Judge. Mr. Freeman, the King's witness, do you know the prisoñer at the bar? Yes, my Lord, I know him; his name is Love-Self, alias Universal Charity.

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Judge. What do you know against him?

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Freeman. Many things, my Lord. I was once company with him, and I was speaking to him of the amazing grace of our sovereign Lord the King, and telling him what a dreadful debt I had formerly contracted with his Majesty, and my inability to pay one mite of the same, Luke vii. 42. I also told him of an awful act of high treason, which I had been guilty of in my giddy youth, and of my long imprisonment for it, Psalm lxxxviii. 8; of my ing brought in chains to the court, and of the just sentence that was passed on me for my abominable crime, being found guilty, Lam. iii. 65; and also how I was put into the dungeon, or pit of the gaol, where the law allowed none, under sentence of death, so much as a draught of water, Zech. ix. 11. I also told him, I had petitioned his Majesty, with many tears, to be propitious to me; but I had little hope of succeeding; for I knew Justice, with his flaming sword, kept the key, and stood porter at the prison door. Having lain long in this dreadful dungeon, without a gaol allowance, sinking perpetually in the mire, sticking fast, and crushed with the intolerable sentence of eternal death, I put up another groaning petition. "O bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name!" O let me not sink, let not the pit shut her mouth

upon me, Psalm lxix. 14, 15; Can the dead praise thee, Psalm lxxxviii. 10? Can those who go down into silence hope for thy truth? I could put up these petitions better in the dark dungeon than in the light, because I dared not look up, Luke xviii. 13; though I longed to turn my face towards his holy temple, Jonah ii. 4; and though it were out of the belly of hell that I cried, yet my prayer entered into his ears, Jonah ii. 7, and my gracious sovereign came to this lion's den, and even cried with a loud voice, 'Thy God is able to deliver thee.'

These words reached my very heart; he entered the prison, and came to the door of the dungeon, and put his finger in by the hole of the door, Cant. v. 4, and wrote something on my spirit, Jer. xxxi. 33, which I understood not. My soul melted like wax before the flame under the impression; and I received it so deep, it was as if it had been done with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever, Job xix. 23, 24. And soon a light shone into the prison, Luke i. 79. I ran to it, in order to read the writing, and it was written thus: 'Having nothing to pay, I frankly forgive thee all, Luke vii. 42. I have blotted out thy debt as a cloud, and will remember it no more for ever,' Isaiah xliv. 22. And at the bottom of the receipt there was the name of my creditor, and the name of his residence; and, as I could not well understand it, I heard a voice, saying, I have written upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, Rev. iii. 12. The name of my creditor

I found to be Love, 1John iv. 8, and the name of the city Righteousness and Peace, Heb. vii. 2.

Although this yielded me much comfort, yet Justice the porter, standing at the door with his flaming sword, made me mix my joy with trembling, Psalm ii. 11. How I should pass him, or go by him, I knew not. But this fear was removed; for the King came to the door himself, and said, 'I proclaim deliverance to the captive, and the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound, for this is the acceptable year (or jubilee) of the Lord,' Luke iv. 18, 19. The porter immediately turned the key, and the lock flew back with such violence, that the foundations of the prison shook; and many in the infernal regions were alarmed, and armed themselves with indignation, knowing that the prisoner was fled.

As soon as I came up out of the horrible pit, I saw nothing of the two soldiers, between whom I had long been kept a prisoner, I mean the Devil and the old man; they were both left in the pit: there was no liberty or enlargement proclaimed to them. I fled, but they were left in hold. I suddenly found the chains drop from my hands, and a voice came unto me saying, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals.' I did so, and he said unto

me, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me,' Acts xii. 8. I did so, and followed him. But I wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought that I had seen a vision, Acts xii. 9. But, as soon as I came into the first ward, I

was astonished, for the door was wide open, and Justice, the porter, had put his sword into its scabbard; the flame that waved on it was quenched, Gen. iii. 24; Zech. xiii. 7; his terrible brow sweetly smiled on me; and, as I held the King by his robes, Justice said to him: By the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth the prisoner out of the pit, wherein was no water, Zech. ix. 11. Then the porter looked at me, and, smiling, said, I am faithful and just to forgive thee thy sins, and to cleanse thee from all unrighteousness,' 1 John i. 9. I had let go the skirt of my King's robe; the porter took notice of it, and, pointing with his finger to the King, said, Turn to the strong hold, ye prisoner of hope, Zech ix. 12; Nahum i. 7: hinting that there was no safety but in a firm hold of the King's robe; for I was not out of the prison, though out of the horrible pit. So the porter passed along through the second ward before the King; and, speaking with a loud voice, he said, "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron," Isaiah xlv. 2. Whether he cut them or brake them I know not, but his word seemed to be enough; for, as soon as we came to the iron gates that lead into the city, they opened of their own accord, and stood wide enough, I thought, for a thousand to go out at once. Just before we came to the gate the King gave me a key, and told me it was called Knowledge; and after that he gave me another, called Regenera

tion; and told me they would be sufficient to open any gate that might ever be standing in my way. I thanked his Majesty, and held fast by the King's robe till I got without the gate. And then said the King, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, and am known of mine. My sheep hear my voice, and to me the porter openeth: I call my sheep by name, and lead them out,' John x. 3. Then said the King to me, I have revoked thy sentence, and justified thy person; thou art passed from the sentence of death unto life, and shalt never more come into condemnation.' "I give my sheep everlasting life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. He that believeth hath everlasting life," John v. 24.

Then said I, 'But am I exempt from imprisonment for ever? To which he answered, The Son hath made you free, and you are free indeed, John viii. 36; and, as a proof of it, I give thee this white stone, Rev. ii. 17; and that which is written on it is, Justified freely by Grace. This I give thee as a witness, and it must be set up in thy conscience, 1John v. 10; and on this spot of ground thou must set up a witness for me, that I may hereafter remind thee of thy present love to me. If ever thou shouldst get cold in thy affections, I shall tell thee to come to this Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar. I likewise (as a proof that thou hast overcome me by faith and prayer, and taken my kingdom by force) give thee a new name, which no man knoweth, saving him