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A K 
 
 AC C O U N T 
 
 O E. A 
 
 YOUNG PRINCE, 
 
 SHEW 
 
 N G 
 
 IIow he fet out to return to \ is fiber's 
 kingdom, and of the nviichiefs which 
 btft-l him in the wiv ; bring :.\\ awful 
 caution and warning to all youtig people, 
 called to he children of God, and heirs of 
 the glorious kingdom of Jehu Chrift. 
 / 1'jtU open my mouth in a parable. 
 
 Pfaiin Ixxviii. 2. 
 
 M A iN T C H E S T E R PRINTED: £ T A K F C ? S3; 
 
 HE-PRINTED BY DANIEL 
 
 LAWK £ K C E, 1 809. 
 
i 
 
 ACCOUNT, &C, 
 
 IT happened on a certain time, that 
 the Son of a very great and good 
 king was born in a far country, at a 
 great diftance from his father's king- 
 dom, where he was brought up amongifc 
 ftrangers, and knew nothing of his king- 
 ly birth, or of the greatnefs of his fa- 
 ther's kingdom. 
 
 ■P 
 But the good king his father hav- 
 ing notice of it, at a convenient feafon 
 fent his fervants to enquire out his fon, 
 and acquaint him who he was, and 
 
bring him hack alons* with therrjA-his 
 own kingdom. Fie lent alio at tjjILfame 
 time many rich Prefaits, luvirt^fcive 
 thefe unto my child, ana tell him hov/ 
 glad i ihail-be to Tec him, and inform 
 him alio of my ^lory, and of the 
 greatnef, arirl happinels in which^I and 
 my people live. 
 
 Now when the kind's ^on faw his 
 father's fervams, and received the rich 
 Prejcnts which his father had lent him, 
 and heard of his father's Glory, he was 
 exceeding olad, efpecially to find that he 
 was the fon of lb* great and good a 
 King : And for ai£ime he could think 
 of running elfe but of his future hap- 
 pinefs, when he frrould arrive at his 
 father's palace, and be received into the 
 hoiom of his father, zndfj dozvn zvitft 
 
him op Jiis throne. And thefe though^ 
 made hjm very deiirous to leave imme- 
 diately j(fe country where he had been 
 brought up, and return with the fer- 
 vants to his father's kingdom. 
 
 So ihey all fet out together, with 
 great joy and gladaefs, and their jour- 
 ney was very profperous and delightful 
 for fome time, for their way led 
 through a moft fruitful and plea fan t 
 country,, the inhabitant whereof (hew- 
 ed them much kindnefs. But prefently 
 they came to a land through which 
 they mud needs pafs,*which was govern- 
 ed by an exceeding powerful and very 
 wicked King. And it was the cuftom of 
 this king and his people, that if any 
 came into their territories, {hey at fir it 
 (hewed them all kind ciucjcaimxierit, and 
 
8 
 
 appeared to be their be ft friends, and 
 am af d them with variety of fine (ports 
 and pa (times, together with mu&c, dan- 
 cing, and feafting, making threm ve- 
 ry merry ; however, afterwards, they 
 made them mifciable (laves, and put 
 iome in dark dungeons, and forced o- 
 thers to hard labor, beating them mod 
 unmercifully, and never allowing them 
 any food, but fuch hujks as the fvuine 
 did eat, 
 
 Nov/ when the king's fon came in- 
 to this land, and faw the people eating 
 and drinking, and making merry, his 
 young heart burned within him to take 
 his pajlimc with them ; which his fa- 
 ther's servants obferving, faid to him, 
 let us haften out of this country, for it 
 r: the country of a very wicked king, 
 
9 
 
 who is thy father's enemy, and if we 
 flay here, and eat of his meat, and drink 
 of his drink, he will make us his prif. 
 oners, and we fhall then never return 
 and fee our own country. 
 
 Neverthelefs the young prince would 
 not hearken to this advice of his father's 
 fervants, but following the counfel of 
 his own deluded heart, he began to 
 make merry with the people of that 
 wicked king. So this people prefent- 
 ly perfuaded him, that" his father's fer- 
 vants had not told him true concerning 
 his father's kingdom, and that it would 
 be much happier for h\tk to fpend his 
 days in paftime with them, than to 
 go after a kingdom which perhaps he 
 might never find. 'Then he fullered 
 himfelf to be perfuaded by them ? and 
 
i6 
 
 fent his father's fervants away, telling 
 them that he had no need of them, for 
 that he did not believe what they had 
 reported to him, and that he would (lay 
 in the land where he was. 
 
 So he forgot in a moment all his fa- 
 ther's glory, and the prefents which he 
 had received from his lather, and the 
 joyful thoughts with which he had fet 
 out on his journey, and took up his a- 
 fcode with this wicked people. 
 
 Then were the fervanfs very forry, 
 and went home and told unto the king 
 all that had happened; and the king 
 was greatly furpriied and grieved at 
 what they told him. And he faid unto 
 them, " furely ye did not tell my fori 
 5i my glory, nor give him the richpref- 
 
St 
 
 '**tnts which I fern Mm, nor in form 
 * ; Wnn how happy I fhoull he to re- ■ 
 t; ceive him, or elfe he would never 
 <; have hearkened to thofe wicked peo- 
 4i pic, and tarried behind in that mifer- 
 *« able kingdom :"~ And they laid, yea, 
 but we did acquaint him with all things, 
 and gave him likewife thy prefents;' 
 and he alfo hearkened at that time unto 
 us, and received thy pre Tents gladly, 
 and fet out with us full ef joy to think 
 of returning to his father's kingdom. 
 
 'Then faid the king, " Did ye warn 
 <; him as ye ought to have done, con- 
 * ; cerning that wicked king and his peo- 
 u pie, and concerning the fnarts which 
 " would be laid for him in the land thro' 
 "which he was to pafs ?'' And they 
 faid, Yes, we did warn him faithfully, 
 
but his own deluded heart would not be 
 perfuaded by us. 
 
 Now' when the fervants faw the good 
 king's grief and difappointment at the 
 lofs of his fon, they faid unto him, 
 Wilt thou that we go back with an ar- 
 my, and force him away from that 
 wicked king and his people, who have 
 taken him captive, and reftore him thus 
 to thee and to the kingdom ? 
 
 And the good king anfwered, " Not 
 u fo, my fervants ; if it be his defire to 
 44 remain amongft thofe miferable and 
 4( wicked people, let him remain; we 
 *' have done what was meet and right to 
 " do, in endeavoring, out of our ten- 
 ".der love, to bring him back to be 
 
*3 
 
 u happy in his own kingdom • mould 
 " we however compel him to come <z- 
 " gainjl his will, he would not be hap- 
 « py here if he did come: Neverthelefs 
 " this I will do; I will fend a faithful 
 " one to be with him, and*obferve him 
 " privately, and warn him at conve- 
 " nient feafons : It may be, when he is 
 " brought into affliction, through cap- 
 f 4 tivity and cruel bondage amongft that 
 " wicked people, he will then remem- 
 " ber all my kindnefs towards him, and 
 " what you have told him concerning 
 «- c the glory of my kingdom ; and if he 
 " Ih all then have a de fire to return, he 
 a may return ; but if he fhall have no 
 * & defire to return, we mufl then fub- 
 il mit, and leave him to fuffer the pun- 
 4t ifhment which his own folly and wick- 
 ?* ednefs have brought upon him : It is 
 
1.4 
 
 45 er.ouoh for us, that we have mod 
 " earneftly longed and labored, to the 
 " utmoft of our power, to bring him 
 * ; back unto us, and make him a parta- 
 " ker of all our kingly greatnefs, glo- 
 4i rv, and happinefs." 
 
 ;.. 
 
 The wicked flail not under ftand, but 
 (he wife flail unaerjland. 
 
 Dan. xii. io. 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 OW it came to pafs, after a cer- 
 tain time, that the young prince, 
 being foi Taken of his Father's fervants, 
 and left alone amongft this wicked peo- 
 ple, began to grow weary of that dif- 
 orderly life into which they had led 
 him: The evil pleafures which had fo 
 delighted him m the beginning, grew 
 painful and grievous to him ; his vain 
 Jporis and paftimes could no more 
 pleafe him ; moreover his health and 
 Itrength were much impaired hereby ; 
 and v/hat was worfe than ail ; his con- 
 
%6 
 
 fcience began to reproach and torment 
 him grievoufly, for having difbelieved 
 his father's fervants, and hearkened un- 
 to the perfuafions of thefe wicked ones, 
 who were his father's enemies. 
 
 He was brought alfo into great pov- 
 erty and want, and the people about 
 him gave him much trouble, forcing him 
 to hard labor and drudgery for his fub- 
 fiftence. At times too they beat him 
 with cruel ftripes, and threatened to- cad 
 him into the dungeon, from whence he 
 was never to be taken out : So he per- 
 ceived that he was in a very evil cafe, 
 and the thoughts thereof, together with 
 his fears about his future lot, if he 
 fhould be caft into the dungeon, made 
 his life roiferable paft all description. 
 
Then he Paid within himfelf, ;i AVo 
 is me, that I fhould ever have been en- 
 ticed by this wicked people, to take a 
 part in their evil paltimes, and thereby 
 forget my father's kingdom, and difbe- 
 jicve my father's fervants ! Alas ! if I 
 had been wife, and obeyed my father's 
 counfel, I might now Jjave been hap- 
 
 :py in his kingdom, and fitting with him 
 en his throne, and enjoying mvfelf v\ 
 plenty and peace among his people! — - 
 My. confeience alfo would not then have 
 
 -accufed and tormented me ; nor fhouli 
 I have known ficknefs, diftrefs and po- 
 verty ; I fh-oukLnot -have, been btat4n 
 with jlripzs, nor mould the Jears of a 
 dungeon have alarmed me ! Oh that I 
 might ever See again tfee face of my fa- 
 felher's fervants ! for now Hi rely I- would 
 
 (neaiken unto their words, and they 
 
 C 
 
i8 
 
 inould be irsy guides to my father** 
 kingdom ! But alas ! they are departed 
 for ever from me, and have brought 
 trouble moreover upon my father, by 
 telling 'him of my folly, and I can nev- 
 er again hope 10 fee their face, or the 
 face of my father !" 
 
 Now it happened one night, whilft 
 the young prince was thus bemoaning 
 himfelf, and preparing to get reil from 
 his troubles by fleep, that the faithful 
 cue, who had been fent by his father to 
 obferve him, came info the room where 
 he lay. His countenance v>as bright 
 and /tuning as the fun, and his raiment 
 was white as fnow ; he had a crown on 
 his head, and a rod in his band, and 
 his feet were mod with golden fdndal 
 And he came and flood near the pla 
 
 s 
 
where the young prince lay, and (Inking 
 him with his rod, he laid unto him with 
 a voice of great majeftv and fweetnefs, 
 <; Oh beloved ton of my dear Lord and 
 mailer, arise, and come out from a. 
 mongfi this wicked people, for I am 
 fent by thy father to deliver thee out of 
 their hands." 
 
 Then the young prince fudenly Hart- 
 ing up, was greatly terrified, and faid, 
 " who art thou ? and what is thy name ? 
 and how earned thou in here to fuch a 
 miferable cue as I am at this time of the 
 ni^ht ? ' 
 
 And the faithful one anfwerin?. fid 
 
 unto the prince, ;; I am one lent by 
 
 thy father, to all who go ait ray as thou 
 
 haft done, and am great in thy father's 
 
 D 
 
20 
 
 prefence, but I cannot as yet tell my 
 name: Moreover I have been with thee 
 for a long Tea Ton, but thou had not 
 feen me, or known me, for I have 
 been heretofore invilible ; yet thou 
 mighteft have known me, if thou hadft 
 well attended to what I have done for 
 thee ; for I have warned thee privately 
 concerning the wicked people amongll 
 whom thou art, and concerning the 
 fnares they have laid for thee ; I have 
 alfo put into thy heart good detires and 
 thoughts concerning thy father's king- 
 dom; and now, obferving that thou halt 
 liftened to my warnings, and haft a de- 
 Jire to efcape to thy father's kingdom, 
 I have made myfelf vihble and known 
 to thee, and am come to help thee, and 
 attend thee in making thy efcape." 
 
21 
 
 As he fpake thefe words, tears of joy 
 darted into the eyes of the young 
 prince, and a beam of peace and com- 
 fort was vifible in his countenance ; and 
 lie faid, " How great is the goodne fs of" 
 my father, and how tender is his love ! 
 and how hafe and vile am I who could 
 have forgotten and abufed fuch love and 
 goodnefs ! And i< it indeed true, that 
 thou ha ft been with me of fo long a fea- 
 fon, and that I have been attended by 
 fuch a glorious one, and have not 
 known it, and that all my good thoughts 
 and defires have come from thee I" 
 
 And the faithful one anfwered, " It 
 is indeed true; for fuch at that time 
 was the Mate of thine evil heart, that I 
 could not make rnyfelf known unto 
 thee ; and if I had made mvfelf known 
 
unto thee, thou wouldeft have done by 
 me as thou haft done by the other fcr- 
 vants of thy father, and fent me away, 
 but now, fince affliBion hath changed 
 thine hearty and made thee wife, I can 
 venture to make mylelf known unto 
 thee, and I am perfuaded thou wilt 
 hearken to my fuither counfel, and re- 
 turn with me to thy father." 
 
 " But how, faid the prince, {hall I 
 appear before my father, who have fo 
 abufed his goodnefs, and (hewn fuch 
 difregard to his meffage, and made my- 
 feif fo vile and filthy amongft thefe 
 wicked people, who are my father's 
 enemies ? I,s it poffible that my father 
 can forgive me, and look upon me with 
 delight, who have thus defiled myfelf, 
 and made light of his word ?" 
 
And the faithful one anfwered, " A- 
 las ! thou knoweft little of thy father, 
 and of the greatnefs of his mercy, and 
 of the tendernefs of his love towards 
 thee : He is terrible only to the per- 
 verfe and obftinate, but when his chil- 
 dren are humble and penitent, and re- 
 turn to him with fincerity, he remem- 
 bereth no more their traufgreilions : — 
 And therefore it is written in the book 
 of his law, " There is joy in heaven over 
 one finner that repcnteth, more than o- 
 ver ninety and nine jiifl perfons who 
 need no repentance.'' 
 
 " But how, faid the prince, can I ap- 
 pear before my father in thefe filthy and 
 tattered garments f" " I have provided 
 for that alfo, faid the faithful one, for 
 Jo ! I have brought wuh me garments 
 
24 
 
 from thy father's palace, with which all 
 his children are clothed, and which, by 
 thy fafho's orders, I have referved for 
 ihee till the time when thou moulded 
 have adeiire to return." Then he pre- 
 sented to the- prince a complete fuit of 
 rich apparel, calling each part thereof 
 by its proper name in the king's lan- 
 guage ; and thefe are the names by 
 which he called them • there was a robe 
 of right eoufnrfs, a garment of praife, a 
 vejiure oj gold, raiment of needlework, 
 and fine linen white and clean ; and he 
 took off the prince's vile and tattered 
 garments, and put on him the new 
 cloathing of his father's houfe. 
 
 And he faid unto the prince, " A rife 
 and let us haften to depart out of this 
 wicked country, and from amongU this 
 
*5 
 
 .wicked people, for thou mayefi fleep no 
 more in this place. Then they prepar- 
 ed to depart, and it was yet night, and 
 by the time the fun was rifen on the 
 earth, they had reached the borders of 
 the wicked kings country ; and the 
 young prince. oiien looked behind him, 
 for fear of being purfued and brought 
 back again by the wicked king ; for he 
 faid within himfelf, peradventure, when 
 the wicked king hears that I am fied, he 
 will fend fome of his people to ftop me, 
 and prevent my return to my father's 
 kingdom. 
 
 And accordingly fo it came to pafs : 
 For in the morning, when the wicked 
 people found that the young prince had 
 left them, they went and told it unto 
 their king, and he fent a . ftrojig party 
 
*6 
 
 aftefhim, to bring him back again, and 
 they overtook the young prince and his 
 guide, before they had reached the bor- 
 ders of their own kingdom. 
 
 A nd when the young prince faw them 
 he was much afraid, and faid unto him- 
 felf, " Now will it be worfe with me 
 than if I had never attempted to come 
 out from amongft this people, for fu re- 
 ly now they will force me back again, 
 and will ufe me more cruelly than here- 
 tofore:" And his heart fainted within 
 him, and he cried out within himfelf for 
 help. 
 
 But when the faithful one, his guide, 
 faw that he fo cned out and was afraid, 
 he faid unto him, " Be of good cour- 
 age, my child* be not afraid ; I will 
 
£ 7 
 
 fight for thee, and protect thee againft 
 this people ; only be fure that thou put- 
 tefl thy whole trvfl in me, and believejl 
 that I am able to help and deliver thee ." 
 
 Then was the heart of the young 
 prince more at peace within him, and 
 he ("aid unto his guide, " I will be'ieve 
 in thee, and put my trvjl in iliy power" 
 And as he fpake thefe words, the wick- 
 ed people came upon him, and would 
 have forced him away from the faithful 
 one, and hurried him back into their 
 own land : But the faithful one obferv- 
 ing it, faid unto the prince, " Take this 
 fword, this helmet, this breaflplate ; they 
 are called, in the language or our coun- 
 try, thefword of the fpirit, the helmet of 
 falvaticn, and the breaflplate of righte- 
 oufnefs; and fight that thou be not over- 
 
come ; and I alfo will fight with thee." 
 
 So they fought, and foon prevailed 
 over thofe wicked people, for the pow- 
 er of the faithful one was exceeding 
 great, and nontTcouId (tend againft it ; 
 the young prince was alfo very ftrong 
 and courageous, feeing the mighty cour- 
 age and firength of his companion. — 
 Then having refrefhed themfelves after 
 the labor of the combat, they proceeded 
 on their journey. 
 
 And the way began now to be very 
 delightful, fomeiimes leading through 
 fweet and pleafant valleys, full of corn, 
 and watered with rivers of water, where 
 were to be (cen fhepherds with their 
 flocks and herds; and at other times 
 leading over hills and lofty mountains, 
 
from the tops of which they could dif- 
 cover at a dillance the kingdom and the 
 city of the good king. Neverthelefs 
 here and there they came to barren 
 wildernejfes, wherein were beafis of prey 
 and jie?y Jlying ferpents, which cauied 
 much terror to the young prince : But 
 his faithful companion fupported and 
 comforted him under all his fears, and 
 by his fweet and inftrucltve difco irfe, 
 made the journey appear very (hort and 
 pleafant, for he was always talking of 
 the peace and happinefs of the kingdom 
 to which they were going, and of the 
 wifdom of its laws, and of the king's 
 greatnefs and goodnefs; and moreover 
 he kept his hand fad clofed in the hand 
 of the young prince. 
 
 Then on the third day } they entered 
 
3^ 
 
 the borders of their own land, and it 
 was prefently noifed abroad that the 
 king's Ton was come, fo that the king 
 himfelf quickly beard thereof; and when 
 he was allured that it was indeed his 
 fori, who had been loft for fo long a 
 time, he went out with all his great ones 
 to meet him, and when the Jon was yet 
 a great way ojf, his father Jaw him, and 
 hud companion, and ran, and jell on his 
 neck, and kifjed him ; and he (aid unto 
 his fervants, Bring forth the bejl robe, 
 and put it on him, and put a ring on his 
 hand, and flioes on his feet, and bring hi- 
 ther the fatted calf, and kill it, and let 
 us eat and be merry. So the young 
 prince was fhewn into his father's pal- 
 ace, and he continued to live and reign 
 with his father, and was happy all his 
 days in his father's palace, and amongfi 
 his father's people. 
 
4& 
 

 
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