being furprized at meeting again fo unexpectedly, and perhaps beginning from thence mutually to miftruft each others Motive for fo doing, they examined one another upon that Head, and at laft both acknowledged themselves to be inflamed with the fame bafe Paffion. Finding themfelves thus Brothers in Iniquity, as well as in Office, a Cafe which happens but too frequently, even in our Days, they agreed to purfue their wicked Purpofe together; and in order to this, as they knew it was ufual with Sufanna to walk in her Husband's Garden, which was a very fine one, always about Noon, they watched their Opportunity, one Day, at that Time, and concealed themselves therein.

Soon after, their wifhed-for Prey came thither, according to her Cuftom, and the Weather being extremely hot, was defirous of bathing herself, after the Manner of the Women in the Eastern Countries, in a Fountain that was there for that Purpose. With this Intent fhe fent away her Maids to provide the Things neceffary, ordering them to shut the Garden-Doors after them, as they did directly; and Sufanna being then left alone in the Garden; the two wicked Elders, thinking they could never have a fairer Opportunity to obtain their vile Ends, rufhed from their Hiding-place upon her, and wi.hout any Ceremony told her, Behold the GardenDoors are fhut, that no Man can see us, and we are in Love with thee, therefore confent unto us, and lye with us. Worthy Magiftrates truly! But this was not all; fully bent upon gaining their Point by any means, they add this Menace, If thou wilt not, we will bear Witness against thee, that a young Man was with thee, and therefore thou didst fend away thy Maids from thee.

Aftonishing Wickednefs! So hardened werc thefe old Greybeards in Sin, that, if fhe would not agree to commit Adultery with them, they

were

were refolved to deftroy her by a falfe Accufation, for Adultery was Death by their Law,) not fcrupling both Perjury and Murder, to be revenged on her for not yielding to their Luft; and we fhall find them as good as their Word. But what fays the beauteous Object of their brutal Defires to their wicked Propofal, and devilish Threats ? Why, fully fenfible of her Danger, fhe fighed and faid, I am ftraitened on every Side; for, if I do this Thing, it is Death unto me, and if I do it not, I cannot efcape your Hands. But though fhe fees inevitable Death and Dishonour before her Eyes, does this virtuous Woman hesitate Moment? No, far from it: It is better, continues fhe, to fall into your Hands, than to fin in the Sight of the Lord. Accordingly, hereupon, fhe calls out with a loud Voice for Help, and thofe confummate Villains, the Elders, not only did the fame, but the better to forward their hellish Defign, and gain Belief to their false Evidence, one of them ran, and opened the Garden Door.

In the mean while, the Servants hearing their Mistress cry out in the Garden, haftened in, by a private Door, to fee what was the Matter, and to affist her: Whereupon, those faithful Servants of the Devil, who had in vain endeavoured to defile her chafte Body, or corrupt her virtuous Mind, in Revenge for the Difappointment of their filthy Luft, gave her not Time to fpeak, but declared what had been before concerted between them, as they had threatened the virtuous Sufanna. The Servants hearing fuch an Accufation from the Mouth of two grave Elders, knew not what to fay, but were greatly confounded; having never feen any thing in their Miftrefs that feemed in the leaft tending to Lightness of Carriage, they waired therefore in Silence, to fee what would be the Iffue of this Affair.

Next Day, an Affembly of the People was called, and the Elders being come, without any Remorse, fully bent on facrificing that innocent Victim to their Vengeance, and the Prefervation of their own Credit, ordered her to be fent for: This was done forthwith; and accordingly fhe appeared, together with her Father, Mother, Children, and all her Kindred, whom she brought, perhaps, in hopes of moving Pity. As fhe was veiled, agreeable to the Custom of the Eastern Countries, her two wicked Accufers, though bent upon her Destruction, being willing to have one laft Look, ordered the Veil to be taken off: This done, they stood up in the midft of the People, and laying their Hands upon her Head, as ufual in fuch Cafes amongst the Jews, bore Witness in this manner: As we walked in the Garden, this Woman came in with two Maids, and fout the Garden-Doors, and fent the Maids away. Then a young Man, who was there hid, came unto her, and lay with her. Then we that flood in a Corner of the Garden, feeing this Wickedness, ran unto them.. And when we faw them together, the Man we could not bold, for he was ftronger than we, and opened the Door, and leaped out: But, having taken this Woman, we asked who the young Man was, but he would not tell us. Thefe Things do we teftify.

Mean while, as we are informed, the virtuous Sufanna faid nothing, but weeping looked up to Hea. ven, for her Heart trufted in the LORD. In effect, what could the do? She well knew her protesting her Innocence would avail nothing against the pofitive Evidence of two Elders! But we are likewife told her Heart trufted in the LORD; and well was it for her it did fo; for never did he fail any that put their Truft in him. How remarkably different was her Conduct, and the Motives where by fhe acted, from that of the Elders? The Doors are shut, and no Man can fee us, fay they; but did they not know that GoD could? It is better to fall into your

Hands,

Hands, fays Sufanna, than to fin in the Sight of the LORD. She knew God both faw, and could deli ver her, and accordingly trufted in him. Such as was their different Conduct, fuch was the different Event; the one trufted in Heaven, and was delivered; the others in their own Wickednefs, and Subtlety, that is, in their Mafter the Devil, and were deceived by him. But to proceed:

Upon this pofitive Accufation of the Elders, Sufanna was condemned directly; and having in vain declared her Innocence, was led away to be put to Death. The Elders had now done their worst, and the Devil had proceeded the full Length of his Chain; it was then high Time for the Almighty to interpofe, and accordingly he does fo. As they were conducting her to Execution, the Prophet Daniel, then a young Man, being divinely infpired, cried out with a loud Voice, I am clear from the Blood of this Woman. This Exclamation caufed the People to turn again, and ask him the Meaning thereof; whereupon he answered, Are ye fuch Focls, ye Sons of Ifrael, that without Examination, or Knowledge of the Truth, ye have condemned a Daugh ter of Ifrael? Return again to the Place of Judg. ment, for they have borne falfe Witness against her.

Well, the People turn back again, and Daniel having ordered the two perjured Evidences to be fet apart, fo that neither of them might overhear the Teftimony of his Companion, asked each of them feparately, Under ubat Tree faweft thou them companying together? To which Queftion, they not having forefeen its being propounded to them, and therefore not having previoufly agreed together upon this Head, anfwered differently; the one, that it was under a Maftick Tree, the other, that it was under a Holm Tree: And they were thereby convicted of being falfe Witneffes out of their own Mouths. Hereupon, according to the Law

of Mofes, they were immediately adjudged to fuffer the fame Punishment as they intended to have inflicted upon the innocent and virtuous Sufanna. What a Pity it is the fame Law is not now in Force in all Countries!

Were the Scriptures to be allowed their due Weight in the prefent polite Age, we fhould think these two remarkable Examples, taken from thence, of the fatal Confequences of violating this Ninth Commandment, would be more than fufficient to deter every one from being guilty of the like; and we have dwelt the longer upon them, because it is fcarce poffible to produce any others equal to them, either from ancient or modern Hiftory, whether we confider the Characters of the Persons who were guilty of the Offence, the Motives inducing them thereto, or the Manner of their Punish

ment.

In the one, the Tranfgreffors were no less than a King and Queen, that is, the very Fountains of Juftice, the immediate Subftitutes of Heaven, the Dernier Refort of the Oppreffed; they who were bound above all others to fee to the due Execution of the Laws, and to right the Innocent: They were likewife abfolute, and above being called to an Account by any Power upon Earth; fuch and fo great were the Offenders! Then, as for the ProVocation given to induce them to fuch, a Crime, it was no more than this, that one of their Subjects was tenacious of his Birthright, and would neither fell nor exchange it; fuch, and fo flight was the Offence! It was no Wonder then, when Robbery and Murder must be the Punishment of Lanocence, and that under the Colour of Law, and when even the fupreme Authority was exerted to that End, fo that all the Avenues to Justice were ftopt up, and no Hope of Retaliation remained in this World, that Providence itself should interpose, ra

ther