Fletcher of Madeley

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While in Switzerland he composed a French poem called "La Louange"
(Praise), which he afterwards enlarged under the title of "Grace and
Nature," dedicating it, by permission, "To the Queen of Great
Britain." He also wrote "The Portrait of St. Paul--the true Model for
Christians and Pastors"; which was translated and published after his
death.

Fletcher arrived in England in April, 1781, preaching at City Road
Chapel on his way to Mr. Ireland's house near Bristol, where, because
his friend was ill, he stayed a month, returning to Madeley in May,
after having been absent four and a-half years.

He found his parish under a cloud, "but, alas!" he exclaimed, "it is
not the luminous cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. Even
the few remaining professors stared at me the other day when I
preached to them on these words: 'Ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, for
the promise is unto you.'"

So sad was he about the spiritual condition of his parishioners, that
he applied to Wesley for one of his helpers, who was then a master in
Kingswood School; believing truly that two who were of one mind, both
living in communion with the Holy Ghost, had great hope of bringing to
life a dead parish, even though one were not an authorised curate, and
the other but a sick vicar. Fletcher had learned to look _past
man_--to God and God alone.

CHAPTER XXI.

A WONDERFUL WEDDING.

There existed no "chance" or "ill-fortune" for Fletcher. Whatever
happened was subject, he believed, to the over-ruling providence and
direction of God, and for him there was no second causes, no human
marplots. He could always sing--

Thrice comfortable hope
That calms my troubled breast;
My Father's hand prepares the cup,
And what He wills is best.

When in answer to a letter of his to Miss Bosanquet on Christian
Perfection there was sent to him a reply which, by the forgetfulness
of a friend, lay in a drawer for three years undelivered, he wrote on
the morning of its belated arrival:--

"You speak, Madam, of _a letter from Bath_; I do not recollect,
at present, your having favoured me with one from that place. Is it my
lot to be tried or disappointed in this respect? Well, the hairs of
our heads, and the letters of our friends, are all numbered; not one
of the former falls, not one of the latter miscarries, without the
will of Him to whose orders we have long since fully and cheerfully
subscribed."

Miss Bosanquet was at this time in dire difficulties at Cross Hall.
Perplexed by contrary advice, embarrassed by ever-increasing financial
loss, opposed by those who ridiculed her work as a mission to the
mean, "a call to the care of cows and horses, sheep and pigs," and
criticised even by those to whom she acted as daily benefactor, her
path was by no means an easy one, and eagerly she looked to the Lord
for deliverance, although she knew not whence it would come.

She suffered more than she could ever describe through the public work
she was called to do. "None, O my God, but Thyself, knows what I go
through for every public meeting!" she exclaimed in her diary. Yet,
though this shrinking was combined with exceedingly delicate health,
she never shirked her duty, but went steadily on with housekeeping,
farming, nursing, or public speaking, just as the Lord gave it to her
to do--even consenting to stand upon a horse-block at Huddersfield to
address a crowd whom otherwise she could not have reached. "Indeed,
for none but Thee, my Lord," she cried after that ordeal, "would I
take up this sore cross!... O do Thine own will upon me in all
things!"

On the seventh day of June, a month after Fletcher's return to
Madeley, was the fourteenth anniversary of Miss Bosanquet's troubled
sojourn in Yorkshire. "On that day," she relates, "I took a particular
view of my whole situation, and saw difficulties as mountains rise
around me. Faith was hard put to it. The promises seemed to stand
sure, and I thought the season was come; yet the waters were deeper
than ever."

During this time, however, their correspondence had been renewed, and
to Fletcher the thought of Mary Bosanquet was bringing more than
ordinary comfort and joy.

Finding his health so greatly improved, he thought he might venture
upon a still closer friendship, and the very day after Miss
Bosanquet's "mountains" and "deeper waters" seemed to hem her in, a
new door opened for her in a proposal of marriage, which assured her
of the regard Fletcher had secretly treasured for her for twenty-five
long years.

In August Mr. Fletcher travelled to Yorkshire to attend Wesley's
conference at Leeds, and Mary Bosanquet's diary contains this brief
record:--

"We corresponded with openness and freedom till August 1st, when he
came to Cross Hall and abode there a month; preaching in different
places with much power, and having opened our hearts to each other,
both on temporals and spirituals, we believed it to be the order of
God we should become one, when He should make our way plain."

That Fletcher could love, and that ardently, will be seen from a
letter written a few weeks later to the woman of his choice:--

"O Polly! generous, faithful Polly! Dost thou indeed permit me to
write to thy friends, and to ask the invaluable gift of thy hand? That
hand, that is _half_ mine shall be wholly mine...Polly! I read
thy letter, and wondered at the expression in it--'_If you think me
worth writing for._' Ah, my holy, my loving, my lovely, my precious
friend, I think thee worth writing for _with my vital blood_; I
am only sorry that I had not thee beside me to write with thy
_wisdom_...

"'Difficulties!' If thou hast any I shall gladly share them with thee,
and think myself well repaid with the pleasure of praying and praising
_with thee_ and _for thee_. Therefore, do not talk of _struggling
through alone_. I charge thee, by thy faithfulness, let me be _alone_
as little time as thou canst...

"I thank thee for that believing sentence--'But all shall be right.'
The worst thy friends can do is to keep thy money, which I look upon
as dung and dross in comparison of thee. Ah, Polly! with the
_treasure_ of _thy_ friendship, and the _unsearchable_ riches of
Christ, how rich thinkest thou I am? Count--cast up--but thou wilt
never make out the amazing sum....

"I embrace thee in spirit, and more than mix my soul with thine."
(From "Wesley's Designated Successor.")

Of the oneness established between them John Wesley writes
interestingly:--

"He (Mr. Fletcher) was upon all occasions very uncommonly reserved in
speaking of himself, whether in writing or conversation. He hardly
ever said anything concerning himself, unless it slipped from him
unawares. . . . This defect was indeed, in some measure, supplied by
the entire intimacy which subsisted between him and Mrs. Fletcher. He
did not willingly, much less designedly, conceal anything from her.
They had no secrets with regard to each other, but had indeed one
house, one purse, and one heart. Before her, it was his invariable
rule to _think aloud_; always to open the window in his breast."
The story of Mary Bosanquet's deliverance from her Cross Hall
embarrassments is practically a leaf from God's Providence Book.

At the end of October the aspect of her difficulties had in no sense
changed, but it was borne in upon both herself and Mr. Fletcher that
they should act as though God were indeed working for them. They
agreed to marry in a fortnight, but for the first week all remained as
it was. In the beginning of the second week a gentleman arrived to buy
Cross Hall for £1,620. Three days later another purchased the farm
implements and stock. One by one, each inmate of the house was
provided for with the exception of a poor cripple with great
infirmities, whose home had been with Miss Bosanquet for sixteen
years. The very night before the wedding even she was provided for.
Sally Lawrence, the adopted girl, was to be taken with them to
Madeley.

One little item still remained to trouble the bride--a little payment
for the estate was not to be made immediately, and in order to provide
certain sums to settle the various Cross Hall inmates in suitable
homes, as well as to pay a few current accounts, £100 was required.
The matter was laid in faith before Him to whom belongs all the silver
and the gold, and by the next post came a bank-note for £100 as a
present from Mary Bosanquet's youngest brother!

The diary is brief as usual concerning the wedding, but it meant very
much to both of them that, without a hindrance remaining, the bride
should be able to write:--

"So, on Monday, the 12th of November, 1781, in Batley Church, we
covenanted in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, 'to bear each other's burdens,' and to become one for ever."

Mrs. Crosby gives us a look-in upon that memorable marriage day:--

"On the morning of the day several friends met together. They reached
Cross Hall before family prayers. Mr. Fletcher . . . read Rev. xix. 7-
9: 'Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give honour to Him, for the
marriage of the Lamb is come,' etc. Mr. Fletcher then spoke from these
verses in such a manner as greatly tended to spiritualise the
solemnities of the day. He said, 'We invite you to our wedding, but
the Holy Ghost invites you to the marriage of the Lamb. The bride, the
Lamb's wife, represents the whole Church, triumphant and militant
united together. You may all be the bride, and Jesus will condescend
to be the Bridegroom. Make yourselves ready by being filled with the
Spirit.' He then engaged in prayer. . . . They were married in the
face of the congregation; the doors were opened, and everyone came in
that would. We then returned home, and spent a considerable time in
singing and prayer. There were nearly twenty of us....

"From dinner, which was a spiritual meal as well as a natural one,
until tea-time, our time was chiefly spent in prayer or singing. After
singing the covenant hymn Mr. Fletcher went to Mrs. Fletcher and said
to her, 'Well, my dearest friend, will you unite 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, 'May God help me so to do!'

"In the evening Mr. Valton preached in the hall from 'What shall I
render unto the Lord for all His benefits? I will take the cup of
salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.' His words did not fall
to the ground; many were greatly refreshed. After the preaching there
was a sweet contest among us; everyone thought, 'I, in particular, owe
the greatest debt of praise'; at length we agreed to sing--

"I'll praise my Maker while I've breath,
And when my voice is lost in death
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures!"

CHAPTER XXII.

LIFE AT MADELEY.

When a post-chaise drove up to Cross Hall on January and, the crack of
the whip made sweet music in the ears of Mrs. Fletcher, for behind
those horses she was to make her bridal journey to Madeley, where they
were to take up their work together in the name of the Lord.

Cries the praiseful diary:--

"How shall I find language to express the goodness of the Lord! I know
no want but that of more grace. I have a husband in everything suited
to me. He bears with all my faults and failings in a manner that
continually reminds me of the text, 'Love your wives as Christ loved
the church.' His constant endeavour is to make me happy; his strongest
desire is for my spiritual growth. He is, in every sense of the word,
the man my highest reason chooses to obey."

Fletcher himself had greatly changed his opinion since the indictment
of his "Reasons for and against Matrimony." To a friend he wrote his
new sentiments thus:--

"God declared it was not good that man, a social being, should live
alone, and therefore He gave him a helpmeet 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 not afraid to face with
me the colliers and bargemen of my parish, until death part us.

"Buried together in our country village, we shall help one another to
trim our lamps, and wait for the coming of the Heavenly Bridegroom."

Mrs. Fletcher's introduction to her husband's parishioners was
sufficiently homely and simple. The Madeley kitchen was full of those
who had come from a distance, and who were accustomed to take
refreshments there between the two services. He led her forward into
their midst, adding to his introduction the words, "I have not married
this wife for myself only, but for your sakes also."

Only a few weeks later they were honoured by a visit from John Wesley
himself, who, friend of method as he was, felt anxious that they
should lay down an exactly regular way of ordering their time, even as
Mary Bosanquet had done for her larger household in the past.

Whether they complied with the suggestion or not is unrecorded, but
Mrs. Fletcher makes beautiful mention of interruptions to her ordinary
routine, caused by unexpected visitors:--

"I have this day been engaged in company, and sweetly met the order of
God therein."

Blessed secret of peace!

God had so united this saintly man and woman in love and grace that
they had abundant cause to write of each other as we find them doing.
Once more to the diary:--

"May 30th, 1782.... I have the kindest and tenderest of husbands; of
so spiritual a man, and so spiritual a union, I had no adequate
conception."

To Charles Wesley Fletcher writes in his turn :-

"I thank you for your hint about exemplifying the love of Christ and
His Church. I hope we do.... My wife is far better to me than the
Church to Christ, so that if the parallel fails, it will be on my
side."

Between November, 1782, and January, 1783, peace was made by Great
Britain with America, France, and Spain. Fletcher made this the
occasion of another poem, written in French, entitled, "An Essay upon
the Peace of 1783. Dedicated to the Archbishop of Paris."

Five months after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher were invited to
visit the Methodists of Dublin. The Vicar had been absent so long from
his people that he found further absence just then impossible. Sixteen
months later, however, Dr. Coke came from Dublin and renewed the
invitation, which they accepted.

They set forth upon their five-day journey, attended by the faithful
Sally Lawrence, Mr. Fletcher preaching unannounced at Shrewsbury and
Llangollen by the way. They spent seven weeks in Dublin, and from
accounts written by others, the preaching of the Vicar and the
faithful class-leading and personal dealing of his wife were blessed
in a remarkable manner. A great revival of pure religion followed; as
an evidence of which the membership of the Methodist Society in that
city was permanently raised from five hundred to one thousand, and a
great hunger to know God and to like Him was awakened in the hearts of
the people.

One church, indeed, opened its doors to him, but when it was known
that he was preaching also in Methodist meeting-houses he was given to
understand how unwelcome he would be in any of the pulpits of his
clerical brethren. The French Church alone said, "Come!" and many
flocked there who could understand no word of what he said. When asked
why they went when this was the case, they replied, "We went to look
at him, for heaven seemed to beam from his countenance."

The grateful Methodists thought it only fair to refund the travelling
expenses of the Vicar and his wife, handing him a purse of twenty-five
guineas for that purpose. At first he refused it, but being greatly
pressed, he thanked them very heartily, and gracefully handed it over
to the Society fund for the sick poor, which he had heard was in a
very needy condition.

Life at Madeley was very full. Fletcher regularly visited the eighteen
public-houses of his parish, some of them every Sunday, in addition to
his other work, and, as a result of his labours and observations, he
wrote a pamphlet entitled "Three National Grievances," in which he
dealt largely with drunkenness and smuggling. Taxation was the third
"grievance," wholly influenced in Fletcher's mind by the other two.
The pamphlet was sent to every Member of Parliament, being intended to
show them the necessity for Social Reform.

In the wonderful way of quietly busy men, Fletcher made time to teach
in his Madeley School every day, visiting another as often as occasion
permitted, which he had established in Madeley Wood. He also founded
Sunday Schools, and quickly gathered into them three hundred children,
whom he further dealt with in special children's meetings, which were
to him a great delight. He had a unique fashion of teaching; quick to
avail himself of every passing incident as illustration; he never
failed to keep their attention or to engage their affection--the
latter being accomplished without any effort upon his part. Until the
Thursday before his death, Fletcher kept up these meetings, and he
left behind him an unfinished catechism designed for the use of the
little ones he so much loved.

Much of the Vicar's time was occupied in visiting the sick. He would
show himself intensely grieved if he were not at once apprised of any
illness, and as he preached so much on the far outskirts of his
parish--ten, twelve, and sixteen miles distant--the calls were many.
Whenever they came he was ready. On the bitterest winter's night he
would give his unfailing answer through the window to any messenger,
"_I will be with you immediately_"; and through storm or frost he
set off at once to give the comfort of his presence and the power of
his prayers.

With supreme disregard of personal need, Fletcher was never happier
than when he had given away every penny in the house. He religiously
avoided debt, paying ready money for all he had, but when due claims
were met he loved to pillage the household resources for the benefit
of his sick poor. Whether _he_ had any dinner mattered little,
but delight seized hold upon him when his helpmate was discovered in
the preparation of delicacies for his parish invalids.

Mrs. Fletcher would often take some article to his wardrobe and find
the drawers almost swept clear of linen. Others, he thought, had
needed the garments more than he.

A poor widow called one day to pour out a story of difficulties with
which she found herself burdened. Money there was none at the moment,
but the Vicar was not to be cheated out of this new chance of helping
another. Striding into the kitchen, he laid hands upon the pewter
dishes, of whose polish Sally Lawrence was so proud, and handed them
to the widow with the remark that "a wooden trencher served better."

Day by day, indeed, John Fletcher lost himself in the needs and spirit
of his Master, finding in his increasingly clear view of God, his ever
more intimate fellowship with Christ, abiding treasure and keen
delight which were beyond even his power of felicitous expression. It
was in keeping with his hourly experience that he exclaimed in a
letter to Lady Mary Fitzgerald :--

"Who are we, my lady, that we should not be swallowed up by the holy,
loving, living Spirit, who fills Heaven and earth? Whether we consider
it or not, there He is, a true, holy, loving, merciful God. Assent to
it, my lady, believe it, rejoice in it. Let Him be God, _all in
all;_ your God in Christ Jesus. What an ocean of love to swim in--
to dive into!"

CHAPTER XXIII.

"GOD IS LOVE!"

In spite of its beautiful situation, Madeley was wont at times to be
swept by a malignant fever, which carried away many of its victims to
the grave. Shortly before the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher to
Dublin, such a visitation had occurred, the faithful Sally being
attacked by it, and nursed to convalescence by mistress and friend.

Two years later it became Sally's turn to play the part of nurse, for
Mrs. Fletcher, who had visited two parishioners who were dying of the
pestilence, was herself stricken.

It was a terrible time of testing for her devoted husband. In anguish
of mind, but with true surrender of his will to God, he yielded his
treasure upon an altar of sacrifice akin to that of Abraham's
building; but in answer to his devotion and prayer he received her
again as alive from the dead.

With a peculiarly solemn joy he welcomed his wife back to his side to
share the work they so truly loved, but anxious lest he should place
too much reliance upon the precious things God had given him here, he
would call to her several times in a day to drop every duty for a few
moments that together they might enjoy communion with God. Says Mrs.
Fletcher:--

"We spent much time in prayer for the fulness of the Spirit, and were
led to an act of _abandonment_ (as we called it) of our whole
selves into the hands of God, to do or to suffer whatever was pleasing
to Him."

* * * * *

Only a fortnight after his wife's recovery Fletcher was out visiting
his people from three in the afternoon until nine at night, and,
August though it was, he returned with a chill.

The following Sunday he almost fainted while reading prayers in the
church. His wife pressed up to the desk with a friend or two, and
begged him to leave the service to another. He gently refused; windows
were opened, some flowers brought to refresh him with their sweet
scent, and he was able to mount the steps of the pulpit, where he
preached with power from "_How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O
God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of
Thy wings_."

The communion service which succeeded was a very lengthy one, but he
administered to those who came until nearly two o'clock, breaking the
silence with many verses of hymns and exhortations.

When the long service was over, Mrs. Fletcher led him straight to bed,
but the exertion had been too much; he fainted, and the two following
days lay upon a couch and slept much.

Mrs. Fletcher, very simply but touchingly, tells the story of those
few last days:--

"On Wednesday, August 10th, he told me he had received such a
manifestation of the full meaning of the words, '_God is love_,'
that he could not express it. 'It _fills me_,' he said, 'it
_fills_ me every moment. O Polly! my dear Polly! _God is
love_! Shout! Shout aloud! Oh! it so fills me that I want a gust of
praise to go to the ends of the earth. But it seems as if I could not
speak much longer. Let us fix upon a sign between ourselves' (tapping
me twice with his finger). 'By this I mean that _God is love, and we
will draw each other into God. Observe! by this we will draw each
other into God._' Sally coming in, he cried, 'O Sally! _God is
love!_ Shout, both of you! I want to hear you shout His praise!'
All this time his medical attendant hoped he was in no danger. He knew
his disease to be the fever; but as he had no bad headache, slept much
without the least delirium, and had an almost regular pulse, the
symptoms were thought to be favourable.

"On Thursday, August 11th, his speech began to fail, but to his
friendly doctor he would not be silent while he had any power to
speak, often saying, 'O Sir, you take much thought for my body; give
me leave to take thought for your soul.' When I could scarcely
understand anything he said, I spoke the words, '_God is love!_'
Instantly he caught them, and broke out in a rapture, 'God is
_love_, _love_, _love!_ O for the gust of praise I want
to sound.' Here his voice again failed. If I named his sufferings he
would smile, and make the sign.

"On Friday, August 12th, finding his body covered with spots, I so far
understood them as to feel a sword pierce through my soul. As I knelt
by his bed, with my hand in his, entreating the Lord to be with us in
this tremendous hour, he strove to say many things, but could not. At
length, pressing my hand, and often repeating the sign, he breathed
out 'Head of the Church, be head to my wife!'"

Mrs. Fletcher then repeated two lines in which he had always found
great comfort:--

Jesu's blood, through earth and skies,
Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries.

With much difficulty he responded :--

Mercy's full power I soon shall prove,
Loved with an everlasting love.

"If Jesus is very present with thee lift thy right hand," said his
wife, as she bent over him. He raised it. Waiting a moment or two she
said, "If the prospect of glory opens before thee, repeat the sign."
Twice he lifted that feeble right hand in testimony, then fell into
_coma_, lying with his eyes open and fixed.

While this was taking place in the Vicarage the church close by was
the scene of many tears. Fletcher's people gathered there from time to
time to pour out their supplications to God that He would spare their
beloved pastor; but none could find it in his heart to lead a service,
or raise a hymn.

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