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ing. Could these Britons look out of their graves, what would they think of the present generation?

7. Permit me to touch on one article more, wherein indeed we excel all the nations upon earth. Not one nation under the canopy of heaven can vie with the English in profaneness. Such a total neglect, such an utter contempt of God, is no where else to be found. In no other streets, except in Ireland, can you hear on every side,

"The horrid oath, the direful curse,

That latest weapon of the wretch's war,

And blasphemy, sad comrade of despair!'

8. Now let each of us lay his hand upon his heart, and say, "Lord, is it I?" Have I added to this flood of unrighteousness and ungodliness, and thereby to the misery of my countrymen? Am not I guilty in any of the preceding respects? And do not they suffer, because I have sinned?" If we have any tenderness of heart, any bowels of mercies, any sympathy with the afflicted, let us pursue this thought, till we are deeply sensible of our sins, as one great cause of their sufferings.

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9. But now the plague is begun, and has already made such ravages both in England and America, what can we do, in order that it may be stayed? How shall we stand "between the living and the dead?" Is there any better way to turn aside the anger of God, than that prescribed by St. James; "Purge your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded?" First, "Purge your hands." Immediately put away the evil of your doings. Instantly flee from sin, from every evil word and work, as from the face of a serpent. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth;" no uncharitable, no unprofitable conversation. Let no guile be found in your mouth: speak to overy man the truth from your heart. Renounce every way of acting, however gainful, which is contrary either to justice or mercy. to every one as, in parallel circumstances, you would wish he should do unto you. Be sober, temperate, active; and in every word and work, labour to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man. Next, through the almighty grace of him that loved you, and gave himself for you, "purify your hearts by faith." Be no longer double minded, halting between earth and heaven, striving to serve God and mammon. Purify your hearts from pride;-humbling yourselves under the mighty hand of God;-from all party zeal, anger, resentment, bitterness, which now, especially, will easily beset you ;from all prejudice, bigotry, narrowness of spirit;-from impetuosity, and impatience of contradiction;-from love of dispute, and from every degree of an unmerciful or implacable temper. Instead of this earthly, devilish wisdom, let "the wisdom from above" sink deep into your hearts: that "wisdom" which "is first pure," then "peaceable, easy to be entreated," convinced, persuaded, or appeased," full of mercy and treated,"-convinced, good fruits; without partiality,"-embracing all men ; " without hypocrisy,"-genuine and unfeigned. Now, if ever, "putting away all malice, all clamour," railing, "and evil speaking: be ye kind one to another," to all your brethren and countrymen,— -"tender hearted" to all that are in distress; "forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.'

10. And "

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now let my counsel be acceptable to" you, to every one of you present before God. "Break off thy sins by repentance, and thy

iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity;" of what degree of it still remains among us. Show mercy more especially to the poor widows, to the helpless orphans of your countrymen, who are now numbered among the dead, who fell among the slain in a distant land. Who knoweth but the Lord will yet be entreated, will calm the madness of the people, will quench the flames of contention, and breathe into all the spirit of love, unity, and concord. Then brother shall not lift up sword against brother, neither shall they know war any more. Then shall plenty and peace flourish in our land, and all the inhabitants of it be thankful for the innumerable blessings which they enjoy, and shall "fear God, and honour the king."

London, Nov. 7, 1775.

SERMON *LVIII.

Preached on occasion of the death of the Rev. Mr. John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley,

Shropshire.

TO THE READER.

It was a consciousness of my own inability to describe, in a manner worthy of the subject, such a person as Mr. Fletcher, which was one great reason of my not writing this sooner. I judged, only an Apelles was proper to paint an Alexander. But I at length submitted to importunity, and hastily put together some memorials of this great man, intending, if God permit, when I have more leisure, and more materials, to write a fuller account of his life. JOHN WESLEY.

London, Nov. 9, 1785.

"Mark the perfect man, and behold the uprignt: for the end of that man is peace," Psalm xxxvii, 37.

IN the preceding verses, taken together with this, there is a beautiful contrast between the death of a wicked and that of a good man. "I myself," says the Psalmist, "have seen the ungodly in great power, and flourishing like a green bay tree. I went by, and, lo! he was gone: I sought him, but his place could no where be found." Dost thou desire to be found happy, both in life and in death? Then "keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right: for that shall bring a man peace at the last." The words are rendered in the new translation with far more force and elegance. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." It is not improbable, that David, while he uttered these words, had a particular instance before his eyes. Such an instance was that of the great and good man, whom God has not long ago taken to himself.

In discoursing on these words, I purpose, first, briefly to inquire, Who is the person that is here spoken of, "the perfect, the upright man?" I will endeavour, secondly, to explain the promise, "that shall bring a man peace at the last;" or, as it is expressed in the other version, "the end of that man is peace." I will then, with the divine assistance, show a little more at large, in how glorious a manner it was fulfilled in the end of that "perfect and upright man," who has been lately removed from us.

I. 1. I am, first, briefly to inquire, Who is the person that is here spoken of, "the upright and perfect man ?" In speaking on this head, I shall not endeavour to describe the character of an upright Jew, such as David himself was; or any of those holy men that lived under the Mosaic dispensation: it more nearly imports us to consider such an upright man, as are those that live under the Christian dispensation; such as have lived and died since "life and immortality have been brought to light by the gospel."

2. In this sense, he is a perfect and upright man, who believes in the name of the Son of God: he is one in whom it has pleased the Father to reveal the Son of his love; and who, consequently, is able to declare, "The life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." He is one that finds "the Spirit of God witnessing with his spirit, that he is a child of God ;" and unto whom Jesus Christ is made of God, "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

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3. This faith will, undoubtedly, work by love. Accordingly every Christian believer has "the love of God shed abroad in his heart, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto him." And, loving God, he loves his brother also his good will extends to every child of man. By this, as well as by the fruits of love, lowliness, meekness, and resignation, he shows that there is the same "mind in him which was in Christ Jesus." 4. As to his outward behaviour, the upright Christian believer is blameless and unreprovable. He is holy, as Christ that has called him is holy, in all manner of conversation; ever labouring to have a conscience void of offence, towards God and towards man. He not only avoids all outward sin, but "abstains from all appearance of evil." He on adity waths in all the public and private ordinances of the Lord blameless. He is zealous of good works; as he hath time, doing good, in every kind and degree, to all men. And in the whole course of his life, he pursues one invariable rule,-whether he eats or drinks, or whatever he does, to do all to the glory of God.

II. And surely "the end of that man is peace:" the meaning of which words we are now, in the second place, to consider.

I do not conceive this immediately to refer to that glorious peace, which is prepared for him in the presence of God to all eternity; but rather to that which he will enjoy in the present world, before his spirit returns to God that gave it. Neither does it seem directly to refer to outward peace, or deliverance from outward trouble; although it is true, many good men, who had been long buffeted by adversity, and troubled on every side, have experienced an entire deliverance from it, and enjoyed a remarkable calm before they went hence. But this seems chiefly to refer to inward peace; even that "peace of God which passeth all understanding." Therefore it is no wonder that it cannot be fully and adequately expressed in human language. We can only say, it is an unspeakable calmness and serenity of spirit, a tranquillity in the blood of Christ, which keeps the souls of believers, in their latest hour, even as a garrison keeps a city; which keeps not only their hearts, all their passions and affections, but also their minds, all the motions of their understanding and imagination, and all the workings of their reason, in Christ Jesus. This peace they experienced in a higher or lower degree, (suppose they continued in the faith,) from the time they first found

redemption in the blood of Jesus, even the forgiveness of sins. But when they have nearly finished their course, it generally flows as a river, even in such a degree, as it had not before entered into their hearts to conceive. A remarkable instance of this, out of a thousand, occurred many years ago. Enoch Williams, one of the first of our preachers that was stationed at Cork, (who had received this peace when he was eleven years old, and never lost it for an hour,) after he had rejoiced in God with joy unspeakable, during the whole course of his illness, was too much exhausted to speak many words, but just said, "Peace! peace!", and died.

III. So was the Scripture fulfilled. But it was far more gloriously fulfilled in that late eminent servant of God; as will appear if we consider a few circumstances, first, of his life, and secondly, in his triumphant death.

1. Indeed we have, as yet, but a very imperfect knowledge of his life. We know little more of his early years, than that he was from his infancy so remarkably regardless of food, that he would scarce take enough to sustain life; and that he had always much of the fear of God, and a real sense of religion. He was born September 12, in the year 1729, at Nyon, in Switzerland, of a very reputable family. He went through the usual course of academical studies, in the university of Geneva. One of his uncles, who was at that time a general officer in the imperial service, then invited him into the same service, promising to procure him a commission. But just as he came into Germany, the war was at an end. Being so far on his way, he was then invited into Holland, by another uncle, who had, a little before, been desired, by a correspondent in England, to procure a tutor for a gentleman's sons. He asked Mr. Fletcher whether he was willing to go into England, and undertake this office? He consented, and accordingly went over to England, and undertook the care of Mr. Hill's two sons, at Tern in Shropshire: and he continued in that office, till the young gentlemen went to the university.

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2. When Mr. Hill went up to London to attend the parliament, he took his lady and Mr. Fletcher with him. While they were dining at St. Alban's, he walked out into the town, but did not return, till the coach was set out for London. However, a saddle horse being left, he came after, and overtook them on the same evening. Mrs. Hill asking him, why he stayed behind, he said, "I was walking through the market place, and I heard a poor old woman talk so sweetly of Jesus Christ, that I knew not how the time passed away." "I will be hanged," said Mrs. Hill," if our tutor does not turn Methodist by and by!" thodist, madam," said he, "pray what is that?" She replied, "Why the Methodists are a people that do nothing but pray. They are praying all day and all night." "Are they?" said he; "then with the help of God I will find them out, if they be above ground." He did, not long after, find them out, and had his desire; being admitted into the society. While he was in town he met in Mr. Edwards's class, and lost no opportunity of meeting. And he retained a peculiar regard for Mr. Edwards to the day of his death.

3. It was not long before he was pressed in spirit to call sinners to repentance. Seeing the world all around him lying in wickedness, he found an earnest desire

"To pluck poor brands out of the fire,

To snatch them from the verge of hell."

And though he was yet far from being perfect in the English tongue, particularly with regard to the pronunciation of it; yet the earnestness with which he spake, seldom to be seen in England, and the unspeakably tender affection, which breathed in every word and gesture, to poor, lost sinners, made so deep an impression on all that heard, that very few went empty away.

4. About the year 1753, (being now of a sufficient age,) he was ordained deacon and priest, and soon after presented to the little living of Madeley, in Shropshire. This, he had frequently said, was the only living which he ever desired to have. He was ordained at Whitehall; and the same day, being informed that I had no one to assist me at West street chapel, he came away as soon as ever the ordination was over, and assisted me in the administration of the Lord's supper. And he was now doubly diligent in preaching, not only in the chapels at West street and Spitalfields, but wherever the providence of God opened a door to proclaim the everlasting gospel. This he did frequently in French, (as well as in English,) of which all judges allowed him to be a complete master.

5. Hence he removed into the vicarage house at Madeley. Here he was fully employed among his parishioners, both in the town, and in Madeley Wood, a mile or two from it, a place much resembling Kingswood, almost wholly inhabited by poor colliers, and their numerous families. These forlorn ones (little wiser than the beasts that perish,) he took great pains to reform and instruct; and they are now as judicious and as well behaved a people, as most of their station in the three kingdoms.

0. But aner some time he was prevailed upon by the countess of Huntingdon to leave his beloved retreat, and remove into Wales, in order to superintend her school at Trevecka. This he did, with all his power, instructing the young men, both in learning and philosophy; till he received a letter from the countess, together with the circular letter signed by Mr. Shirley, summoning all that feared God in England to meet together at Bristol, at the time of the Methodist conference, "in order to bear testimony against the dreadful heresy contained in the minutes of the preceding conference." Her ladyship declared, that all who did not absolutely renounce those eight propositions which were contained in the minutes of that conference, must immediately leave her house. Mr. Fletcher was exceedingly surprised at this peremptory declaration. He spent the next day in fasting and prayer, and in the evening wrote to her ladyship, that he not only could not utterly renounce, but must entirely approve of all those eight propositions; and therefore had obeyed her order, by leaving her house, and returning to his own at Madeley.

7. That circular letter was the happy occasion of his writing those excellent "Checks to Antinomianism," in which one knows not which to admire most, the purity of the language, (such as a foreigner scarce ever wrote before,) the strength and clearness of the argument, or the mildness and sweetness of the spirit which breathes throughout the whole: insomuch that I nothing wonder at a clergyman that was resolved never to part with his dear decrees, who, being pressed to read them, replied, "No; I will never read Mr. Fletcher's writings; for if I did,

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