Now this part of my work I fulfilled with great feeling; for the
terrors of the law, and guilt for my transgressions, lay heavy on my
conscience: I preached what I felt, what I smartingly did feel; even
that under which my poor soul did groan and tremble to astonishment.
Indeed, I have been as one sent to them from the dead; I went myself
in chains, to preach to them in chains; and carried that fire in my
own conscience, that I persuaded them to be aware of. I can truly
say, and that without dissembling, that when I have been to preach,
I have gone full of guilt and terror even to the pulpit-door, and
there it hath been taken off, and I have been at liberty in my mind
until I have done my work; and then immediately, even before I could
get down the pulpit-stairs, I have been as bad as I was before; yet
God carried me on, but surely with a strong hand, for neither guilt
nor hell could take me off my work.
Thus I went on for the space of two years, crying out against men's
sins, and their fearful state because of them. After which the Lord
came in upon my soul with some sure peace and comfort through
Christ; for he did give me many sweet discoveries of his blessed
grace through him: wherefore now I altered my preaching--for still I
preached what I saw and felt.
Pages:
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522