“Still, O my soul, prolong Christ my theme, my hope, my joy! Every breath be spent in praise!" After dinner he often sung several verses of Primitive Christianity: particularly that, "O that my Lord would count me meet, Sometimes he read many of those verses with tears streaming down his face. Thus did he walk with God, filled with the Spirit of his beloved Lord: confirming his love to all the family, and caring both for their spiritual and temporal concerns. "My soul was much affected, when he asked each of us, in a sweet, humble manner, Can you give me your friend? To think of parting was indeed grievous to us all. Yet we did not dare to withhold her from him: as we all believed the union was of God, and would be to their present and eternal benefit. The first sermon which he preached in Leeds, on the Sunday morning before the Conference, will never be forgotten by any that heard it, who desire to be perfected in love. He preached in many places while in Yorkshire, and to numerous congregations. I have heard of many who were blest thereby some convinced of sin, others comforted. And whenever he either preached or conversed, the comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. "Monday, November 12, was the day appointed for the outward uniting of those, whose hearts were before united by the Holy Spirit. On the morning of this day, several friends met together on this solemn occasion: who can all, with me, truly say, 'I have been at one Christian wedding." Jesus was invited, and truly he was at our Cana.- We reached Cross-Hall before family-prayers: Mr. Fletcher was dressed in his canonicals: and after giving out one of Mr. Wesley's Marriage Hymns, he read the seventh, eighth, and ninth verses of the nineteenth chapter of the Revelation: and spoke from them in such a manner, as greatly tended to spiritualize the solemnities of the day. He said, "We invite you to our wedding: but the Holy Ghost here invites you to the marriage of the Lamb. The Bride, the Lamb's wife, has made herself ready. This Bride consists of the whole Church triumphant and militant united together. Ye may all be the Bride, and Jesus will condescend to be the Bridegroom. Make yourselves ready by being filled with the Spirit.' He was very solemn in prayer, and said, 'Lord thou knowest, we would not take this step, if we had not eternity in view, and if we were not as willing to be carried into the church-yard, as to go into the church.' At breakfast he reminded us, "The postillions are now ready to carry us to the church, in order to see our nuptials solemnized; but death will soon be here, to transport us to the marriage of the Lamb.' "On the way to the church, (Bateley church, which was near two miles off,) he spoke much of the mystery which is couched under marriage, namely the union between Christ and his Church. The first Adam,' said he, 'received his wife from his side: our heavenly Adam purchased his bride, by a fountain opened in his pierced side.' They were married in the face of the congregation; the doors were opened, and every one came in that would.We then returned home, and spent a considerable time in singing and prayer. We were near twenty of us. I then presented Mrs. Fletcher with some Wedding Hymns. She looked them over, and gave them to Mr. Fletcher. He read the scripture at the top, namely, Husbands love your wives and added, as Christ loved the Church. Then turning to us, he said, 'My God, what a task! Help me, my friends, by your prayers to fulfil it. As Christ loved the Church! He laid aside his glory for her! He submitted to be born into our world; to be clothed with a human body, subject to all our sinless infirmities. He endured shame, contempt, pain, yea, death itself for his Church! O my God, none is able to fulfil this task, without thine almighty aid. Help me, O my God! Pray for me, O my friends! "He next read, Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands. Mrs. Fletcher added, As unto the Lord. Well, my dear, returned Mr. Fletcher, Only in the Lord. And if ever I wish you to do any thing otherwise, resist mé with all your might. From dinner, which was a spiritual meal, as well as a natural one, until tea-time, our time was spent chiefly in fervent prayer or singing. After singing the Covenant Hymn, Mr. Fletcher went to Mrs. Fletcher, and said to her, Well, my dearest friend, will you join with me in joining ourselves in a perpetual covenant to the Lord? Will you, with me, serve him in his members? Will you help me to bring souls to the blessed Redeemer? And in every possible way, this day lay yourself under the strongest ties you can, to help me to glorify my gracious Lord?" She answered like one that well knew where her strength lay, May my God help me so to do!' "In the evening Mr. Valton* preached in the Hall, from those most suitable words, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the cup of salva tion, and call upon the name of the Lord. His words did not fall to the ground: many were greatly refreshed. After preaching, there was a sweet contest among us: every one thought, I, in particular, owe the greatest debt of praise: till we jointly agreed to sing, The Rev. John Valton, a Methodist minister, almost universally beloved for his child-like simplicity and heavenly mindedness, and extensive usefulness in the ministry. He died in England a few years ago in the same holy spirit that he had lived, blessing and praising God. J. K. * I'll praise my maker while I've breath, Praise shall employ my nobler powers: "On the Wednesday following, the Select Society met : and it was a precious season. Among other things Mr. Fletcher said, Some of you perhaps may be a little surprised at the step my dearest friend and I have taken. But I assure you it was the result of much prayer and mature deliberation. Five and twenty years ago, when I first saw my dear wife, I thought, if I ever married, she should be the But she was too rich for me to think of. So person. I banished every thought of the kind. For many years after, I had a distaste to a married life, thinking it impossible to be as much devoted to God in a married, as in a single life. But this objection was removed, by reading, Enoch begat sons and daughters. And Enoch walked with God, if Enoch at and was not: for God took him. I then saw, the head of a family might walk with God, and be fit for translation, our souls, under the gospel dispensation, might attain the highest degree of holiness in a similar state, if too great an attachment, leading the soul from God, rather than to him, did not take place; instead of that, which should be a mean of increasing its union with Jesus. Yet still, many obstacles stood in my way; but at length they were all removed. Every mountain became a plain, and we are both well assured, that the step we have taken has the full approbation of God.' "But to repeat all the precious sayings of this servant of God, would require many volumes: for his mouth was always opened with wisdom, tending to minister grace to the hearers. My earnest prayer is, that the spirit of faith and love, and heavenly wisdom, may rest upon you also, and guide you in all your extensive labours, till they are R swallowed up in eternal rest. I remain, Rev. Sir, your unworthy child and servant, S. C." An extract from one or two of his letters written to some intimate friends, soon after his marriage will manifest still further, both the state of his mind on this occasion, and the just, scriptural views he had of the new relation into which he had entered. Dec. 26, 1781, he writes from Cross-Hall, the former residence of Mrs. Fletcher, as follows, to the Hon. Mrs. C. "My very dear Friend, "The kind part you take in my happiness demands my warmest thanks; and I beg you will accept them multiplied by those, which my dear partner presents to you. Yes, my dear friend, I am married in my old age, and have a new opportunity of considering a great mystery, in the most perfect type of our Lord's mystical union with his church. I have now a new call to pray for a fulness of Christ's holy, gentle, meek, loving Spirit, that I may love my wife, as he loved his Spouse, the Church. But the emblem is greatly deficient: the Lamb is worthy of his Spouse, and more than worthy, whereas I must acknowledge myself unworthy of the yoke-fellow, whom Heaven has reserved for me. She is a person after my own heart; and I make no doubt we shall increase the number of the happy marriages in the Church Militant. Indeed they are not so many, but it may be worth a Christian's while to add one more to the number. God declared it was not good, that man, a social being, should live alone, and therefore he gave him a help meet for him for the same reason our Lord sent forth his disciples two and two. Had I searched the three kingdoms I could not have found one brother willing to share gratis, my weal, woe, and labours; and complaisant enough to unite his fortunes to mine; but God has found me a partner, a sister, a wife, to use St. Paul's language, who is : |