9. - To the Rev. Charles Wesley.

Lord, Christ Jesus, in whom all fulness dwells for me, and for the dear friend to whom I am writing! A fulness of pardon, wisdom, holiness, strength, peace, righteousness, and salvation; a fulness of love, mercy, goodness, truth: all this, and a thousand times more than all this, without any worthiness of merit, only for receiving. O blessed free grace of God! O blessed be his name for Jesus Christ! What a gift! And for whom? For you, my dear friend, if you are without strength, if you are in your nature an enemy, all this is for you. What says the: everlasting God? Believe that he gave his Son for sinners; and, as a sinner, believe in Jesus. He came to save the lost: then, as a lost soul, believe in him. He came to cleanse the filthy: then, as a filthy soul, believe in him. And why should we not thus believe? Can God lie? Impossible! Can we have a better foundation to build on than the promise and oath of God?

My dear friend, I know you will not be angry at my preachment; I aim it all at my own heart; I stand more in need of it than you. I always feel my heart refreshed when I am talking or thinking of Jesus. It is a feast to my sinful soul, when I am meditating on the glories which compose his blessed name. But O how dark and ignorant, how little, how exceeding little, do I know of him! O. thou light of the world, enlighten my soul! Teach me how to know more of thy infinite and unsearchable riches, thou great God - man, that I may love thee with an increasing love, and serve thee with an increasing zeal, till thou bringest me to glory!

J. FLETCHER.

9. - TO THE REV. CHARLES WESLEY.

MADELEY, April 27,1761.

MY DEAR SIR, - I have just received your letter, which at once fills me with pleasure, and covers me with shame. You kindly cast a veil over my faults, instead of exposing them as they deserve. This generous conduct will, if I am not incorrigible, help to cure me of what you style my imprudent simplicity, but what I call by its proper title of stupid ingratitude: but what do I say? Nothing can cure me but a lively faith in that Jesus, who is made to us, of the Father, wisdom. O that he were my wisdom!

A young person, the daughter of one of my rich parishioners, has been thrown into despair; so that every body thought her insane, and indeed I thought so too. Judge how our adversaries rejoiced; and for my part, I was tempted to forsake my ministry and take to my heels; I never suffered such affliction. Last Saturday I humbled myself before the Lord, on her account, by fasting and prayer; and I hope that the Lord has heard my prayer. She found herself well enough to come to church yesterday. You will do well to engage your colliers at Kingswood to pray for their poor brethren at Madeley. May those of Madeley one day equal them in faith, as they now do in that wickedness for which they were famous before you went among them. Mr. Hill has written me a very obliging letter, to engage me to accompany the eldest of my pupils to Switzerland; and if I had been in any other country than the place where I am, I should perhaps have been tempted to go. At present, however, I have no temptation that way, and I have declined the offer, as politely as I could. I am, &c,

J. FLETCHER.

10. - TO THE REV. MR. CHARLES WESLEY.

MADELEY, Sept. 20, 1762.

MY DEAR SIR, - It is well for me I have not an implicit faith in your half promises to come to see me. I am sorry that my delay has furnished vou with an apology; but comfort myself still with the idea that you will not wholly deprive me of the pleasure of embracing you; and that your visit is only postponed for a little season.

The “Crede quod habes, et habes,” (Believe that you have it and you have it,) is not very different from those words of Christ, “What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them,” Mark 11:24. The humble reason of the believer and the irrational presumption of the enthusiast, draw this doctrine to the right hand or to the left. But to split the hair - here lies the difficulty. I have told you that I am no party man; I am neither for nor against the witness for Christian perfection without examination. I complain of those who deceive themselves; I honour those who do honour to their profession; and I wish we could find out the right way of reconciling the most profound humility with the most lively hopes of grace. I think you insist on the one and Maxfield on the other; and I believe you both sincere in your views. God bless you both, and if either of you go too far, may the Lord bring him back. Adieu, &c,

J. FLETCHER.