6

ing friends, as if they had been his own flock at Madeley. He several times called upon me, also, to commend them to God in prayer. This was an hour never to be forgot. ten by me while memory remains. Before we parted, I engaged him to come to Bristol, on the Monday following, in order to meet the select band in the forenoon, and to preach in my place in the evening. He did so accordingly. During the hour that he spent with the select band, the room appeared as the house of God and the gate of heaven.' He preached in the evening from the second Epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter ii, verse 13. The whole congregation was dissolved in tears. He spoke like one who had but just left the converse of God and angels, and not like a human being. The different conversations I had with him, his prayers and preaching during the few days which he stayed at Bristol and Brislington, left such an impression on my mind, and were attended with such salutary effects, that for some months afterward not a cloud intervened between God and my soul, no, not for one hour. His memory will ever be precious to me while life shall remain, and the union of spirit which I felt with that holy and blessed man, will have its consummation in those regions of light, love, and glory, where parting shall be no more."

I beg leave here to subjoin an extract from a letter written to me a few weeks after he arrived at Madeley :

Madeley, June 25, 1781. kind re. your

"MY DEAR BROTHER,-I thank you for membrance of, and letter to me. I found myself of one heart with you, both as a preacher and believer, before I left Bristol, and I am glad you find freedom to speak to me as your friend in Christ. By what you mention of your experience, I am confirmed in the thought, that it is often harder to keep in the way of faith and light than to get into it. 2. That speculation and reasoning hinder us to get into that way, and lead us out of it when we are in it.

3. The only business of those who come to God, as a Redeemer or Sanctifier, must be to feel their want of redemption and sanctifying power from on high, and to come for it by simple, cordial, working faith. Easily the heart gets into a false rest before our last enemy is over

come. Hence arises a relapsing, in an imperceptible degree, into indolence and carnal security: hence a dreaming that we are rich and increased in goods. This is one of the causes of the declension you perceive among some of the Methodists. Another is the outward rest they have, which is consistent with the selfish views of hypocrites, and with the unbending of the bow of faith in those who are sincere. Another may be, judging of the greatness of the work by the numbers in society. Be the consequence what it will, those who see the evil should honestly bear their testimony against it, first in their own souls, next by their life, and thirdly by their plain and constant reproofs and exhortations. The work of justification seems stopped, in some degree, because the glory and necessity of the pardon of sins to be received and enjoyed now by faith, is not pressed enough upon sinners ; and the need of retaining it, upon believers. The work of sanctification is hindered, if I am not mistaken, by the same reason, and by holding out the being delivered from sin, as the mark to be aimed at, instead of the being rooted in Christ, and filled with the fulness of God, and with power from on high. The dispensation of the Spirit is confounded with that of the Son, and the former not being held forth clearly enough, formal and lukewarm believers in Jesus Christ suppose they have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Hence the increase of carnal professors, see Acts viii, 16. And hence so few spiritual men. Let us pray, hope, love, believe for ourselves, and call, as you say, for the display of the Lord's arm. My love to your dear fellow labourer, Mr. Pawson. Pray for your affectionate brother, J. F."

59. Mr. Ireland being confined by affliction, and wishing, nevertheless, to accompany his friend to Madeley, as soon as he should be able, Mr. Fletcher stayed a few days at Brislington, waiting for his recovery, before he set out for his parish. Upon their arrival there it was his first care to inquire into the spiritual state of his dear flock but he did not find such cause of rejoicing as he had fondly expected. This may be easily gathered from the letter he then wrote to his friend at Newington. It runs thus:

:

66

Madeley, June 12, 1781. "MY VERY DEar Friend,—I stayed longer at Brislington than I designed. Mr. Ireland was ill, and would nevertheless come hither with me: so that I was obliged to stay till he was better. And indeed it was well I did not come without him: for he has helped me to regulate my outward affairs, which were in great confusion. Mr. Greaves leaves me and I will either leave Madeley, or have an assistant able to stir among the people: for I had much rather be gone, than stay here to see the dead bury their dead. Well, we shall soon remove out of all, and rest from our little cares and labours. You do not forget, I hope, that you have need of patience, as well as I, to inherit the promises, the best and the greatest of which are not sealed, but to such as keep the word of Christ's patience, and such as persevere with him in his tempta tions. Hold on, then, patient faith and joyful hope! If I were by you, I would preach to your heart, and my own, a lecture on this text, We are saved by hope, and by a faith which is never stronger than when it is contrary to all the feelings of flesh and blood.

"Pray what news of the glory? Does the glory of the Lord fill the temple, your house, your heart? A cloud is over my poor parish; but alas! it is not the luminous cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. Even the few remaining professors stared at me the other day, when I preached to them on these words, Ye shall receive the Holy Ghost: for the promise is unto you. Well, the promise is unto us; if others despise it, still let us believe and hope. Nothing enlarges the heart and awakens the soul more than that believing, loving expectation. Let us wait together until we are all endued with power from on high.'

60. The above letter manifests still farther that he had sustained no loss of his piety and devotedness to God while abroad. And although, as it appears, he now entertained thoughts of changing his condition in life, it is evident his mind was not hereby diverted from the pursuit of his holy vocation and ministry, nor his zeal in the least damped. This is rendered still more evident

from a letter I received from him about the same time, with an extract from which I shall conclude this chapter:

"MY DEAR BROTHER,-I rejoice at, and am much obliged to you for your kind remembrance of me and I shall be glad to tie faster the blessed knot at the ap proaching conference, (to be held at Leeds, in the beginning of August next,) if my health permit me to be there according to my design. Happy are you if you live by faith in the atoning blood, for justification and sanctification. It is the Spirit alone which can show us the worth, and make us feel the powerful influence of the Saviour's blood and righteousness: and so far as my little experience goes, he gives that blessed privilege only to those, who in the depth of poverty wait for that Divine revelation. I learn not to despise the least beam of truth, and I quietly and joyfully wait for the bright sunshine.

"The best way to avoid errors is to lie very low before God; to know his voice, and consult him in all things; learning to mortify our wise pride; as well as our aspiring will, and our disordered passions. But more of this if we live to see each other again.

"I am at present without an assistant here, but hope soon to have Mr. Bailey, one of the masters at Kingswood school. If he come, I shall be at liberty to go to Leeds, and I hope God will strengthen me for the journey. A godly wife is a peculiar blessing from the Lord.* I wish you joy for such a loan. Possess it with godly fear and holy joy; and the God that gave her you help you both to see your doubled piety take root in the heart of the child that crowns your union. So prays, my dear brother, your affectionate friend, J. F."

CHAPTER VIII,

Of his marriage.

1. ALTHOUGH the great apostle has ranked the forbid. ding to marry among the doctrines of devils, and has

*This is said with a reference to my having married about a year and a half before.

expressly declared, Marriage is honourable to all men, and the bed undefiled; yet a kind of prejudice hangs on the minds of many, even of those that love God, inclining them to disapprove of the marriage of persons eminent in religion. Yea, many are of opinion that it is not consistent with high degrees of holiness: and that when any who have deep experience in the things of God marry, they are in some measure fallen from grace. Hence

many were surprised, that so eminent a Christian as Mr. Fletcher should take this step. And they could hardly help thinking that he had lost some degree of his excellent piety, and that he was not so unreservedly devoted to God as he had been some time before.

In order to satisfy every reasonable person that he had not sustained any loss at all; that his entire selfdevotion was in nowise impaired either before or at the time of his marriage, the most convincing way, as Mr. Wesley has observed, will be to give as particular an account as possible of the steps which led to this union; and of what occurred at the time when it took place. This I shall do, first, in the words of the Rev. Mr. Gilpin, and then in those of one who was well acquainted with them both, and, in particular, was in habits of great intimacy with the pious and amiable person who was the object of Mr. Fletcher's choice.

2. "The attention of ministers," says Mr. Gilpin, "in choosing such companions as may not hinder their success in the ministry, is of so great importance, that in some countries the conduct of a pastor's wife, as well as that of the pastor himself, is supposed either to edify or mislead the flock. Nay, the minister himself is frequently condemned for the faults of his wife: thus, in the Protestant Churches of Hungary, they degrade a pastor whose wife indulges herself in cards, dancing, or any other public amusement, which bespeaks the gayety of a lover of the world, rather than the gravity of a Christian matron. This severity springs from the supposition, that the woman, having promised obedience to her husband, can do nothing but what he either directs or approves. Hence, they conclude, that example having a greater influence than precept, the wife of a minister, if she be inclined to the world, will preach worldly com.