and may not one hoof be left behind!

May there not be

found one Demas among you, turning aside from the little flock and the narrow way, to love and follow this present, perishing world. May there not be one Esau, who, for a frivolous gratification, sold his birthright; nor another wife of Lot, who looked back for the good things of the city of destruction, and was punished by a judgment, almost as fearful as that of Ananias, Sapphira, and Judas. My dear companions, let us be consistent: let us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things, upon your diligent, frugal, and secondary endeavours, shall be added unto you. Let us live daily, more and more, upon the free love of our gracious Creator and Preserver, the grace and righteousness of our atoning Redeemer and Mediator, nor let us stop short of the powerful, joyous influence of our Comforter and Sanctifier.

"Bear me on your hearts, as I do you upon mine: and meet we all in the heart of Christ, who is the centre of our union, and our common head; humbly leaving it to him, when and where we shall meet again. Farewell in Christ till we meet in the flesh around his table, or in the spirit around his throne. I am your afflicted, comforted brother, J. F."

July 18, He writes also to the Rev. Mr. Greaves, entrusted with the oversight of them, and observes,—“ I trust you lay yourself out in length and breadth for the good of the flock committed to your care. I should be glad to hear, that all the flock grow in grace, and that the little flock (those united in christian fellowship) grow in humble love.

"Be pleased to read the following note in the church: John Fletcher begs a further interest in the prayers of the congregation of Madeley; and desires those, who assemble to serve God in the church, to help him to return public thanks to Almighty God, for many mercies received;

especially, for being able to do every day a little ministerial duty, which he considers as an earnest of the strength he should be glad to have, to come back soon, and serve them in the gospel ; which he designs to do, please God, in some months. In the meantime, he beseeches them, to serve God as christians, and to love one another as brethren; neglecting no means of grace, and rejoicing in all the hopes of glory.'

"I hope, my dear brother, that you remember my request to you in my letter from Dover; and that you are glad of every possible help to do the people good. The harvest is great, the labourers are but comparatively few. Pray the Lord to send more labourers into his harvest; and rejoice, when he sends us any, who will help us to break up the fallow ground. My love to all our kind neighbours, and to the preachers, whom I beg you will thank in my name.

"Be pleased, when you have an opportunity, to read the following note to the Societies at Madely, Dawley, and the Banks :

My dear Brethren,

'I hope you have no need of a line to assure you of the continuance of my brotherly love for you. We are all called to grow in grace, and, consequently, in love, which is the greatest of all Christian graces. Your prayers for my soul and my body have not been without answer. Blessed be God! glory be to his rich mercy in Christ, I live yet the life of faith; and as to my body, I recover some strength: which rejoices me the more, as I hope a good Providence will make way for my laying it out, in inviting you to leave the things which are behind, and to press with earnestness, unity, and patience, towards the mark of our heavenly calling in Christ. God bless you all, with all the blessings brought to the church by Christ Jesus, and by the other Comforter! Fare ye all well in Jesus: and re

member, at the throne of grace, your a affectionate brother and servant in Christ,*

J. F."

Mr. Fletcher arrived in England, in the middle of the spring, (1780) in tolerable health, being quite recovered from his consumption. Calling at London, he preached at the new Chapel, slept at Newington, April 27, and the next day set out for Bristol. He stayed there only a short time, and then retired to Mr. Ireland's, at Brislington. The interview which Mr. Rankin† had with him here, immediately upon his arrival, manifests very clearly that he brought back from the Continent the same fervent spirit which had accompanied him thither. Of this Mr. Rankin gives me the following account :

"In the year 1781, being stationed in Bristol with my much esteemed friend, Mr. Pawson, I was informed of

Passing through Madeley parish one day in the year 1805, I overtook an aged Christian woman, and in the course of conversation, I asked her if she had ever seen Mr. Fletcher. She immediately replied with great earnestness and feeling, yes, Sir, glory be to God, that ever Mr. Fletcher came into this parish, for under one sermon that he preached, the Lord opened my blind eyes, and I roared out for the disquietude of my soul; under another sermon, said she, which I heard him preach, a new song was put into my mouth on even praise and thanksgiving to God. I heard Mrs. Fletcher once say, that the good which her dear husband did in this world will not be fully known, until the great and final day shall make it manifest; and I do most firmly believe the sentiment is just. - J. K.

†The Rev. Thomas Rankin, a Methodist minister. He travelled pretty extensively in this country, to preach the gospel, prior to the Revolutionary war; at the commencement of which, he returned to England, leaving behind him his faithful fellow labourer, the Rev. Francis Asbury, now (1814) senior bishop of the methodist episcopal church in America; who, from that period to the present day, has been working the works of him that sent him, with unalterable perseverance, zeal, and success. Mr. Rankin finished his course with joy, after having faithfully served God in his generation, May 17th, 1810, at his house in London.

J. K.

The Rev. John Pawson. He travelled more than forty years in the Methodist Connection, in Europe, preaching the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with a large share both of the wisdom and the power of

Р

Mr. Fletcher's arrival at Brislington, from his journey to Switzerland. I rode over to Mr. Ireland's the day after, and had such an interview with him as I shall never forget in time or eternity. As I had not seen him for upwards of ten years, his looks, his salutation, and his address, struck me with a mixture of wonder, solemnity, and joy. We retired into Mr. Ireland's garden, where we could converse with more freedom. He then began to enquire concerning the work of God in America, and my labours for the five years I had spent on that Continent. I gave him as far as I was capable, a full account of every thing that he wished to know. While I was giving him this relation, he stopped me six times, and, when under the shade of the trees, poured out his soul to God, for the prosperity of the work, and our brethren there. He appeared to be as deeply interested in behalf of our suffering friends, as if they had been his own flock at Madeley. He several times called upon me also, to commend them to God in prayer. This was an hour never to be forgotten by me while memory remains. Before we parted, I engaged Christ; and many were the seals to his ministry. The doctrine and discipline of the methodist church he highly esteemed. Mr. Pawson was a just and holy man, and his path shone brighter and brighter, unto the perfect day: he died at Wakefield, in Yorkshire, in the year 1806, and such an uncommon glory rested upon him in his last hours, that ministers and people of all denominations (at his own particular request) flocked to his dying chamber, and saw in him, how a child of God can rejoice amidst all his pain and weakness, that he is going to his Heavenly Father to join the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. O glorious Christianity, nothing like religion, "pure and undefiled,” both for time and eternity. A few hours before Mr. Pawson's death, he baptized an infant, and, for the last time on earth, offered his unfeigned homage to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Mrs. Pawson, his pious widow, departed this life, gloriously triumphant in the faith, at Leeds, June 2nd 1809. Her humility, meekness, gentleness, christian simplicity, deadness to the world, habitual spirituality of mind, and entire devotedness to God, endeared her to all her Christian friends, and constituted her a mother in Israel. I knew them both well, and can never forget their amiable example. J. K.

him to come to Bristol, on the Monday following, in order to meet the select band in the forenoon, and to preach in my place in the evening. He did so accordingly. During the hour that he spent with the select band, the room appeared as the house of God and the gate of heaven.' He preached in the evening, from the 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians, chap. ii. verse 13. The whole congregation was dissolved in tears. He spoke like one who had but just left the converse of God and angels, and not like a human being. The different conversations I had with him, his prayers and preaching during the few days which he stayed. at Bristol and Brislington, left such an impression on my mind, and were attended with such salutary effects, that for some months afterwards, not a cloud intervened between God and my soul, no, not for one hour. His memory will ever be precious to me while life shall remain, and the union of spirit which I felt with that holy and blessed man, will have its consummation in those regions. of light, love, and glory, where parting shall be no more. I beg leave here to subjoin an extract from a letter written to me, a few weeks after he arrived at Madeley.

My dear brother, Madeley, June 25, 1781. "I thank you for your kind remembrance of, and letter to me. I found myself of one heart with you, both as a preacher and believer, before I left Bristol, and I am glad you find freedom to speak to me as your friend in Christ. By what you mention of your experience, I am confirmed in the thought, that it is often harder to keep in the way of faith and light than to get into it. 2. That speculation and reasoning hinder us to get into that way, and lead us out of it when we are in it. 3. The only business of those who come to God, as a Redeemer or Sanctifier, must be to feel their want of redemption and sactifying power from on high, and to come for it by simple, cordial, working faith. Easily the heart gets into a false rest before our last enemy is overcome. Hence arises a relapsing in an imperceptible