When I went first to preach the Word, the doctors and priests of the country did open wide against me.  But I was persuaded not to render railing for railing, but to see how many of their carnal professors I could convince of their miserable state by the law, and of the want and worth of Christ.  I never cared to meddle with things that were controverted among the saints, especially things of the lowest nature.  I have observed that where I have had a work to do for God, I have had first, as it were, the going of God upon my spirit to desire I might preach there.  My great desire in my fulfilling my ministry was to get into the darkest places of the country, even amongst these people that were furthest off of profession.  But in this work, as in all other work, I had my temptations attending me, and that of divers kinds.  Sometimes when I have been preaching I have been violently assailed with thoughts of blasphemy, and strangely tempted to speak the words with my mouth before the congregation.  But, I thank the Lord, I have been kept from consenting to these so horrid suggestions.  I have also, while found in this blessed work of Christ, been often tempted to pride and liftings up of heart, and this has caused hanging down of the head under all my gifts and attainments.  I have felt this thorn in the flesh the very mercy of God to me.  But when Satan perceived that his thus tempting and assaulting of me would not answer his design—­to wit, to overthrow my ministry—­then he tried another way, which was to load me with slanders and reproaches.  It began, therefore, to be rumoured up and down the country that I was a witch, a Jesuit, a highwayman, and the like.  To all which I shall only say, God knows that I am innocent.  Now, as Satan laboured to make me vile among my countrymen, that, if possible, my preaching might be of none effect, so there was added thereto a tedious imprisonment, of which I shall in my next give you a brief account.

III.—­In a Prison Cell

Upon November 12, 1660, I was desired by some of the friends in the country to come to teach at Samsell, by Harlington, in Bedfordshire, to whom I made a promise to be with them.  The justice, Mr. Francis Wingate, hearing thereof, forthwith issued out his warrant to take me and bring me before him.  When the constable came in we were, with our Bibles in our hands, just about to begin our exercise.  So that I was taken and forced to leave the room, but before I went away I spake some words of counsel and encouragement to the people; for we might have been apprehended as thieves or murderers.  But, blessed be God, we suffer as Christians for well-doing; and we had better be the persecuted than the persecutors.  But the constable and the justice’s man would not be quiet till they had me away.  But because the justice was not at home on that day, a friend of mine engaged to bring me to the constable next morning; so on that day we went to him, and so to the justice.