by patient submission to His will. Before his commitment, he had
a strong presentiment of his sufferings; his earnest prayer, for
many months, was that he might, with composure, encounter all his
trials, even to an ignominious death. This led him to the solemn
consideration of reckoning himself, his wife, children, health,
enjoyments, all as dying, and in perfect uncertainty, and to live
upon God, his invisible but ever-present Father.

Like an experienced military commander, he wisely advises every
Christian to have a reserve for Christ in case of dire emergency.
'We ought to have a reserve for Christ, to help us at a dead lift.
When profession and confession will not do; when loss of goods and
a prison will not do; when loss of country and of friends will not
do; when nothing else will do, then willingly to lay down our lives
for his name.'[235] In the midst of all these dread uncertainties,
his soul was raised to heavenly contemplations of the future
happiness of the saints of God.

It is deeply impressive to view a man, with gigantic intellect,
involved in the net which was laid to trammel his free spirit,
disregarding his own wisdom; seeking guidance from heaven in earnest
prayer, and in searching the sacred Scriptures; disentangling
himself, and calmly waiting the will of his heavenly Father. Still
he severely felt the infirmities of nature. Parting with his wife
and children, he described as 'the pulling the flesh from the bones.
I saw I was as a man who was pulling down his house upon the head
of his wife and children; yet, thought I, I must do it.'[236] His
feelings were peculiarly excited to his poor blind Mary.[237] 'O!
the thoughts of the hardships my poor blind one might go under, would
break my heart in pieces.' It is one of the governing principles