Treatise Life And Death Of John Fletcher
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | treatise |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-treatise-life-and-death-of-john-fletcher-015 |
| Words | 384 |
Vaughan, “he preached in
the country, was at Atcham church, on June 19, 1757. His
text was, (a very bold beginning !) ‘Ye adulterers and
adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of this world is
enmity with God?” (James iv. 4.) The congregation stood
amazed, and gazed upon him as if he had been a monster;
but to me he appeared as a messenger sent from heaven.”
7. It was not soon that he was invited again to preach in
Atcham church. But he was invited to preach in several other
churches in the neighbourhood. He was first invited to
preach at Wroxeter, and afterwards at the Abbey church in
Shrewsbury ; but not being yet perfect in the English
tongue, he wrote down all the sermons he preached in
churches. But I doubt whether he preached above six times
in the six months while he stayed in the country. On my
telling him I wished he had more opportunities of preaching
in this unenlightened part of the land, he answered, “The will
of God be done: I am in his hands; and if he does not call
me to so much public duty, I have the more time for study,
prayer, and praise.”
8. In the year 1758, there were many French prisoners on
their parole at Tunbridge. Being desired to preach to them
in their own language, he readily complied. Many of them
appeared to be deeply affected, and earnestly requested that
he would preach to them every Lord's day. But some
advised them, first, to present a petition to the Bishop of
London for leave. They did so; and (who would believe it?)
the good Bishop peremptorily rejected their petition | If I
had known this at the time, King George should have known
it; and I believe he would have given the Bishop little
thanks. An odd incident followed: A few months after, the
Bishop died of a cancer in his mouth. Perhaps some may
think this was a just retribution for silencing such a Prophet,
on such an occasion I I am not ashamed to acknowledge
this is my own sentiment; and I do not think it any breach
of charity to suppose that an action, so unworthy a Christian
Bishop, had its punishment in this world. 9.