hand of his heavenly Father, and held the other hand fast himself; then said the blessed Saviour to poor Prodigalis, " None shall pluck thee out of my hand; my Father is greater than all, and none is able to pluck thee out of my Father's hands," John x, 28, 29. The Father having kissed him, he pointed him to his beloved Son, saying, Go; "kiss the Son; blessed are all they that put their trust in him," Psalm ii. 12. And to his own Son he said, "It is my will that not one of these little ones should perish,” Matt. xviii. 14; but that thou shouldst "raise them up at the last day," John vi. 39. Thus poor Prodigalis, the self-condemned sinner, was justified; and he that was "far off by wicked works, was made nigh by the blood of Christ." And the enemy was reconciled to God by the death of his dear Son.

Ahimaaz. You have given me a sweet account of the arraignment and justification of that poor sinner, of his glorious, deliverance, and of the rebuke that Satan met with... But Destruction, the executioner, that stood at his left hand, you say nothing about; pray what became of him? for of all the enemies that poor fallen mortals are exposed to he is none of the least: indeed he is one of the most formidable; for, if he receives a commission to execute his office on the