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had said unto me, that I should find a man sowing seed which would shine like stars: and it really did; and an unutterable joy sprung up in my heart. In the rays of this seed I saw clearly the vineyard at the upper end of the fallow ground; and above the vineyard I saw a lofty mountain, with a throne upon it; and a light on the road guided me to the sweet countenance of him that sat upon the throne. I cried out, Oh Lord, in thy light we see light;' and then came the same text to me that was applied at first," Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." And indeed. so I felt it, for I looked at the seed till I thought not only the day dawn, but the day star had arisen on my soul, 2 Peter i. 19. Unutterable was my joy, while this incorruptible seed, the word of God, operated upon me.

In this vineyard I have continued ever since, my Lord; but shortly expect my removal to the mount, according to the promise. Thus have I given your Lordship an honest account of what I have suffered through the wickedness of the prisoner at the bar. How he perverted my Lord's words; how he turned me out of his way; and of the rebellion which he led me into, and of my being laid in irons for it. And all this was through his hypocrisy, who stopped me in the heavenly race, and turned me from the path of life, even to the great hazard of my soul's salvation. And what I have said is the truth of God, the real truth, and nothing but the truth.

Judge. Then said the Judge, I am even provoked by hearing the abominable crimes of this man. He has perverted the command which Immanuel gave to Mr. Dim-sight, and has falsely construed the word of God. He has laid his false constructions as a stumbling-block in the way of the blind, Levit. xix. 14, instead of taking the stumbling-blocks out of the way, Isaiah lvii. 14. Jeremiah tells us to set up waymarks, Jer. xxxi. 21; that is, as David says, we are to cleanse our way, by taking heed thereto according to God's word; therefore the man that falsely construes, removes, or obscures, any essential truth, is cursed of God for removing his neighbour's land-mark. And, as he has turned Mr. Dim-sight from the holy commandment delivered unto him, he is cursed of God for turning the blind out of the way, Deut. xxvii. 17, 18. He guided the poor man from Immanuel instead of sending him to him; and, had it not been for a singular providence, poor Dim-sight would unavoidably have been tumbled into the ditch, Matt. xv. 14. And all this was done by assuming a divine and sacred name. In this disguise he has acted worse than the devil, who transforms himself into an angel of light; because the name Charity is never once applied to the love or affections of fallen nature in all the divine oracles. Charity is the soul of all real religion, 1 Cor. xiii. 13; the grand cement of Mercy's building, Col. ii. 2; the immortal bond of all perfection, Col. iii. 14; the first and grand fruit of the Holy Ghost,

Gal. v. 22; the root and ground of all other graces, Eph. iii. 17; and the essence of Jehovah himself; for God is love, 1 John iv. 8.

Behold, this sacred name is assumed by a depraved sinner, and applied to the affections of fallen nature, without any distinction or relative term; whereas the divine Lawgiver is particularly concise in specifying the relative terms when he mentions the love or affections of fallen nature. Hence we read of natural affections, 2 Tim. iii. 3, Rom. i. 31; inordinate affections, Col. iii. 5; vile affections, Rom. i. 26. And those graceless sinners who have the greatest share of them are said to be evilly affected against the brethren Acts xiv. 2, but zealously affected to that which is bad, Gal. iv. 17. Therefore a real saint must crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts, Gal. v. 24. God says that natural affection dotes upon idols; that it loves sinners only; that it loves the world; that one of the world loves his own; but that it is enmity against God, not subject to his law; that it is in friendship with the world, and that the friend of the world is the enemy of God. Therefore the Saviour declares, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother,-yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." When, alas, these wretched affections are set up as a fruit of the Spirit, and the grand criterion of a Christian; while it is at war with God and his saints, and doting upon every reprobate that is in hell. This is counterfeiting not only the grace of God, but

even God himself; therefore by his assuming that sacred name, his wickedness is great, and his iniquities are infinite, Job xxii. 5.

Judge. Crier, tell Mr. Adoption, the King's witness, to stand forth, and give his evidence against the prisoner at the bar.

Then said the Judge, Mr. Adoption, do you know the prisoner at the bar? Adoption. Yes, my Lord. Judge. What is his name?

Adoption. His name is Love-Self, but some call him Universal Charity; however, I know him well.

Judge. You have heard his indictment; is he guilty or not?

Adoption. It appears necessary, my Lord, to acquaint your Lordship of the way in which I first became acquainted with him, that my evidence may appear the more plain and forcible. My first father was heir to a vast estate that was given him by divine donation. Honour was laid upon him, Psalm xlix. 12, and excellent majesty was given unto him; but he was to hold his estate and dignity upon certain conditions of honesty, Gen. ii. 17. He, being led away by his wife, who had been deceived by an old outlawed rebel, that had rebelled against his sovereign, and for his disloyalty had lost his own habitation; this evil-one led my father through the bounds of honesty, and brought him to rob the garden, and steal the fruit of his most bountiful benefactor. This he did to his cost, and found

the words of wisdom true, that, as he digged a pit, he fell into it; and, as he followed the serpent through the hedge, the serpent bit him, Eccles. x. 8.

My father, not continuing in honour, became like the serpent that bit him; and all his children are by sin a generation of serpents. However, he lost his honour, his estate, and, what is still worse, the favour of his most bountiful benefactor; was expelled the presence of his sovereign, and fell under his just displeasure and heavy sentence, Rom. v. 18; was banished from the garden, and left to wander in a solitary way. I, my Lord, being one of the children of this thief, wandered near thirty years in a waste howling wilderness, and found no city of habitation; but at last I was informed by a voice from one, whom no eye ever saw, or can see, that the son and heir of my father's Lord and sovereign was appointed to dispense life and favour, in his Father's name, to some of the family of my poor dishonest parents; and I was determined to make my case known unto him by a petition, let come on me what would. So I covered my face, in token of guilt, rose up from my dunghill in haste, and let my request be made known unto him.

I got his ear: he stood still, listened to my voice, and asked what he should do for me. I told my case to him, and begged to be made one of his hired servants. He smiled sweetly on me, and said, Thou wert lost, and art found.' I came into this wilderness to seek and to save that which

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