Wesley Corpus

“With thee I gladly would both live and die.” I therefore think myself obliged by the strongest ties to pay this small tribute to his memory. But you may easily observe, that, in doing this, I am little more than a compiler; for I owe a great, if not the greatest, part of the ensuing Tract to a few friends, who have been at no small pains in furnishing me with materials; and, above all, to my dear friend, (such she has been almost from her childhood,) Mrs. Fletcher. I could easily have altered both hers and their language, while I retained their sentiments; but I was conscious I could not alter it for the better; and I would not alter for altering' sake; but judged it fairest to give you most of their accounts, very nearly in their own words. Amsterdam, September 12, 1786. 1. JoHN WILLIAM DE LA FLECHERE (this was properly his name) was born at Nyon, in Switzerland, a town about fifteen miles north of Geneva, on September the twelfth, in the year 1729. His father was an Officer in the French service, till he left the army in order to marry; but after a time he returned to the army, and was a Colonel in the Militia of his own country. 2. In his early childhood he had much of the fear of God, and great tenderness of conscience. One day, having offended his father, who threatened to correct him, he did not dare to come into his presence, but retired into the garden; and when he saw him coming toward him, he ran away with all speed. But he was presently struck with deep remorse, and said to himself, “What I do I run away from my father? Perhaps I shall live to have a son that will run away from me.” And it was several years before the impression which he then received was worn off. 3. Another instance of his tenderness of conscience occurred when he was about seven years of age : He was one day reproved by the nursery-maid, saying, “You are a naughty boy.