The secret of his [Hudson Taylor's] own strength was not far to seek. Whenever work permitted, Mr. Taylor was in the habit of turning to a little harmonium for refreshment, playing and singing many a favorite hymn, but always coming back to—
Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art; I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
One of the eighteen evangelists, Mr. George Nichol, was with him on one occasion when some letters were handed in to his office, bringing news of serious rioting in two of the older stations of the Mission. Thinking that Mr. Taylor might wish to be alone, the younger man was about to withdraw when, to his surprise, someone began to whistle. It was the soft refrain of the same well-loved hymn:
Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art . . .
Turning back, Mr. Nichol could not help exclaiming, "How can you whistle, when our friends are in so much danger!"
"Would you have me anxious and troubled?" was the quiet reply. "That would not help them, and would certainly incapacitate me for my work. I have just to roll the burden on the Lord."
Day and night this was his secret, "just to roll the burden on the Lord." Frequently those who were wakeful in the little house at Chinkiang might hear at two or three in the morning, the soft refrain of Mr. Taylor's favorite hymn. He had learned that, for him, only one life was possible–just that blessed life of resting and rejoicing in the Lord under all circumstances, while he dealt with the difficulties, inward and outward, great and small.
–Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor, (Moody Press: Chicago, orig. published 1932), 208-209