to the real knowledge of thyfelf, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift in thy own heart. If this be thy case, so that thou doft defire to know and to love thy Redeemer and Saviour before all other things; or if thou doft, without either felf-deception, or presumptuous arrogance, really know and love him above all things already; I would hereby acquaint thee, that thy company, converfation, and friendship would be more agreeable to me than even that of my own nearest and deareft relations: I mean fuch as either by natural tie, or by religious profeffion, may be fo termed; if they are not yet truly pofleffed of the defire, knowledge, and love of which I speak. If thou shouldst have time and opportunity for reading this letter whilst we are together, and the contents of it should please thee; we might now, without any more delay, make the beginning of fuch an intercourfe and intimacy; and fo Speak further together in the name and prefence of the Lord Jefus, who is a great friend and favourer of fuch associations. For he says, exprefsly, that " Where two or three are gathered "together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matt. xviii. 20. and Malach. iii. 16, 17. But it may be, that thou, being a difcrete person, doft not choofe, without first taking time for deliberation, to accept of such an uncommon and unexpected overture, made to thee by a mere franger. If so, thou canst easily be informed, in the mean time, of what is requifite; and act afterwards as Chriftian prudence fhall diTect thee. Or, it may be, thou art one, who, being no ways concerned about the things of God, haft neither any notion of, or inclination for, what thou mayeft be apt to term an odd and whimsical kind of intercourfe. If fo, let me only tell thee, that when loffes, croffes, disappointments, and diftreffes come upon thee in the world; when fickness feizes thee, and death ftares thee in the face; when thou mayeft perhaps call to mind both time and place, when and where fuch a friendly letter as this was put into hands by a difinterefted ftranger. Oh that even then, it might not be too late for thee to be ferious, and to repent! The prefent occafion requires me folemnly to profefs, in the presence of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that I am not con-fcious to myfelf of any other meaning, or defign, by putting fuch a letter as this into thy hand, but purely the promotion of my own and of thy fpiritual good. I want not to disturb thee in thy own church, fect, religious opinions, ceremonies, and the like; wherein, however, inftead of our Saviour himfelf, the most people place all their religion now-a-days. I have found the vanity and hurt of laying fuch an erroneous and undue ftrefs upon these acceflory and fubordinate things, by a long and dear-bought experience. Therefore, indeed I do not want to difturb thee in any falutary use of them, so far as they really lead thee, as a poor finner, to Chrift crucified for thee; and can any ways help thee to abide and grow up in him: neither do I want to draw thee over to fome other party of Chriftian people, in oppofition to thy own, and to all the reft; or so as to rule and have dominion over thee, or to "glory in thy flesh," in a selfish, fectarian spirit. Neither do I want thy favour or affection, thy money or goods, for any private purposes of my own whatsoever: 1 feek thee and not thine; and all I want is to be edified by and to edify theė in the heart's knowledge and acquaintance with our dear Lord Jefus Chrift, and one with another, purely in and for his fake. Shouldft thou make trial of me, I humbly hope, that, amidst all conscious and acknowledged imperfections and defects, thou wouldst however find me a fubject (through divine grace) not quite unqualified for fuch an intercourse; and never hereafter see any just occasion to suspect me of diffimulation, duplicity, finifter views, or any other defigns than fuch as I here in fimplicity and godly fincerity express towards thee. Neither do I fay this to over-perfuade, or to inveigle thee into a converfation and acquaintance with me; which being however however in and for the Lord, the pureft dictates and impulfe of thy own heart must have beforehand led and prompted thee to all I mean by fuch a declaration is, that in cafe thou fhouldft really feel fuch an impulfe and inclination from the Lord within thy own heart, I might on my part obviate such fufpicions, in respect of my own person, as would tempt thee to damp and fupprefs them. On the other hand, if thou fhouldft, on thy fide, out of a mere vain curiosity, or from any other finister view whatso ever, devoid of the heart's qualifications before mentioned; want to take advantage of such a simple and free offer as this of mine is; remember, God is the avenger of fuch: and let me tell thee farther, that fuch a procedure would anfwer no good end to thy own felf, either fpiritually, or temporally: for my heart would be aware of thee, and foon feel it felf as much burdened by thy company and infipid converfation, as thine would be by mine; in cafe thou wert a perfon of right difpofitions, and shouldst expect that of me, which my profeffions do indeed promise, but my heart and life cannot only not come up to, but do even contradict in fact and reality. Underftand therefore this fomewhat unusual addrefs and letter as it ought to be underflood. I am, in a degree, and defire much more fill, to be as wife, earneft, and affiduous in my Lord's matters, as any riding or travelling tradefman may be to promote the intereft of his own trade. Let this be therefore to thee like fuch a one's hand-bill. If fomething is thereby advertised and made known to thee, which corre fponds to thy present wants, thou wilt be naturally glad of the information and offer it lays before thee: but if that should not happen to be the case, and as no harm is thereby done to thyfelf; fo neither wilt thou harm, or give needless trouble to the perfon, who with no ill-will puts fuch a notification into thy hand. The paper comes free to thee, and is thenceforth at thy own free difpofal. Do Do the very fame now, in this cafe; and, both for thy own and my fake, proceed no further, either way, than the real dictates and impulse of thy own heart lead thee, and thou haft a good ground to believe the true intention of such à letter can be answered by thee in the heart's affair. I am, with fincerity A friend of all mankind, And also thy friend and well-wisher, A LOVER and SEEKER after the P. S. Fear no Jefuitical trick by this application. Surely the very spirit and tenor of the letter itself will evince the contrary: but if not, I farther atteft with truth, that the writer of it has no intention to promote the intereft of any one party of Christian people in oppofition to another; and leaft of all that of Popery, in oppofition to Proteftantifm. [The Rev. Mr. Fletcher to the Rev. Mr. Wesley, asking Advice concerning his entering into Holy Orders.] A Rev. Sir, Nov. 24, 1756. S I look on you as my spiritual Guide, and cannot doubt of your patience to hear, and your experience to answer a serious question proposed by any of your people, I freely lay my cafe before you. Since the first time I began to feel the Love of God fhed abroad in my heart, which was, I think, when seven years of age, I refolved to give myself up to Him and the fervice of his Church if ever I was fit for it; but the corruption which is in the world, and that which was in my heart, foon weakened, if not erafed those first characters that Grace had wrote upon my heart: however, I went through through my ftudies with a design of going into Orders, but afterwards upon serious reflections, feeling I was unequal for fo great a burden, and difgufted by the neceffity I should be under to subscribe to the doctrine of Predeftination, I yielded to the defire of my friends who would have me go into the army; but just before I quite engaged into a military employment I met with fuch disappointments as occafioned my coming to England. Here I was called outwardly three times to go into Orders, but upon praying to God that if thofe Calls were not from Him they might come to nothing: fomething always blafted the defigns of my friends, in which I have often admired the goodnefs of God, who has fo many times hindered me from rufhing into that important employment as a horse does into the battle: but I never was more thankful for this favour than fince I heard the Gofpel preached in its purity. Before I had been afraid, but then I trembled to meddle with Holy Things, and resolved to work out my falvation privately, without engaging into a way of life which required fo much more grace and gifts than I was confcious to have but yet from time to time I felt warm and itrong defires to cast myself and all my inability upon the Lord, if I fhould be called any more, as knowing that he could help me and fhow his ftrength in my weakness; and from time to time those defires were encreased by fome little fuccefs that attended my exhortations and letters to my friends. I think it necessary to let you know, Sir, that my Master often defired me to take Orders, and faid that he would foon help me to a Living; to which I coldly answered I was not fit, and that befides I did not know how to get a title. The thing was in that state when about fix weeks ago a Gentleman I hardly knew, offered me a Living which in all probability will be vacant very foon; and a Clergyman that I had never spoke to, gave me of his own accord, the title of Curate to one of his Livings. Now, Sir, the question which I beg you to decide is, whether I muft and can make use of that title to try |