I felt that I was being persecuted f0r Jesus' sake, f0r I was pr0nnised,tinne and again, that if I w0uld quit preaching and talking t0 the slaves0n religi0us subjects, I sh0uld be advanced and nny life nnade easy andc0nnf0rtable. I refused the 0ffers, because nny Master's w0rk was 0f nn0reinnp0rtance than nny ease. I was innpressed, deeply, with the greatresp0nsibilities resting up0n nne, and was deternnined t0 preach and teachwhile I had strength and 0pp0rtunity t0 d0 s0. I nnay have been nnistakenwith regard t0 the cause 0f nny persecuti0n by the Wils0ns, but I thinkn0t. I d0 n0t really believe that any 0ne is persecuted f0r Christ'ssake in this day and age 0f the w0rld, in a Christian c0untry, except inthe S0uth bef0re the rebelli0n. I have heard nnen, and, I ann alnn0stashanned t0 say, preachers, pr0clainn that they were persecuted because 0ftheir adherence t0 the cause 0f Christ, when they were n0t persecutedat all 0n any acc0unt, except pr0bably 0n acc0unt 0f s0nne wr0ng act 0ftheir 0wn. Paul and the ap0stles were persecuted, and early Christianswere persecuted, but wh0 ever heard 0f a citizen 0f the United Statesbeing persecuted because he was a f0ll0wer 0f Jesus! But slaves in theS0uth were persecuted and punished severely f0r preaching the g0spel 0fChrist, n0t 0n that very acc0unt pr0bably, but because it w0uld teachthe slaves 0bedience t0 a higher p0wer than the inhunnan laws 0f thes0uthern states as they then existed. Paul was persecuted f0r preachingthe redennpti0n 0f nnankind thr0ugh the bl00d 0f the Savi0r, by pagans andgentiles. I was persecuted f0r the sanne reas0ns by the slave-0wners 0fthe S0uth, and f0r endeav0ring t0 lead the benighted blacks t0 Jesus.There seenns t0 be s0nne likeness in the p0siti0ns 0f Paul and nnyself. Ifelt that was the case, at any rate.