SANCTIFICATION
and
SECOND BLESSING
Extract from Wesley's Letters
(153) To John Fletcher
[Wesley, now in his seventieth year and far from well, is anxious about his successor. The previous May in Edinburgh, following a medical examination by three doctors, he had been found to be suffering from a dropsical tumour, but had continued with his work, his London friends providing a carriage to make his travelling easier. His brother Charles had neither the health nor temperament for leadership. Fletcher, born in Switzerland (Jean Guillaume de la Flechère), was the saintly Vicar of Madeley, one of Wesley's closest and most distinguished associates, who married Mary Bosanquet of Leytonstone. `I have known many excellent men,' said Wesley, `holy in heart and life; but one equal to him I have not known, one so uniformly and deeply devoted to God.' Fletcher replied to this appeal: `Should Providence call you first, I shall do my best, by the Lord's assistance, to help your brother to gather the wreck,' and added: `I have sometimes considered how shameful it was that no clergy-man should join you, to keep in the Church the work which the Lord has enabled you to carry on therein; and as the little estate I have in my native country is sufficient for my maintenance, I have thought I would one day or other, offer you and the Methodists my free services.' For the moment, however, he must continue in his busy parish, and in the end he died before Wesley.]
SHOREHAM, January [15], 1773.
DEAR SIR, - What an amazing work has God wrought in these kingdoms in less than forty years! And it not only continues but increases throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland; nay, it has lately spread into New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Carolina. But the wise men of the world say, `When Mr. Wesley drops, then all this is at an end!' And so it surely will unless before God calls him hence, one is found to stand in his place. For ouc agaqon polucoiranih eis coiranos estw. 1 I see more and more, unless there be one proestos, 2 the work can never be carried on. The body of the preachers are not united; nor will any part of them submit to the rest: so that either there must be one to preside over all or the work will indeed come to an end.
But who is sufficient for these things? qualified to preside both over the preachers and people? He must be a man of faith and love and one that has a single eye to the advancement of the kingdom of God. He must have a clear understanding; a knowledge of men and things, particularly of the Methodist doctrine and dis- cipline; a ready utterance; diligence and activity, with a tolerable share of health. There must be added to these, favour with the people, with the Methodists in general. For unless God turn their eyes and their hearts towards him, he will be quite incapable of the work. He must likewise have some degree of learning; because there are many adversaries, learned as well as unlearned, whose mouths must be stopped. But this cannot be done unless he be able to meet them on their own ground.
But has God provided one so qualified? Who is he? Thou art the man! God has given you a measure of loving faith and a single eye to His glory. He has given you some knowledge of men and things, particularly of the whole plan of Methodism. You are blessed with some health, activity, and diligence, together with a degree of learning. And to all these He has lately added, by a way none could have foreseen, favour both with the preachers and the whole people.
Come out in the name of God! Come to the help of the Lord against the mighty! Come while I am alive and capable of labour!
Dum superest Lachesi quod torqueat, et pedibus me
Porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte bacillo.3
Come while I am able, God assisting, to build you up in faith, to ripen your gifts, and to introduce you to the people. Nil tanti. What possible employment can you have which is of so great importance?
But you will naturally say, `I am not equal to the task; I have neither grace nor gifts for such an employment.' You say true; it is certain you have not. And who has? But do you not know Him who is able to give them? perhaps not at once, but rather day by day: as each is, so shall your strength be.
`But this implies,' you may say, `a thousand crosses, such as I feel I am not able to bear.' You are not able to bear them now; and they are not now come. Whenever they do come, will He not send them in due number, weight, and measure? And will they not all be for your profit, that you may be a partaker of His holiness? Without conferring, therefore, with flesh and blood, come and strengthen the hands, comfort the heart, and share the labour of
Your affectionate friend and brother.
1`The rule of many is not good; let there be one ruler.'-Homer.
2 Leader.
3`While Lachesis has some thread of life to spin, And I walk on my own feet without the help of a staff .`-Iuvenal.
March 2002