Wesley Corpus

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 person. But she was too rich for me to think of; so 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, and was not ; for God took him. I then saw, if Enoch at 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 means 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 took had the full approbation of God.” “On January 2, 1782, we had a very solemn parting. But in the midst of all the sorrow which we felt, was a sweet assur ance that we should meet again, not only in this world, but Where death shall all be done away, And bodies part no more. This brings to my mind a sentence which he wrote to us, a little before his death: ‘Time is short. It remains, that we die daily. Stand fast in Christ, the resurrection and the life. That we may have a happy meeting is the wish and prayer of ‘Your affectionate friends, ‘JOHN and MARY FLETCHER...” “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.