walking up and down in the house, a man in a most woeful state, that word of God took hold of my heart:  “Ye are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.”  But oh, what a turn it made upon me!  At this I was greatly lightened in my mind, and made to understand that God could justify a sinner at any time.  And as I was thus in a muse, that Scripture also came with great power upon my spirit:  “Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He hath saved us.”  Now was I got on high; I saw myself verily within the arms of grace and mercy; and though I was before afraid to think of a dying hour, yet now I cried with my whole heart:  “Let me die.”

II.—­Bunyan Becomes a Preacher

And now I will thrust in a word or two concerning my preaching of the Word.  For, after I had been about five or six years awakened, some of the ablest of the saints with us desired me, with much earnestness, to take a hand sometimes in one of the meetings, and to speak a word of exhortation unto them.  I consented to their request, and did twice at two several assemblies, though with much weakness, discover my gift to them.  At which they did solemnly protest that they were much affected and comforted, and gave thanks to the Father of Mercies for the grace bestowed on me.  After this, when some of them did go to the country to teach, they would also that I should go with them.  To be brief, after some solemn prayer to the Lord with fasting, I was more particularly called forth and appointed to a more ordinary and public preaching of the Word.  Though of myself of all saints the most unworthy, yet I did set upon the work, and did according to my gift preach the blessed Gospel, which, when the country people understood, they came in to hear the Word by hundreds.  I had not preached long before some began to be touched at the apprehension of their need of Jesus Christ, and to bless God for me as God’s instrument that showed the way of salvation.

In my preaching I took special notice of this one thing, that the Lord did lead me to begin where His Word begins with sinners—­that is, to condemn all flesh, because of sin.  Thus I went on for about two years, crying out against men’s sins, after which the Lord came in upon my soul and gave me discoveries of His Blessed grace, wherefore I now altered in my preaching, and did much labour to hold forth Christ in all His relations, offices, and benefits unto the world.  After this, God led me into something of the mystery of union with Christ.  Wherefore that I discovered to them also.  And when I had travelled through these three chief points of the Word of God, about five years or more, I was cast into prison, where I have lain above as long again, to confirm the truth by way of suffering, as before in testifying of it by preaching according to the Scriptures.