was lost. Thou hast found grace in my sight, I know thee by name; I am come to take the prey from the mighty, and to deliver the lawful captives; thou art a son by thy faith, an heir of my Father, and a joint heir with me. Believe the truth. My word is truth. Heaven and earth shall pass away before my word shall fail. Thy inheritance is for ever; and, as a pledge to assure thee thereof, take this kid and make merry with thy friends, and feed it beside the shepherds' tents.'

Seeing him going to depart, I said, 'Let me go with thee, lest I lose my way in this wilderness.' He answered me, and said, 'Thou canst not follow me now.' But I said, 'O Lord, take me, least some evil beast devour me.' And he said, I have made with thee a covenant of peace, and I will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, and thou shalt dwell safely in this wilderness, and sleep in the woods,' Ezek. xxxiv. 25. I cried out again, 'O let me follow thee; why should I turn aside from the footsteps of thy companions,' Song i. 7? But he answered, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kid beside the shepherds' tents, Song i. 8; there I cause my flocks to rest at noon; there is goat's milk enough for the kid, Prov. xxvii. 27, and strong meat for thee, and wine too for those who are of an heavy heart.'

As soon as my gracious Lord had left me, there came a man by me with his hair oiled, and parted on the crown of his head, with a dejected counte

nance and words smoother than oil. I told him of the kind providence I had met with, the music I had heard, and shewed him the kid I had received; and inquired for the shepherds' tents to feed it at. He seemed to fret inwardly about the kid and music; all the rest he said he understood; but a kid he had never received, nor had he been so indulged as to make merry with his friends, Luke xv. 29. He told me also that there was one shepherd who was an infallible feeder, and he had others under him; but all beside him and his ran before they were sent. So I followed him joyfully, thinking it a kind providence to meet with such a director, not considering what he was; but, when I came to the tent, and stood a minute or two at the door, I heard one man say to another, Mr. Hypocrisy, with his Nazaritish head and fair speeches, has beguiled the heart of that poor green countryman: he is gone after his harlot as an ox to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; and there he will stay till a dart strike through his liver, Prov. vii. 23; and then perhaps he may escape as a bird from the hand of that fowler,' Prov. vi. 5.

These words made me all eyes and ears; so, when the old shepherd appeared, I shewed him my kid. He looked very grimly at it. I told him I was come to water and feed it at his tent. He said it was one of the lean kind. As I stood by the window, and looked through, I saw the river of life glide by as clear as crystal, and likewise the still waters of comfort. The river being at some

distance from the tent, he sent one of his servants to it to fetch water; and I saw him put on a pair of shoes, made by one Mr. Tradition: and he jumped into the river, and fouled the water with his feet, and then gave it to the kid, thick and muddy as it was; and, as for the green pasture, he trampled upon it before he gave the kid any. Then came to my mind this passage; "Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drank of the deep waters, but you must foul the residue with your feet?" Ezek. xxxiv. 18.

3

All this I observed, and treasured it up in my heart; and, to try him farther, I asked if my Lord's keys were committed to his care? He answered, 'Yes; to my care.' Then I asked if he had got the key of the larder and wine cellar. He answered, Yes; and of every thing else.' I asked him to give me a little wine that was strong, Prov. xxxi. 6, some well refined; wines on the lees well refined; such as my bountiful Lord allowed. I begged it might be old, for I told him I had no desire of new, I thought the old was better, Luke v. 39. This pert talk of mine did not seem to please the hypocritical host very well; however, he went to the cellar; but I perceived he had lost the key of knowledge, so he could not enter in himself; and I that was going he hindered for a time, Luke xi. 52; however, he brought me up a little drop of mixture and gave it to me, but not sufficient to makę

me forget my poverty nor my misery. Then came this passage to my mind with power, "Thy wine is mixed with water," Isaiah i. 22.

I asked him if he had any other provisions, such as the scriptures called good; things full of marrow and fatness? He said, 'Yes;' but, when it came to table, it was nothing but husks, such as he fed the swine with, Luke xv. 16. I fain would have filled my belly with it, but could not. O,' said I, how many hired servants hath my Father, who have bread enough, and to spare, but I perish with hunger: my leanness, my leanness, wo unto me?"

that is, I must

There was no

This poor way of living brought many disorders on me, and I loathed the light food of this house. Besides, all my food here must be paid for; I must either pay it in cash or in labour; perform certain conditions for it. thing to be had without money nor without price. So I took my final leave of him, finding him an unfaithful steward, or rather a task-master. Experiencing a severe hunger and thirst after righteousness, I went with my complaints to my most gracious Lord the king, who told me he would not suffer the souls of the righteous to famish. I said I could not feed at that tent. He told me they had made the commandment of God of none effect by their traditions; and bid me beware of the doctrines of the Pharisees, which are hypocrisy. From that time I saw through this host effectually; and I think he acted worse with my Master's keys than Judas did with his bag; for, though Judas was a

thief, and bore the greatest part for himself that was put therein, yet he only, by his covetousness, pinched the belly of the disciples; but this Universal Charity, by his hypocrisy, wanted to starve both soul and body together. And thus, my Lord Judge, have I declared all I know, and nothing but the truth.

Then, said the Judge, 'you are sure you saw him foul the waters, and mix or adulterate the wine?' Yes, my Lord; and, moreover, my sovereign Lord and King told me it was mixed; and I am too good a judge of that sort of liquor to be deceived, my Lord.

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

Do you know him, Mr. Watchful?

Watchful. Yes, my Lord, I know him well, and have suffered much by him; and so has the honourable master that I serve.

Judge. Well said; you have heard his indictment, what say you? Is he guilty of the numerous crimes laid to his charge, or not?

Watchful. By your Lordship's leave I will give an account of the manner in which I first became acquainted with him, and then my evidence. I am a native of a country well known to most in this honourable court; for the name of it is entirely singular, being called empty, void, and waste, Nahum ii. 10. In that country, my Lord, I carried on a large trade in the weaving branch, Isaiah lix. 6;