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church of Christ at that time. "I am glad," says he to Mr. Charles Wesley, in the beginning of the next year, you did not altogether disapprove my Essay on Truth. The letter, I grant, profiteth little, until the Spirit animate it. I had, some weeks ago, one of those touches which realize, or rather spiritualize, the letter; and it convinced me more than ever that what ĺ say in that tract, of the Spirit and of faith, is truth.—I am also persuaded that the faith and Spirit which belong to perfect Christianity, are at a very low ebb, even among believers. When the Son of Man cometh to set up his kingdom, shall he find Christian faith upon the earth? Yes; but I fear, as little as he found of Jewish faith, when he came in the flesh. I believe you cannot rest with the easy Antinomian, or the busy Pharisee. You and I have nothing to do but to die to all that is of a sinful nature, and to pray for the power of an endless life. God make us faithful to our convictions, and keep us from the snares of outward things.

"I feel the force of what you say in your last, about the danger of so encouraging the inferior dispensations, as to make people rest short of the faith which belongs to perfect Christianity. I have tried to obviate it in some parts of the Equal Check, and hope to do it more effectually in my reply to Mr. Hill's Creed for Perfectionists. I expect a letter from you on the subject: write with openness, and do not fear to discourage me by speaking your disapprobation of what you dislike. My aim is to be found at the feet of all, bearing and forbearing, until truth and love bring better days."

39. About this time, having used, in some small degree, the liberty which his humility induced him to give me, and having sent him two or three trivial remarks on some expressions which occurred in the above-mentioned Essay, I received from him the following letter, which I think important enough to be inserted here, and with which shall close this chapter :

"MY DEAR Brother,

"I HAVE two printers upon my heels, besides my common business; and this is enough to make me trespass upon the patience of my friends. I have published

the first part of my Scales, which has gone through a second edition in London, before I could get the second part printed in Salop, where it will be published in about six weeks. I have also published a Creed for the Arminians; where you will see, that, if I have not answered your critical remarks upon my Essay on Truth, I have improved by them, yea, publicly recanted the two expressions you mentioned as improper. For any such remarks I shall always be peculiarly thankful to you, and hope you will always find me open to conviction. With respect to the Sermons you have thoughts of publishing, I say, Follow your own conscience, and the advice of the judicious friends about you: and put me among your subscribers, as I believe they will be worth a careful perusal, as well as to matter as method and style. I am so tied up here, both by my parish duty and controversial writings, that I cannot hope to see you, unless you come into these parts. In the mean time, let us meet at the throne of grace. In Jesus, time and distance are lost. He is an universal, eternal life of righteousness, peace, and joy. I am glad you have some encouragement in Scotland. The Lord grant you more and more. Use yourself, however, to go against wind and tide, as I do; and take care that our wise dogmatical friends in the north do not rob you of your child-like simplicity. Remember that the mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to babes. You may be afraid of being a fool without being afraid of being a babe. You may be childlike without being childish. Simplicity of intention and purity of affection will go through the world, through hell itself. In the mean time, let us see that we do not so look at our little publications, or to other people, as to forget that Christ is our Object, our Sun, our Shield. To his inspiration, comfort, and protection, I earnestly recommend your soul; and the labours of your heart, tongue, and pen, to his blessing: entreating you to beg at the throne of grace all the wisdom and grace needful for your steady, affectionate friend and brother,

"J. F."

CHAPTER VI.

OF HIS DECLINING STATE OF HEALTH, THE PROGRESS OF HIS DISORDER, AND HIS BEHAVIOUR UNDER IT; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF HIS OTHER POLEMICAL WRITINGS, AND THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONTROVERSY.

1. THE frequent journeys which Mr. Fletcher took to and from Trevecka, while he presided over the College, in all weathers, and at all seasons of the year, greatly impaired the firmness of his constitution. And in some of those journeys he had not only difficulties, but dangers likewise to encounter. One day, as he was riding over a wooden bridge, just as he got into the middle thereof, it broke in. The mare's fore-legs sunk into the river, but her breast and hinder parts were kept up by the bridge. In that position she lay, as still as if she had been dead, till he got over her neck, and took off his bags, in which were several manuscripts, the spoiling of which would have occasioned him much trouble. He then endeavoured to raise her up; but she would not stir, till he went over the other part of the bridge. But no sooner did he set his foot upon the ground, than she began to plunge. Immediately the remaining part of the bridge broke down, and sunk with her into the river. But presently she rose up again, swam out, and came to him.

2. About this time, Mr. Pilmoor being desirous of seeing the inside of a coal-pit, Mr. Fletcher went with him to the bottom of a sloping pit, which was supposed to be near a mile under the ground. They returned out of it, without any inconvenience. But the next day, while several colliers were there, a damp took fire, which went off with a vast explosion, and killed all the men that were in it.

3. In February, 1773, Mr. Wesley received from him the following letter:

H

"REV. AND DEAR SIR,

Madeley, Feb. 6, 1773 "I HOPE the Lord, who has so wonderfully stood by you hitherto, will preserve you to see many of your sheep, and me among them, enter into rest. Should Providence call you first, I shall do my best, by the Lord's assistance, to help your brother to gather the wreck, and keep together those who are not absolutely bent to throw away the Methodist doctrines and discipline, as soon as he that now letteth is removed out of the way. Every help will then be necessary, and I shall not be backward to throw in my mite. In the mean time you sometimes need an assistant to serve tables, and occasionally fill up a gap. Providence visibly appointed me to that office many years ago. And though it no less evidently called me hither, yet I have not been without doubts, especially for some years past, whether it would not be expedient that I should resume my office as your deacon; not with any view of presiding over the Methodists after you; but to ease you a little in your old age, and to be in the way of receiving, perhaps doing, more good. I have sometimes thought, how shameful it was that no Clergyman should join you, to keep in the Church the work God has enabled you to carry on therein. And as the little estate I have in my own country is sufficient for my maintenance, I have thought I would one day or other offer you and the Methodists my free service. While my love of retirement made me linger, I was providentially led to do something on Lady Huntingdon's plan. But being shut out there, it appears to me, I am again called to my first work. Nevertheless, I would not leave this place without a fuller persuasion that the time is quite come. Not that God uses me much here, but I have not yet sufficiently cleared my conscience from the blood of all men. Meantime I beg the Lord to guide me by his counsel, and make me willing to go anywhere or nowhere, to be anything or nothing. Help by your prayers, till you can bless by word of mouth, Rev. and dear Sir, your willing, though unprofitable, servant in the Gospel, "J. F."

4. On this letter Mr. Wesley remarks as follows:"Providence,' says Mr. Fletcher, visibly appointed

me to that office many years ago."

Is it any wonder,

then, that he should now be in doubt, whether he did right in confining himself to one spot? The more I reflect upon it, the more I am convinced, that he had great reason to doubt of this. I can never believe it was the will of God that such a burning and shining light should be 'hid under a bushel.' No, instead of being confined to a country village, it ought to have shone in every corner of our land. He was full as much called to sound an alarm through all the nation as Mr. Whitefield himself; nay, abundantly more so, seeing he was far better qualified for that important work. He had a more striking person, equal good breeding, an equally winning address; together with a richer flow of fancy, a stronger understanding, a far greater treasure of learning, both in languages, philosophy, philology, and divinity; and above all, (which I can speak with fuller assurance, because I had a thorough knowledge of both one and the other,) a most deep and constant communion with the Father, and with the Son Jesus Christ.

"And yet, let not any one imagine that I depreciate Mr. Whitefield, or undervalue the grace of God, and the extraordinary gifts which his great Master vouchsafed unto him. I believe he was highly favoured of God; yea, that he was one of the most eminent Ministers that has appeared in England, or perhaps in the world, during the present century. Yet, I must own I have known many fully equal to Mr. Whitefield, both in holy tempers and holiness of conversation: but one equal herein to Mr. Fletcher I have not known, no, not in a life of fourscore years.

5. "However, having chosen," proceeds Mr. Wesley, 'at least for the present, this narrow field of action, he was more and more abundant in his ministerial labours, both in public and in private; not contenting himself with preaching, but visiting his flock in every corner of his parish. And this work he attended to, early or late, whether the weather was fair or foul; regarding neither heat nor cold, rain nor snow, whether he was on horseback or on foot. But this further weakened his constitution; which was still more effectually impaired by his intense and uninterrupted studies, in which he frequently continued, almost without any intermission,