The

enemy is overcome. 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 the 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. 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:

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'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 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 temptations. 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, let us still 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 further 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,

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"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 approaching 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. more of this if we live to see each other again.

But

"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."

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

CHAPTER VIII.

OF HIS MARRIAGE.

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1. ALTHOUGH the great Apostle has ranked the forbidding to marry" among the "doctrines of devils," and has 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 no wise 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 the 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 gaiety 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 compliance with more success by her conduct, than her husband can preach the renunciation of the world by the most solemn discourses. And the incredulity of the stumbled flock will always be the consequence of that unhappy inconsistency which is observable between the serious instructions of a well-disposed Minister, and the trifling conduct of a woman with whom he is so intimately connected. Nor are there wanting apostolic ordinances sufficient to support the exercise of this severe discipline:-'Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.' Let the Bishop or Deacon be 'one that ruleth well his own house, having his children,' and every part of his family, in subjection with all gravity; for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?' (1 Tim. iii. 4, 5, 11.)

3. "Early in life Mr. Fletcher was introduced to the company of Miss Bosanquet, a lady of distinguished piety, and one who had been exposed to peculiar sufferings in the cause of godliness. From the very first acquaintance of these two excellent persons, they were deeply sensible of each other's worth, and felt the secret influence of a mutual attraction. But, notwithstanding the peculiar regard they entertained for each other, no intimate intercourse subsisted between them for many years after this period. Both were called to an extraordinary course of spiritual exercises; but, by the providence of God, they were appointed to labour in different stations. While he was exhausting his strength in the service of his flock, she was no less honourably