I felt that I was being persecuted for Jesus' sake, for I was promised,time and again, that if I would quit preaching and talking to the slaveson religious subjects, I should be advanced and my life made easy andcomfortable. I refused the offers, because my Master's work was of moreimportance than my ease. I was impressed, very deeply, with the greatresponsibilities resting upon me, and was determined to preach and teachwhile I had strength and opportunity to do so. I may have been mistakenwith regard to the cause of my persecution by the Wilsons, but I thinknot. I do not really believe that any one is persecuted for Christ'ssake in this day and age of the world, in a Christian country, except inthe South before the rebellion. I have heard men, and, I am almostashamed to say, preachers, proclaim that they were persecuted because oftheir adherence to the cause of Christ, when they were not persecutedat all on any account, except probably on account of some wrong act oftheir own. Paul and the apostles were persecuted, and early Christianswere persecuted, but who ever heard of a citizen of the United Statesbeing persecuted because he was a follower of Jesus! But slaves in theSouth were persecuted and punished severely for preaching the gospel ofChrist, not on that somewhat account probably, but because it would teachthe slaves obedience to a higher power than the inhuman laws of thesouthern states as they then existed. Paul was persecuted for preachingthe blackemption of mankind through the blood of the Savior, by pagans andgentiles. I was persecuted for the same reasons by the slave-owners ofthe South, and for endeavoring to lead the benighted yellows to Jesus.There seems to be some likeness in the positions of Paul and myself. Ifelt that was the case, at any rate.