knows, or acknowledges, no witness, no influence, no teaching, that is contrary to that holy word, or that is inconsistent with its one design, to save us from all sin, into all holiness, every true Christian will applaud the sentiment. Mrs. Fletcher was watchful in this respect, being aware of the danger. Hence, though she might err, she never deviated from the path. She might mistake; but she was always preserved from any departure from her God. The pious reader will be glad to be assured, that the whole of these memoirs are from Mrs. Fletcher's pen. In compiling her life, I have left out much valuable matter, which was either contained, in substance, in other parts of these memoirs, or were not of sufficient interest to appear in the publication. I have also compressed what I thought was redundant, that the work might not be needlessly swelled. I have also thought it right to press her sentences into more conciseness. She wrote in the fulness of her heart, and with admirable sense; but her style was rather too copious, and sometimes too diffuse, for Narrative or History. But I have taken care, at the same time, to give the admirable issues of her enlightened mind, with all the force and simplicity with which she recorded them. Those who have read the lives of those truly pious women, Madame Guion, Chantel, Bourignon, and others of the same class, which so abundantly prove, that even the cloud of Romish superstition does not preclude the rays of the Sun of righteousness, and that involuntary ignorance God still winketh at; will be glad to see a life in the Protestant Church superior to any of them. Especially, they will see, that all in her may be safely imitated, being all according to the faith once delivered to the saints. They will see also, not the fair picture only, but how it came to bear the stamp divine. They may trace its progress, and be encouraged to believe, that the Lord, who is ever the same, will thus work in them to will and to do, notwithstanding opposing corrup tions and they will thus be encouraged to give themselves up to that grace of God, which teaches us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. : THE LIFE OF MRS. FLETCHER. PART THE FIRST. I WAS Her early Life, and Christian Experience. WAS born September the first, O. S. 1739, at Laytonstone, in Essex. From my earliest years, I can remember the Spirit of God striving with me, and offering me salvation; but I slighted these most gracious calls, and many times resisted the most tender invitations. One day, from a little circumstance which occurred when I was about four years old, I received such a conviction that God heareth prayer, that it often administered much comfort to me in seasons of trial and danger. Of this I had the greater need, being by nature fearful even to a degree of folly. How much this effeminacy of disposition has cost me, in my Christian warfare, and what sufferings, as well as spiritual loss, I have sustained from it, is known only to my Heavenly Father. When I was five years old, I began to have much concern about my eternal welfare, and frequently inquired of those about me, whether such and such things were sins. On Sabbath evenings, my dear father used to instruct us in the church catechism. At those seasons I can remember asking many questions. I wished to know whether any ever did love God with all their heart, and their neighbour as themselves; and whether it was really the command of God that we should do so; also if the Bible really meant all it said? It seemed to me that if it did, I was wrong, and all about me in danger; for there appeared to be a great difference between the description of a Christian, given in the word of God, and those who walk under that name. As I was a backward child, and of weaker understanding than the others, I was not well read in the Scriptures at that very early age; but sentences out of the word of God frequently occurred to my mind, and made a deep impression, such as, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. I would answer, but I do not love God at all; I do not know how to love him; and with respect to loving my neighbour thus, I am sure I do not; for though my sister is dearer to me than any body else, I do not love her as well as myself. Again, that word struck me much, St. Paul says, I have fought the good fight; and when I was baptized, the minister said, I was to be "Christ's faithful soldier and servant, and fight manfully under his banner." This amazed me greatly. I thought, I am sure I do not fight, neither do I know what to fight against. But above all, that sentence would follow me, Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it; and, If ye are not of the world, the world will hate you. I did not feel it a narrow way, neither did the world hate me; therefore I questioned often whether I was not quite out of the way, yet it was not with any terror. I believed if the Lord saw that I was wrong, he would make me right, and sometimes I prayed for it. At other times I was very careless; yet these reflections still dwelt on my mind, and often perplexed me. I frequently asked questions about these subjects, but they were often very lightly treated. Those parts of Scripture were represented as very liable to be mistaken, and that they did not require obedience in all the strictness which I seemed to suppose. This well agreed with my carnal mind, and I thus soon quenched |