Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners [73]
became speedily a very zealous professor; but upon the return of King CHARLES to the crown in 1660, he was the 12th of NOVEMBER taken, as he was edifying some good people that were got together to hear the word, and confined in BEDFORD jail for the space of six years, till the act of Indulgence to dissenters being allowed, he obtained his freedom, by the intercession of some in trust and power, that took pity on his sufferings; but within six years afterwards he was again taken up, VIZ., in the year 1666, and was then confined for six years more, when even the jailor took such pity of his rigorous sufferings, that he did as the Egyptian jailor did to JOSEPH, put all the care and trust in his hand: When he was taken this last time, he was preaching on these words, viz.: DOST THOU BELIEVE THE SON OF GOD? And this imprisonment continued six years, and when this was over, another short affliction, which was an imprisonment of half a year, fell to his share. During these confinements he wrote the following books, viz.: OF PRAYER BY THE SPIRIT: THE HOLY CITY'S RESURRECTION: GRACE ABOUNDING: PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, the first part.
In the last year of his twelve years' imprisonment, the pastor of the congregation at BEDFORD died, and he was chosen to that care of souls, on the 12th of DECEMBER 1671. And in this his charge, he often had disputes with scholars that came to oppose him, as supposing him an ignorant person, and though he argued plainly, and by Scripture, without phrases and logical expressions, yet he nonplussed one who came to oppose him in his congregation, by demanding, Whether or no we had the true copies of the original Scriptures; and another, when he was preaching, accused him of uncharitableness, for saying, IT WAS VERY HARD FOR MOST TO BE SAVED; saying, by that he went about to exclude most of his congregation; but he confuted him, and put him to silence with the parable of the stony ground, and other texts out of the 13th chapter of ST MATTHEW, in our Saviour's sermon out of a ship; all his methods being to keep close to the Scriptures, and what he found not warranted there, himself would not warrant nor determine, unless in such cases as were plain, wherein no doubts or scruples did arise.
But not to make any further mention of this kind, it is well known that this person managed all his affairs with such exactness, as if he had made it his study, above all other things, not to give occasion of offence, but rather suffer many inconveniences, to avoid being never heard to reproach or revile any, what injury soever he received, but rather to rebuke those that did; and as it was in his conversation, so it is manifested in those books he has caused to be published to the world; where like the archangel disputing with Satan about the body of MOSES, as we find it in the epistle of ST JUDE, brings no railing accusation (but leaves the rebukers, those that persecuted him) to the Lord.
In his family he kept up a very strict discipline in prayer and exhortation; being in this like JOSHUA, as the good man expresses it, viz., WHATSOEVER OTHERS DID, AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD: and indeed a blessing waited on his labours and endeavours, so that his wife, as the Psalmist says, WAS LIKE A PLEASANT VINE UPON THE WALLS OF HIS HOUSE, AND HIS CHILDREN LIKE OLIVE BRANCHES ROUND HIS TABLE; FOR SO SHALL IT BE WITH THE MAN THAT FEARS THE LORD, and though by reason of the many losses he sustained by imprisonment and spoil, of his chargeable sickness, etc., his earthly treasure swelled not to excess; he always had sufficient to live decently and creditably, and with that he had the greatest of all treasures, which is content; for as the wise man says, THAT IS A CONTINUAL FEAST.
But where content dwells, even a poor cottage is a kingly palace, and this happiness he had all his life long; not so much minding this world, as knowing he was here as a pilgrim and stranger, and had no tarrying city, but looked for one made with hands eternal
In the last year of his twelve years' imprisonment, the pastor of the congregation at BEDFORD died, and he was chosen to that care of souls, on the 12th of DECEMBER 1671. And in this his charge, he often had disputes with scholars that came to oppose him, as supposing him an ignorant person, and though he argued plainly, and by Scripture, without phrases and logical expressions, yet he nonplussed one who came to oppose him in his congregation, by demanding, Whether or no we had the true copies of the original Scriptures; and another, when he was preaching, accused him of uncharitableness, for saying, IT WAS VERY HARD FOR MOST TO BE SAVED; saying, by that he went about to exclude most of his congregation; but he confuted him, and put him to silence with the parable of the stony ground, and other texts out of the 13th chapter of ST MATTHEW, in our Saviour's sermon out of a ship; all his methods being to keep close to the Scriptures, and what he found not warranted there, himself would not warrant nor determine, unless in such cases as were plain, wherein no doubts or scruples did arise.
But not to make any further mention of this kind, it is well known that this person managed all his affairs with such exactness, as if he had made it his study, above all other things, not to give occasion of offence, but rather suffer many inconveniences, to avoid being never heard to reproach or revile any, what injury soever he received, but rather to rebuke those that did; and as it was in his conversation, so it is manifested in those books he has caused to be published to the world; where like the archangel disputing with Satan about the body of MOSES, as we find it in the epistle of ST JUDE, brings no railing accusation (but leaves the rebukers, those that persecuted him) to the Lord.
In his family he kept up a very strict discipline in prayer and exhortation; being in this like JOSHUA, as the good man expresses it, viz., WHATSOEVER OTHERS DID, AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD: and indeed a blessing waited on his labours and endeavours, so that his wife, as the Psalmist says, WAS LIKE A PLEASANT VINE UPON THE WALLS OF HIS HOUSE, AND HIS CHILDREN LIKE OLIVE BRANCHES ROUND HIS TABLE; FOR SO SHALL IT BE WITH THE MAN THAT FEARS THE LORD, and though by reason of the many losses he sustained by imprisonment and spoil, of his chargeable sickness, etc., his earthly treasure swelled not to excess; he always had sufficient to live decently and creditably, and with that he had the greatest of all treasures, which is content; for as the wise man says, THAT IS A CONTINUAL FEAST.
But where content dwells, even a poor cottage is a kingly palace, and this happiness he had all his life long; not so much minding this world, as knowing he was here as a pilgrim and stranger, and had no tarrying city, but looked for one made with hands eternal