Eternity, to go and join those ministering spirits who wait on the heirs of salvation: And, if I am no more permitted to minister to you in the land of the living, I rejoice at the thought, that I shall perhaps be allowed to accompany the angels, who, if you continue in the faith, will be commissioned to carry your souls into Abraham's bosom. If our bodies do not moulder away in the same grave, our spirits shall be sweetly lost in the same sea of divine and brotherly Love. I hope to see you again in the flesh: But my sweetest and firmest hope is to meet you where there are no parting seas, no interposing mountains no sickness, no death, no fear of loving too much, no shame of loving too little, no apprehension of bursting new vessels in our lungs, by indulging the joy of seeing, or the sorrow of leaving our brethren. In the mean time, I earnestly recommend you to the pastoral care of the Great Shep herd and Bishop of souls, and to the brotherly care of one another, as well as to the ministerial care of my substitute. The au thority of Love, which you allowed me to exert among you for edification, I return to you, and divide among you; humbly requesting, that you would mutually use it, in warning the unruly, supporting the weak, and comforting all. Should I be spared to come back, let me have the joy of finding you all of one heart and one soul; continuing steadfast in the apostle's doctrine, in fellowship one with another, and in communion with our sin-pardoning and sin abhorring God. This you may do, through grace, by strongly believing in the atoning blood and sanctifying Spirit of Christ, our common head and our common life in whom my soul embraces you, and in whose gracious me on your hearts before him in praying love, hands I leave both you and myself. Bear and be persuaded, that you are thus borne by, My dear Brethren, yours, &c. J. F. To the Society at Madeley. Dover, Dec. 2nd, 1777. MY DEAR BRETHREN, By the help of Divine Providence, and of your prayers, I have got safe to Dover; and I find that the journey has, so far, been of service to me. I thought to have been in France by this time; but the wind being high, though favourable, the mariners were afraid to leave the safe harbour, lest they should be driven on the French cliffs too fiercely. This delay, gives me an opportunity of writing a line to tell you, that I shall bear you on my heart by sea and land; "that the earth is the Lord's with all the fulness thereof;" that Jesus lives to pray for us; and that I still recommend myself to your prayers, hoping to hear of your order, stedfastness, and growth of faith towards Christ, and in love towards each MY DEAR, VERY DEAR BRETHREN, This comes with my best love to you and my best wishes, that peace, mercy, and truth may be multiplied unto you, from God the Father, through Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of his love; with which, I beg your hearts and mine may be daily more replenished. I am yet in the land of the living, to prepare, with you, for the land where there is life without death, praising without weariness of the flesh, and loving without separation. There, I once more challenge you to meet me, with all the mind that was in Christ; and may not one hoof be left behind! May there not be found one Demas amongst you, turning aside from the little flock and the narrow to love and follow this present perish. ing 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. way, 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, secondary endeavours, shall be added unto you. Let us live daily, more and more, upon the free love of our and Mediator, nor let us stop short of the gracious Creator and Preserver, the grace and righteousness of our atoning Redeemer powerful, joyous influence of our Comforter and Sanctifier. Bear me on your hearts, as I do you upon mine And meet me 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. In the mean while, I beg you will pay a due regard to the following texts, "Love one another, as I have loved you.-By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. Little children, love not the world; for if any man love the world, the love of the Father," and of the brethren, "is not in him. -Be of one accord, of one mind. Let there be no divisions among you.-Mind not high things," but things which make for peace and edification. Farewell in Christ, till we meet in the flesh around his table, or in the spirit around his throne. My love and thanks to Mr. Murlin and Mr. Roberts. I am, your afflicted, comforted brother, J. F. To the Rev Mr. Greaves. the preachers, whom I beg you will thank in To Mr. Thomas York. I thank you for your love, and geI long to know how you all do. You may nerous care of my little temporal concerns. sed be the God of all consolation, though I see in the enclosed how I do in body. Bleshave still very trying, feverish nights, and nothing but forced evacuations, I am kept in afflicts me for my good, and justly sets me peace of mind; resigned to his will, who 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. MY DRAR BROTHER, Nyon, July 18th, 1778. I expected to have had an answer to the two last letters I wrote you, but have been disappointed of my hope. Probably, MY DEAR BROTHER, Nyon, Sep. 15th, 1778. your letters have miscarried in these troublesome times. 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 grow in humble love. Be pleased to read the following note in the church" John Fletcher begs a farther 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 mean time, he humbly be seeches 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." to the two or three who may yet remember Give my love to all your dear family, and me at Shiffnall. 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. F. 1 To Mr. William Wase. I hope, my dear brother, that you remember my request to you, in my letter from MY DEAR FRIEND, Nyon, Feb. 11th, 1779. Dover; and that you are glad of every possi. ble help to do the people good. The harvest is great, the labourers are 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. Be pleased, when you have an opportu nity, to read the following note to the societies in Madeley, Dawley, and the Banks. MY DEAR BRETHREN, I hope you have no need of a line to assure you of the continuance of my bro therly 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 with all the blessings brought to the church by Christ Jesus, and by the other Comforter! Fare ye all well in Jesus, and remember at the throne of grace, your affectionate brother and seryant in Christ, J. F. 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, and who has all power given him as our brother, Son of Man, in heaven and earth :-this kind Master is near to her, and all his affiicted 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 her's. Our Church has already extracted that divine sugar from the Scripture, and put My love to all our kind neighbours, and to it into the Common Prayer Book, as the hea venly 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 dropped 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 wa ter, 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 expence and trouble! I am, Yours, &c. J. F. To the Brethren in and about Madeley. Nyon, Feb. 11th, 1779. MY DEAR COMPANIONS IN TRIBULATION, Peace and mercy, faith, hope, and love be multiplied to you all in general, and to each of you in particular, from the Father of mercies, through the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of grace. I thank you for your kind remembrance of me in your prayers. I am yet spared to pray for you. O that I had more power with God! I would bring down all heaven into all your hearts. Strive together, in love, for the living faith, the glorious hope, the sanctifying, perfecting love, once delivered to the saints. Look to Jesus. Move on run yourselves in the heavenly race, and let each sweetly draw his brother along, till the whole company appears before the Redeeming God in Sion, adorned as a bride for the heavenly Bridegroom. I hope God will, in his mercy, spare me to see you in the flesh; and, if I cannot labour for you, I shall gladly suffer with you. If you will put health into my flesh, marrow in my bonos, joy in my heart, and life into my whole frame, be of one heart, and of one soul. Count nothing your own but your sin and shame; and bury that dreadful property in the grave, the bottomless grave of our Saviour. Let all you are, and have, be his that bought you, and his members, for his sake. Dig hard in the gospel mines for hidden treasure. Blow hard the furnace of prayer with the bellows of faith, until you are melted into love, and the dross of sin is purged out of every heart. "There is a river that maketh glad the city of God;" it is the grace that flows from his throne. Jesus is the vessel, the heavenly ark: Get together into him, and sweetly sail down into the ocean of eternity. So shall ye be true miners, furnacemen, and bargemen. Farewell in Jesus, J. F. To the Rev. Mr. Greaves. Nyon, May 18th, 1779. MY DEAR FELLOW LABOURER, My departure being delayed some weeks gives me much concern, although, from the confidence I have in your pastoral diligence, I am easy about the flock you feed. There was last week a visitation held here, and the clergy of the town took my part against the visiter and others, who said, "I was of a sect every where spoken against." The conversation about it held so long, and was so trying to my grain of humility, that I went out. The matter, however, ended peace. ably, by a vote that they should invite me to dinner. God ever save us from jealous and persecuting zeal ! I hope, my dear friend, you go on comfortably, doing more and more the work of a growing evangelist. Remember my love to all I mentioned in my last, to as many of my parishioners as you meet with, and especially to all our good neighbours and to the society. God bless you all; and enable you to per servere in prayer for yourself, for the flock, (which I once more recommend to you, with the lambs, the children) and for your affectionate brother, J. F. To Mr. Michael Onions. MY DEAR BROTHER, I have complied with the request of my friends, to stay a little longer among them, as it was backed by a small society of pious people gathered here. Three weeks ago, they got about me, and, on their knees, with many tears, besought me to stay till they were a little stronger, and able to stand alone; nor would they rise, till they had got me to comply. Happy would it be for us all, if we prayed as earnestly to Him, who can give us substantial blessings. However, yesterday I spoke with a carrier from Geneva, to take me to London, who said, he would give us a fortnight's notice. The Lord is always ready to give our hearts a lift to the kingdom of grace, through which we must pass to the kingdom of glory. May we be ready also ! The comfort of this journey is, that we all may travel together, though our bodies are asunder; for Christ the way is every where, and faith in his word is, like his word, one and the same, in every age and country. So is holiness, the narrow way; for in all places we may love God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves. I hope you, and all your serious friends travel thus; and that your journey is like that of St. Paul, who travelled hard, as one running for a prize-even for a crown of life. Give my kind love to all who travel in this manner. Invite kindly all, who have not yet set out. Stir up earnestly those that loiter, especially Thomas Powis, over whom my heart yearns. Above all, give them the example, of leaving the things behind, and pressing towards the mark with renewed vigour. Tell your wife, I hold her to her promise, of being the Lord's more than ever, because the time is shorter for us both. Tell your mother, I expect to find her a bruised reed in herself, and a pillar in Christ Jesus. The Lord bless your brother and his wife, with that child born, that son given, who shall live to restore to us those, whom death carries away. I hope Patty Cartwright, with her parents, will be made strong in faith and patience, if not in the body. Tell Mrs. Ford, I hope she is better in soul for her bodily weakness. If Mrs. Brooke is yet with her, I hope to find them sisters in Christ more than in Adam. I experience here, that kindred in the former is stronger and dearer than in the latter. Tell Mr. Wase, I hope he is a widower in the Lord, devoting him self to the bringing up the Lord's family and his own; both of which require close attend ance. My love to your fellow-leaders, and by them, to the companies you meet in pray er; also to Mr. Hatton, and the preachers who help in the round. My love also waits on I. Tranter, T. Poole, and T. Banks, and all who meet in their houses. Tell them, I hope to find them growing up into Christ in all things, particularly, in heavenly zeal, and humble love. Salute all our dear friends, and neighbours, for me. Farewell in the Lord. I am your's in him, J. F. To Mr. Thomas York. Providence, is still gracious to me, and raises me friends on all sides. May God reward them all, and may you have a double reward for all your kindness. I hope I am getting a little strength.. The Lord has blessed to me a species of black cherry, which I have eaten in large quantities. As a proof that I am better, I can inform you that I have preached once in this country; but as I was going to venture again, I had a return of spitting blood, so that I desisted. For a fortnight past, I have catechised the chil. dren of the town every day; and I do not find much inconvenience from that exercise. Some of them seem to be under the sweet drawings of the Father, and a few of their mothers begin to come, and desire me with tears in their eyes, to stay in this country. They urge much my being born here, and I reply, that as I was born again in England, that is, of course, the country which to me, is the dearer of the two. My friends have prevailed on me to publish a poem on the Praises of God, which I wrote many years ago. The revising it for the press is at once a business and a pleasure, which I go through on horseback. Help me, by your prayers, to ask a blessing on this little attempt; and may the God of all grace, who deserves so much our praises for the unspeakable gift of his dear Son, give us such a spirit of thankful praise, that we may bless and praise him, as David did formerly. Remember me in brotherly love to all your family, and to all friends about you, especially, to those who fear God and love the gospel. Let us grow in humble love, which becomes those, who believe themselves redeemed by the blood of the Son of God, to be a peculiar people, zealous of kind offices, and all manner of good works. I wish I could procure you an estate in this fine country, as I hope to do Mr. Perronet, one of the physicians who shewed me so much love, when I lay sick at Paddington. His grandfather was a Swiss, who was naturalized in the reign of Queen Anne. By calling upon some of his relations, I have found, that he is entitled to an estate of some thousand pounds, of which he is coming to take possession. So providence prepares for me a friend, a kind physician, and a fellow-traveller, to accompany me back to England; where one of my chief pleasures will be to embrace you, if God spare us to meet again, and to assure you, how much I am, My dear Friend, your obliged servant, J. F. To the Rev. Mr. Greaves. MY DEAR BROTHER, Glory be to God for his unspeakable gift! May that Jesus, that eternal, all-creating, all-supporting, all-atoning, all-comforting Word, which was with God, and is God, and came in the likeness of sinful flesh to dwell among men, and to be our Emmanuel, God with us: May he by a lively faith, be formed in our hearts, and, by a warm love, lie and grow in the manger of our emptiness, filling it always with the bread that comes down from heaven! Though absent in body, I am with you, and the flock, in spirit. You are now at the Lord's table-O! may all the dear souls, you have just now preached to, receive Jesus Christ in the pledge of his dy ing love; and go home with this lively con viction, "God has given me eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life: I have the Son, I have life, even eternal life. The way, the truth, the life, and happiness, are mine; and now return unto thy rest, O my soul. Lord, let thy ser. vant depart in peace; for mine eyes-the eyes of my faith have seen, the hand of my faith hath handled, the mouth of my faith hath tasted thy salvation: a salvation present, unspeakable, and eternal." Glory be to God in heaven! Peace on earth! Love and good-will every where; but, especially in the spot, where Providence has called us to cry, "Behold! what manner of love the Father hath testified to us, in Jesus, that, we children of wrath, should be made children of God," by that only begotten Son of the Most High, who was born for our regeneration, crucified for our atonement, raised for our justification, and now triumphs in heaven for our sanctifica. tion, for our full redemption, and for our eternal glorification. To him be glory for ever and ever; and may all who fear and love him about you, say for ever, Amen! Hallelujah! Out of the fulness of my heart I invite them to do so; but how shallow is my ful ness to his? What a drop to an ocean without bottom or shore ! Let us, then, receive continually from Him, who is the overflow ing, and ever present source of pardoning, sanctifying, and exhilirating grace; and from the foot of the Wrekin, where you are, to the foot of the Alps where I am, let us echo back to each other, the joyful, thank ful cry of the primitive Christians, (which was the text here this morning,) "Out of his fulness we have all received grace for grace." I long to hear from you and the flock. How do you go on? Answer this and my last together; and let me know, that you cast joyfully all your burdens on the Lord. Mr. Ireland sends me word, Mr. Romaine told him, you were not very well. Take care of yourself. Lay nothing to heart. Should your breast be weak, preach but once on Sunday; for you know the evening sermon is not a part of our stated duty. I say this, that you may not overdo, and lie by, as I do. God direct, sustain, and comfort you in all things! Our Lord Lieutenant, being stirred up by some of the clergy, and believing firmly that I am banished from England, has taken the alarm still more, and forbidden the ministers to let me exhort in their houses; threatening them with the power of the senate, if they did. They all yielded but are now ashamed of it. A young clergyman, a true Timothy, has opened me his house, where I exhort twice a week; and the other clergyman, encouraged by his boldness, comes to our meetings. Give my kind pastoral love to all my flock in general, and to all who fear God, and love Jesus, and the brethren, in particular. May all see, and feel more abundantly, the salvation of God. May national distress be sanctified unto them and may they all be loyal subjects of the King of kings, and of his anointed, our King. May the approaching New Year be to them a year of peace aud gospel grace. Remember me kindly to all our neighbours, whom I mentioned by name in my preceding letters. I hope Molly takes good care of you. God bless her! That you and the flock may fare well in Jesus, is the hearty prayer of yours, J. F. To the Rev. Mr. Greaves. MY DEAR BROTHER, I long to hear from you, I hope you are well, and grow in the love of Christ, and of the souls bought with his blood, and committed to your care. May you have the comfort of bringing them all into the pastures of the gospel, and seeing them thrive under your pastoral care. I recommend to your care the most helpless of the flock,-I mean the children and the sick. They most want your help; and they are the most likely to benefit by it; for affliction softens the heart, and children are not yet quite har. dened through the deceitfulness of sin. I beg you will not fail, when you have opportunity, to recommend to our flock, to honour the King, to study to be quiet, and to hold up, as much as lies in us, the hands of the government by which we are protected. Remember me kindly to Mr. Gilpin and to all our parishioners. God give you peace by all means, as, in his mercy, he does to your affectionate friend and fellow-labourer, J. F. To Mr. William Wase. MY DEAR BROTHER, I am sorry the building has come to so much more than I intended; but, as the mischief is done, it is a matter to exercise patience, resignation, and self-denial; and it will be a caution in future. I am going to sell part of my little estate here to discharge the debt. I had laid by £50 to print a small work, which I wanted to distribute here; but, as I must be just before I' |