The plague, as we have said, was at Wittenberg. Two persons died of it in Melanchthon’s house; one of his sons was attacked, and one of the sons of Jonas lost his life. Hans Luft, the printer of Marburg, who was at Wittenberg on business, fell ill, and his mind wandered.[49] He was removed to Marburg, where Hamilton was. Terror became general at Wittenberg. All who could do so, and especially the students, quitted the town; the university was transferred to Jena. Luther pressed the elector to go thither with his family, but, he added, in such calamities pastors must bide at their post. He remained therefore, and Melanchthon, who was visiting the churches in Saxony, received orders to go to Jena and resume his lectures there. During this period Luther, having regained some little strength, was visiting the sick and consoling the dying. In the course of a few days he had about him eighteen dead, some of whom even expired almost in his arms.[50] He received into his house the poor, widows, orphans, and even the plague-stricken; his house become a hospital.[51] His wife and his son were attacked. ‘What conflicts!’ cried he, ‘what terrors! No matter; though the malady waste the body, the Word of God saves the soul.’ He again fell ill himself, and thinking that he was nigh to death, he wrote to Melanchthon: ‘Pray for me, vile and miserable worm. I have only one glory, and that is that I have taught purely the word of God.[52] He who has begun the work will complete it. I seek only Him; I thirst for nothing but his grace.’ Such, doubtless, were the circumstances which detained Hamilton at Marburg. On hearing that in consequence of the plague the courses of lectures had partly at least been transferred to Jena, he gave up Wittenberg; and thus is explained quite naturally the want of original documents respecting his alleged sojourn at the Saxon university. A very painful sacrifice was thus demanded of him. Lambert resolved to turn the disappointment to good account. Having a high idea of the faith, the judgment, and abilities of Hamilton, he begged him to compose some _theses_ on the evangelical doctrine, and to defend them publicly. Everyone supported this request; for an academical solemnity, at which a foreign theologian belonging to the royal family of Scotland should hold the chief place, could not fail to throw a certain _éclat_ over the new university. Hamilton consented.[53] His subject was quickly chosen. In his eyes a man’s religion was not sound unless it had its source in the Word of God and in the inmost experience of the soul which receives that Word, and is thereby led into the truth. He deemed it necessary to present the doctrine in this practical aspect, rather than to lose himself in the speculative theorems of an obscure scholasticism.