his day and generation, whether it was a word of threatening, to the careless and impenitent, or a word of consolation to the fearful and afflicted.

Yet notwithstanding all the pains he took, he saw, for some time, little fruit of his labor : insomuch that he was more than once in doubt, whether he had not mistaken his place; whether God had indeed called him to contine himself chiefly to one town, or to labor more at large in his vineyard. He seems to have been especially harrassed with doubts upon this subject, if at any time he was weak in faith, and in an uncomfortable state of mind.Thus in a letter to Mr. Charles Wesley, dated March 10, 1761, he says, "As I read your elegy,* I could not refrain my tears; tears so much the more sweet, as they originated in a secret hope, that I should one day strip off the polluted rags of my own righteousness, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, like the christian hero of your poem.

"I feel more and more, that I neither abide in Christ, nor Christ in me; nevertheless, I do not so feel it, as to seek him without intermission. O wretched man that I

who shall deliver me from this heart of unbelief? Blessed be God, who has promised me this deliverance, through our Lord Jesus Christ!

:

"A few days ago, I was violently tempted to quit Madeley the spirit of Jonah had so seized upon my heart, that I had the insolence to murmur against the Lord; but the storm is now happily calmed, at least for a season. Alas! what stubbornness is there in the will of man; and with what strength does it combat the will of God, under the mask of piety, when it can no longer do so with the uncovered, shameless face of vice! If a man bridleth not his tongue, all his outward religion is vain. May we not add to this observation of St. James, that if a man bridleth not his will, which is the language of his desires, his in

On the Rev. Dr. Madan, formerly preacher at the Locke Hospital, in London.

J. K.

ward religion is vain also? The Lord does not, however, leave me altogether; and I have often a secret hope, that he will one day touch my heart and my lips with a live coal from his altar: and that then his word shall consume the stubble, and break to pieces the stone.”

Again a few weeks after he writes to the same, "I know not what to say to you of the state of my soul: I daily struggle in the slough of Despond, and I endeavour every day to climb the hill Difficulty. I need wisdom, mildness, and courage; and no man has less of them than I. O Jesus, my Saviour, draw me strongly to him, who giveth wisdom to all who ask it, and upbraideth them not! As to the state of my parish, the prospect is yet discouraging. New scandals succeed those that wear away; but offences must come happy shall I be, if the offence cometh not by me!"

Although he did not immediately see much fruit of his labours, yet God soon gave him some proofs that his word was not altogether without its desired effect. In a letter, written some time after his going to Madeley, he mentions three persons who "professed that they had received the consolations of divine love under his ministry:" but, says he, "I wait for their fruits." ་ Another instance is men

tioned by Mr. Wesley, which, it seems, occurred when he was under great discouragement: "A multitude of people had flocked together at a funeral. He seldom let these awful opportunities slip without giving a solemn exhortation. At the close of the exhortation which was then given, one man was so grievously offended, that he could not refrain from breaking out into scurrilous, yea, menacing language. But, notwithstanding all his struggling against it, the word fastened upon his heart. At first, indeed, he roared like a lion; but he soon wept like a child. Not long after he came to Mr. Fletcher in the most humble manner, asking pardon for his past outrageous behaviour, and begging an interest in his prayers. This was such a

refreshment as he stood in need of: and it was but a short time, before the poor broken-hearted sinner was filled with joy unspeakable. He then spared no pains in exhorting his fellow sinners to flee from the wrath to come."

From the beginning Mr. Fletcher did not confine his preaching to the church, nor his labors to his own parish. Soon after his going to reside at Madeley, we find him expressing himself thus to a friend in one of his letters. have frequently had a desire to exhort in Madeley-Wood, and Coalbrook-Dale, two villages of my parish; but I have not dared to run before I saw an open door: it now, I think, begins to open; as two small societies of twenty persons have formed themselves in those places."

To a little society, which he gathered about six miles from Madeley, he preached two or three times a week, beginning at five in the morning. Nay, for many years, he regularly preached at places, eight or ten, or sixteen miles off: returning the same night, though he seldom got home before one or two in the morning.

In these his labours of love, however, although undertaken and prosecuted with the sole view of glorifying God, and saving souls from death eternal, he met with no little. opposition and persecution. Indeed, the highest degrees of piety to God, or of benevolence to mankind, are found insufficient to secure a man from the reproaches of the world. "On the contrary," as Mr. Gilpin has justly observed, "religion and virtue when carried to an extraor dinary pitch of excellence, have generally exposed the possessors of them to the slander of malevolence and rigours of persecution." Many were the instances of opposition which the enemies of God and his truth, made to this holy and benevolent man, and various were the snares which they laid to entangle him, out of all which, however, the Lord graciously delivered him, not suffering them to hurt an hair of his head.

His situation with respect to the unworthy part of his parishioners," says Mr. Gilpin, "was similar to the situ

ation of Daniel, with respect to the Babylonish courtiers : his whole conduct was so admirably regulated by circumspection and prudence, that malice itself could find no occasion against him, except concerning the law of his God. The voluptuary detested his temperance and self-denial : the man of pride poured contempt upon his humility and condescension; the licentious were offended at his gravity and strictness and the formal were roused to indignation by that spirit of zeal and devotion, which influenced his whole conversation and conduct. All of these, however they might differ among themselves, were leagued together as the inveterate enemies of this venerable pastor. They wrested his words, they misrepresented his actions, and cast out his name as evil. But, whatever he was called to suffer from the malice and opposition of his enemies, he endured it all with the utmost magnanimity and composure, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but, contrariwise, blessing. While some indignant professors are ready, with James and John, to command fire from heaven for the destruction of their opposers; and while others are inquiring, with Peter, how often they are to meet their offending brethren with unfeigned forgiveness, he gave himself an example of that uncommon charity, which suffereth long, and is kind; which is not easily provoked, and thinketh no evil. When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.'

"Whether he was insulted in his person, or injured in his property; whether he was attacked with open abuse, or pursued by secret calumny; through the testimony of a good conscience, he walked amid the most violent assaults of his enemies, as a man completely invulnerable; and while his firmness discovered that he was unhurt, his forbearance testified that he was unoffended. His love was truly unconquerable: the cold waters of disrespect, could

not quench it, neither could floods of reproach drown it. Being reviled, he blessed; being persecuted, he suffered it; being defamed, he entreated; provoking his enemies, by every affectionate method to love and good works. Whenever he discerned a virtue in the character of an adversary, he commended it, he magnified it, he rejoiced over it, and endeavoured to make it a medium of reconciliation. Whenever he discovered an enemy in distress, he hastened to meet him with tokens of generosity and kindness; if he hungered, he fed him; if he thirsted, he gave him drink; if he was oppressed, he maintained his cause; if his heart was brought down through heaviness, he endeavoured to support and console him; embracing, with thankfulness, every possible opportunity of heaping coals of fire on his head."

It must be observed here, however, that the opposition, which some of his parishioners and others made to him, was of that nature, that he was constrained, although reluctant to denounce upon them the judgments of God, and to warn them, if they did not repent, God would speedily cut them off. And the truth of these predictions, as I may not improperly term them, was shown over and over by their signal accomplishment. January 13, 1766, he wrote to a friend as follows:

"This evening I have buried one of the warmest opposers of my ministry, a stout, strong, young man, aged twenty-four years. About three months ago, he came to the church-yard with a corpse, but refused to come into the church. When the burial was over, I went to him, and mildly expostulated with him. His constant answer, was "that he had bound himself never to come to church 'while I was there; adding, that he would take the con'sequences, &c.' Seeing I got nothing, I left him, saying with uncommon warmth, (though as far as I can remember, without the least touch of resentment) I am clear 'of your blood; henceforth it is upon your own head; you