Scotland/Scots > Life of John Knox ; and, The life of Alexander Henderson

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LIFE OF JOHN KNOX.
me as his holy Spirit presently moveth me to write un-
feignedly. And albeit that I have, in the beginning of
this battle, appeared to play the faint-hearted and feeble
soldier (the cause I remit to God), yet my prayer is, that
I may be restored to the battle again. And blessed be
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am not left so
bare without comfort, but my hope is to obtain such mer¬
cy,that, if ashortendbe notmadeofall my miseries by fi¬
nal death, which to me were no small advantage, that yet,
by Him who never despiseth the sobs of the sore afflicted,
I shall be so encouraged to fight, that England and Scot¬
land shall both know, that I am ready to suffer more
than either poverty or exile, for the profession of that
doctrine, and that heavenly religion, whereof it has pleas¬
ed his merciful providence to make me, among others, a
simple soldier and witness-bearer unto men. And there¬
fore, mother, let no fear enter into your heart, as that I,
escaping the furious rage of these ravening wolves, that
for our unthankfulness are lately loosed from their bands,
do repent any thing of my former fervency. No, mo¬
ther; for a few sermons bymeto be made within England,
my heart at this hour could be content to suffer more
than nature were able to sustain; as by the grace of the
most mighty and most merciful God, who only is God
of comfort and consolation through Christ Jesus, one
day shall be known.”
In his present sequestered situation, he had full lei¬
sure to meditate upon the various and surprising turns
of providence in his lot, during the last seven years; his
call to the ministry and employment at St. Andrews,
his subsequent imprisonment and release, the sphere of
usefulness in which he had been placed in England, with
the afflicting manner in which- he was excluded from it,
and driven to seek refuge as an exile in that country to
which he had formerly been carried as a prisoner. The
late events seemed in a special manner to summon him
to a solemn review of the manner in which he had dis¬
charged the sacred trust committed to him, as a “ stew-