Treatise Life And Death Of John Fletcher
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | treatise |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-treatise-life-and-death-of-john-fletcher-074 |
| Words | 397 |
But who can point out, in any age or
nation, one that so highly excelled in all? one that was
enabled in so large a measure to “put on the whole armour
of God?” yea, so to “put on Christ,” as to “perfect holiness. in the fear of God?”
3. Yet there is a peculiar difficulty in giving a full account
of either his life or character, because we have scarce any light
from himself. He was upon all occasions very uncommonly
reserved in speaking of himself, whether in writing or conver
sation. He hardly ever said anything concerning himself,
unless it slipped from him unawares. And among the great
number of papers which he has left, there is scarce a page
(except that single account of his conversion to God) relative
either to his own inward experience, or the transactions of his
life. So that the most of the information we have is gathered
up, either from short hints scattered up and down in his letters,
from what he had occasionally dropped among his friends, or
from what one and another remembered concerning him. In
writing the lives and characters of eminent men, the Roman
Catholics have a great advantage over us. The pious members
of the Church of Rome make a conscience of concealing
anything from their Directors, but disclose to them all the
circumstances of their lives, and all the secrets of their hearts:
Whereas very few of the Protestants disclose to others, even
their most intimate friends, what passes between God and
their own souls; at least not of set purpose. Herein they
forget, or at least disregard, that wise remark of the ancient
writers (exactly agreeable to various passages that occur in
the canonical Scriptures): “It is good to conceal the secrets
of a King, but to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord.”
4. 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. And to this we are indebted
for the knowledge of many particulars which must otherwise
have been buried in oblivion. 5.