.
But the estimate which a man forms of himself in later life, if he has
arrived at any strong abhorrence of moral evil, is harsher than others
at the time would have been likely to have formed. Even then the poor
child's conscience must have been curiously sensitive, and it revenged
itself upon him in singular tortures.

'My sins,' he says, 'did so offend the Lord that even in my childhood
He did scare and affright me with fearful dreams, and did terrify me
with dreadful visions. I have been in my bed greatly afflicted while
asleep, with apprehensions of devils and wicked spirits, who still, as
I then thought, laboured to draw me away with them, of which I could
never be rid. I was afflicted with thoughts of the Day of Judgment
night and day, trembling at the thoughts of the fearful torments of
hell fire.' When, at ten years old, he was running about with his
companions in 'his sports and childish vanities,' these terrors
continually recurred to him, yet 'he would not let go his sins.'

Such a boy required rather to be encouraged than checked in seeking
innocent amusements. Swearing and lying were definite faults which
ought to have been corrected; but his parents, perhaps, saw that there
was something unusual in the child. To them he probably appeared not
worse than other boys, but considerably better. They may have thought
it more likely that he would conquer his own bad inclinations by his
own efforts, than that they could mend him by rough rebukes.

When he left school he would naturally have been bound apprentice,
but his father brought him up at his own trade. Thus he lived at home,
and grew to manhood there, forming his ideas of men and things out of
such opportunities as the Elstow neighbourhood afforded.

From the time when the Reformation brought them a translation of it,
the Bible was the book most read--it was often the only book which was
read--in humble English homes. Familiarity with the words had not yet
trampled the sacred writings into practical barrenness. No doubts or
questions had yet risen about the Bible's nature or origin. It was
received as the authentic word of God Himself. The Old and New
Testament alike represented the world as the scene of a struggle
between good and evil spirits; and thus every ordinary incident of
daily life was an instance or illustration of God's Providence. This
was the universal popular belief, not admitted only by the intellect,
but accepted and realised by the i