57. - To the Rev. Dr. Conyers.
resistance on your part. Being thus fully persuaded you will do and suffer all, with the liberty and courage of faith, I am, madam, your obliged servant,
J. FLETCHER.
57. - TO THE REV. DR. CONYERS.
MACON, IN BURGUNDY, May 18, 1778.
HON. AND DEAR SIR, - I left orders with a friend to send you a little book, called “The Reconciliation;” in which I endeavour to bring nearer the children of God, who are divided about their partial views of Divine truths. I do not know whether that tract has, in any degree, answered its design; but I believe truth can be reconciled with itself, and the candid children of God one with another. O that some abler hand, and more loving heart, would undertake to mend my plan, if it be worth mending, or draw one more agreeable to the word of God! My eyes are upon you, dear sir, and those who are like minded with you, for this work: disappoint me not of my hope. Stand forth, and make way for reconciling love, by removing, so far as lies in you, what is in the way of brotherly union. O sir, the work is worthy of you! Take courage! Be bold for the reconciling truth. Be bold for peace. You can do all things through Christ strengthening you; and as Doctor Conyers, you can do many things; a great many more than you think. What if you go, sir, in Christ’s name, to all the Gospel ministers of your acquaintance, exhort them as a father, entreat them as a brother, and bring them, or as many of them as you can, together! Think you that your labour would be in vain in the Lord? Impossible, sir! O despair not! Charity hopeth all things, and as Kempis saith, “It trieth all things, and bringeth many things to pass which would appear impossible to him who despaireth, hateth, or careth not for the sheep.”
If you want a coach or a friend to accompany you, when you go upon this errand of love, remember there is a Thornton in London, and an Ireland in Bristol, who wish you God speed, and make your way plain before vou: and God will raise many more to concur in the peaceful work. Let me humbly entreat you to go to work, and to persevere in it. I wish I had strength to be at least your position when you go. I would drive, if not like Jehu, at least with some degree of cheerful swiftness, while Christ smiled at the Christian attempt. But I am confident you can do all in the absence and without the concurrence of him who is, with brotherly love and dutiful respect, Hon. and dear sir, your obedient servant in the Gospel, J. FLETCHER.
58. - TO MR. THOMAS YORK.
NYON, Sept. 15, 1778.
MY DEAR BROTHER, - I thank you for your love, and generous care of my little temporal concerns. I long to know how you all do. You may see in the enclosed how I do in body. Blessed be the God of all consolation, though I have still very trying, feverish nights, and nothing but forced evacuations, I am kept in peace of mind; resigned to his will, who afflicts me for my good, and justly sets me aside for my unprofitableness. Well, though I am a bruised vessel, yet I rest on him; he does not break me, yea, he comforts me on every side. His grace within, and his people without, turn my trying circumstances into matter of praise.
Give my love to all your dear family, and to the two or three who may yet remember me at Shiffnal. Also give my love to Daniel, and desire him, when he gathers the Easter dues, to give my love and thanks to all my parishioners. Adieu! Yours,
J. FLETCHER.
59. - TO MR. WILLIAM WASE.
NYON, Feb. 11, 1779
MY DEAR FRIEND, - I have just received yours of the 24th Jan., and rejoice to hear of the welfare of your friends; but there is no blessing here without some alloy of grief, and such was to me the account of the poor state of dear Mrs. Wase’s health. The Lord be with her as “a Comforter and Sanctifier,” if he does not choose to be with her as a Physician. Tell her I should be glad to hold up her hands in her fight of affliction, but if the poor, unprofitable weak servant is far off, the Master, who is rich in mercy, who fills the whole world with his goodness and patience, who has all the power given him as “our brother, Son of man,” in heaven and earth; - this kind Master is near to her, and all his afflicted ones. Bid her from me, entreat her in my name, or rather, in his dear name, Jesus, salvation, resurrection, life, light, and love, to look to him, and to make a free, and constant use of him in all his offices.
I recommend to her two remedies; the one is a cheerful resignation to the will of God, whereby her animal spirits will be raised and sweetly refreshed; the other is four lumps of heavenly sugar, to be taken every half hour, day and night, when she does not sleep. I make a constant use of them to my great comfort. They have quickened my soul when I was dying, and I doubt not but they will have the same effect upon hers. Our Church has already extracted that Divine sugar from the Scripture, and put it into the common prayer book, as the heavenly bait which is to draw us to the Lord’s table. Though they have often passed through my mouth, when I have called her there, they have lost nothing of their sweetness and force. “God so loved the world,” &c. “If any man sin,” &c. “It is a faithful saying,” &c. “Come unto me all ye that are weary,” &c. God grant her abundance of the faith which rolls these heavenly pills in the mind, and much of that love which sucks their sweetness in the heart. Tell her they go down best if taken in the cup of thanksgiving; into which a tear of desire, of humility, of repentance, or of joy, might be dropt occasionally. That tear is to be had by looking simply to Him who sells oil to the virgins, who offered a springing well to the woman of Samaria, and opened a fountain flowing with heavenly blood and water when he hung for us upon the cross. To him be praise and glory for ever! Amen!
Tell my little god daughter, Patty Cartwright, she is big enough and bad enough to take them; and that the holy child Jesus came on purpose into the world to make them up for her. What a shame it is, to have such a remedy so near and not to make more use of it to subdue our unbelief, and cure our stupid ingratitude!
Thank brother Costerdine and his fellow labourers for their occasional help, and may He, who gives the increase abundantly, bless it to them and to our friends. May the Lord vouchsafe to consecrate our little Zoar by calling one sinner and establishing one saint. How abundantly shall we be repaid for our little expense and trouble! I am yours, &c, J. FLETCHER.