Charta and common humanity have no place? Shall poor ministers have their estates taken from them for preaching, instead of living by the altar? Are these all the wages we must have for our studies, preaching, and prayers? Can the ungrateful world afford us no better reward? Father, forgive them, they know not what they do! O that this sin may not be laid to England's charge! Is preaching the word grown so heinous a thing, that it must be construed into sedition? Is it likely that sedition can be hatched in a public congregation, where all are free to hear? But this is no new thing. Paul was accounted a mover of sedition, and Elijah, a troubler in Israel. But why should I exclaim against men? They act according to their nature and commission from above; God doth that righteously which men do impiously. The Sabeans and Chaldeans took away Job's property, but he saith, The Lord hath taken away.' 'Is there evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it?' The hand of God is in this. O my soul, lay to heart thy indisposedness in that day's duty. Examine thy principles, rule, and end. Take shame to thyself in what thou seest amiss, and give God the glory of what was his own. Be nothing in thyself, and let God be all in all in what thou dost for him; then when God and thy soul are friends, submit to his good pleasure, rejoice in tribulation, suffer joyfully the spoiling of thy goods, and be not only content, but thankful for the honour of losing any thing for God. Remember the though he was rich, infinitely rich, yet for thy sake became poor, that thou mightest be rich; and art thou unwilling to become poor for him? Dost thou love thy goods better than thy God? Have men left thee no table to eat at, or bed to lie on? Thy Lord Jesus had not

grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who,

where to lay his head. Dost thou live by borrowing? Bless God thou hast friends of whom to borrow. What great difference is there between thy own and others' goods, if thou hast the sight and use of them? Property is little more than a fancy. Bless God thou hadst any thing to lose in his cause, and that he will accept such poor offerings. Who am I, that God should honour me so much? Many richer than I, have not lost so much in the cause of God; this is free love! Lord, forgive my ingratitude! I was lately prisoner for God, and now he hath honoured me with the loss of part of my estate for him; it is welcomewelcome prisons, losses, crosses, reproaches, racks, and death itself, if the Lord call me to it, and will enable me to endure it to his glory. The suffering side is the safe side. God might have left me to have been a persecutor; but he hath long employed me in active work, and now in suffering work: this is as acceptable as the former. O that God would pity the instruments of this my trouble! O that God would give the world to see a greater beauty in suffering for Christ, who now partly pity me for my loss, and censure me for my rashness! O that God would pity this poor nation, involved in so much guilt by persecution, and exposed to so much wrath and indignation from above!"

On the same day that his goods were seized, Mr. H. says, "I preached in the afternoon to the number four, on Heb. x. 34, Ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves, that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.' On Friday I preached again from the same text, and on Saturday went into Lancashire. July 21st, returned home and found all well: blessed be God for this journey; 23rd, I went

to Pool, and preached in a chapel there. Blessed be God that a new door is opened for God's people. I preached several times at home in the course of the week, and on the Lord's day four times, twice at home and twice abroad."

He had suffered joyfully the spoiling of his goods for his attachment to the work of the Lord, and he was called to experience public reproach also, for maintaining the truths of the gospel. "That my sufferings may be complete," he observes, "God hath added reproach to all the rest. Last Lord's day, July 31st, 1670, Dr. Hook took occasion to controvert an expression in my book of Heart Treasure, which is this: “Though grace be of greater worth, it is disputable whether it attain to greater strength than corruption, even in the hearts of the sanctified, in this life.' He called this, an unheard of assertion, and loaded it with dreadful consequences, as patronizing all profaneness; adding, that on this principle he may be a good man who is only as much sober as drunk. He exclaimed most bitterly for a quarter of an hour against such as will dare to preach and print such dangerous errors. What I there say is disputable, Dr. Reynolds, bishop of Norwich, lays down as a positive assertion in these words: Original sin is stronger in the regenerate than the graces they have received.' Strange it should be an error in my book, and a truth in his; but partiality blinds men. I am glad he hath found no greater error in my book, than what my own sad experience too evidently demonstrates. Alas! I fear there were bitter railing accusations against an absent person. But why do I find fault with him? Hath not God bidden him, as David said, of Shimei ? Hath not God sent this for my further humiliation? Is it a christian spirit in me to

snarl at the stone that is cast at me? No, God forbid! I will lay my hand upon my mouth and be silent. The will of the Lord be done. If my reproach may promote God's glory it is as welcome as my loss. I am not the first that hath been called a deceiver of the people; my dear Saviour underwent much more. Reproach is grievous to a generous spirit, but reproach for Christ is welcome to a gracious soul. Can we expect better fare than our Saviour, who was accounted one that wrought his miracles by the devil's aid? Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; and shall we be afraid of it? God forbid! Did not the primitive Christians rejoice that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his sake: and shall we fret at it? O that God would help us all, and me in particular, to act as becomes Christians, to act honourably under dishonour, to pass on cheerfully in our christian course, through good and evil report, to give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully, and to pity and pray for our adversaries. O that God would clear up our innocence, roll away our reproach, and set us as stars in the firmament of the church!"

These persecutions for righteousness' sake did not prevent Mr. Heywood from pursuing what appeared to him the path of duty, but made him more courageous and daring than before. "Aug. 6th," he informs us, "I went to Shadwell to preach there; and though, the Lord's day before, officers went to take the minister, and I heard as I went of purposes to disturb us, yet God preserved us all that day in quietness. It was a good day, and we had a numerous assembly deeply affected On Friday, returned home and found all well: blessed. be God. O for a thankful heart! The Lord's day after, young Mr. Root preached at Shadwell, when

Lord Saville, Mr. Copley, Mr. Hammond, and forty troopers from York came and took Mr. Root, carried him to York Castle, and took four or five hundred names of people, seized their horses and made them pay five shillings apiece before they had them again. This was on August 28th, on which day I was earnestly desired to be there; I had promised, but my visit was afterwards postponed. Mr. Root was kept close prisoner, put into the low jail among twelve thieves, and had double irons on him four days and nights; but on Capt. Hodgson's importunity with Mr. Copley, he was released. Oct. 4th, I went to help him in a day of thanksgiving for his deliverance out of prison. God was present on that day. From Lord's day morning till Friday night I preached nine times. Blessed be God for work; methinks I am never better than when I work most. Dec. 27th, I went to E. Hickball's; when I had finished, and was sitting by the fire taking a pipe, the constable and others came, they were five in all. They knocked at the door, and wanted to know who were in the house? They came into the parlour where we sat still. We asked them what they saw in us more than others? Surely friends may visit each other this Christmas time. A little while after they went away, sat at the alehouse, and wrote down our names. What they intend to do, the Lord only knows. One Binns a young man, went and fetched the constable to obtain money; but we had done our work when they came. The next day we had appointed a fast to be kept at Sam. Ellison's, but I had no sooner got thither, than the constable who had followed us arrived. I went away and the others assembled at D. Parker's. The constable came to demand fines in the Shadwell business about Mr. Root."

The religious opportunities Mr. H. now enjoyed,