_Sect._ 12. And what after all my unwearied Cares and Pains, to rescue the _Miserable_ from the Lions and Bears of _Hell_, which had siezed them, and after all my Studies to disappoint the Devils in their designs to confound my Neighbourhood, must I be driven to the necessity of an _Apology_? Truly the hard _representations_ wherewith _some Ill Men have reviled my conduct_, and the Countenance which other Men have given to these representations, oblige me to give Mankind some account of my Behaviour; No Christian can, I say none but evil workers can criminate my visiting such of my poor flock as have at any time fallen under the terrible and sensible molestations of _Evil Angels_; let their Afflictions have been what they will, I could not have answered it unto my Glorious _Lord_, if I had withheld my just _Counsels_ and _Comforts_ from them; and if I have also with some exactness observ'd the methods of the _Invisible World_, when they have thus become observable, I have been but a Servant of Mankind in doing so; yea no less a Person than the _Venerable Baxter_, has more than once or twice in the most Publick manner invited Mankind to thank [11] me for that _Service_. I have not been insensible of a greater danger attending me in this fulfilment of my Ministry, than if I had been to take Ten Thousand steps over a Rocky Mountain fill'd with _Rattle-Snakes_; but I have consider'd, he that is wise will observe things, and the _Surprising Explication_ and confirmation of the _biggest part_ of the _Bible_, which I _have seen_ given in these things, has _abundantly paid me_ for observing them. Now in my visiting of the Miserable, I was always of this opinion, that we were Ignorant of what _Powers_ the _Devils_ might have to do their mischiefs in the shapes of some that had never been explicitly engaged in _Diabolical Confederacies_, and that therefore tho' many _Witchcrafts_ had been fairly detected _on Enquiries_ provoked and begun by _Specteral Exhibitions_, yet we could not easily be too jealous of the _Snares_ laid for us in the _devices of Satan_; the World knows how many _Pages_ I have Composed and Published, and particular gentlement in the Government know how many _Letters_ I have written to prevent the excessive Credit of _Specteral Accusations_, wherefore I have still charged the _Afflicted_ that they should _Cry_ out of no body for Afflicting of 'em. But that if this might be any Advantage they might _privately_ tell their minds to some one Person of _discretion_ enough to make no _ill use_ of their communications, accordingly there has been this effect of it, that the Name of _No one_ good Person in the World ever came under any blemish by means of any _Afflicted_, Person that fell under _my_ particular cognizance, yea no one Man, Woman or Child ever came into any troube for the sake of any that were _Afflicted_ after I _had once begun_ to look after 'em; how often have I had this thrown into my dish, that