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A Letter to the Loving and Beloved People of the Parish of Madeley, and Its Vicinity, Who Have Lost a Friend to Piety in the Death of Mrs. Fletcher, Widow of the Rev. J. W. Fletcher, (or de la Flechere,) Late Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire. — John Shaqi

Religion

A Letter to the Loving and Beloved People of the Parish of Madeley, and Its Vicinity, Who Have Lost a Friend to Piety in the Death of Mrs. Fletcher, Widow of the Rev. J. W. Fletcher, (or de la Flechere,) Late Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.

Name: A Letter to the Loving and Beloved People of the Parish of Madeley, and Its Vicinity, Who Have Lost a Friend to Piety in the Death of Mrs. Fletcher, Widow of the Rev. J. W. Fletcher, (or de la Flechere,) Late Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.
Author: Tooth, Mary

Tooth, Mary

Fletcher, Mary, 1739-1815; Methodist women -- Biography

I wish to give you comfort, when I am taken from you; and to assure
    you how great a favor I consider your being given to me, in the place
    of my dear Sally, now in glory.  It is often said, God takes nothing
    from us, but he gives something better in the place; and so it has
    been, for though she was the most disinterested and tender friend,
    yet, in many things you are a still further help than she was able to
    be.  Your tender care and attention to me, encourages me to hope, you
    will never want assistance, nor be left friendless; for the promise
    is, “what you do unto another, shall be done unto you.”  We are
    joined together in the Lord, and shall therefore be eternally one.
    My beloved husband and me, my friend Ryan, my Sally, and you, shall
    be an eternal knot which can never be separated.  You know what
    proofs I have had that my friends in heaven do not forget me;
    therefore, believe we are waiting for you, yea, and longing to hail
    you on the shore.  I might have been far more useful than I have
    been; but I cast all my sins on my atoning God.  I pray the Spirit
    may richly be poured on you; and may showers of love and grace
    descend on the dear people.  You are called to labour _here_, and God
    will be with you.  I do believe the Lord will answer my prayer, by
    supplying all your wants.  I wish I could do more for you, but I
    commend you to him who hath said, “No manner of thing that is good
    shall be withheld.”

    Grieve not, my dear, for me.  You shall soon be with me; and perhaps
    I shall be oftener with you than you think for; the spirits of the
    departed are very near to us.  “We are come to them,” says the
    Apostle.

    The Lord bless and keep you, and return all your kindness a hundred
    fold, prays your most faithful

                                                       everlasting friend,
                                                              M. FLETCHER.

Another of these kind tokens of her love was dated February 11th, 1810,
at which time it was thought she would very soon be removed from us, but
the gracious Lord had compassion upon his people, and spared her to us
for above five years longer: and, O! how was every year fraught with the
fruits of righteousness.  Well, she laboured, and while she did so, kept
her eye upon the Saviour, whose example

    “She tracked, the world she disdain’d.
    And constantly trampled on pleasure and pain.”

But to return to her kind epistle, written with a view to comfort me in
the separation likely to take place:

                                                          Feb. 11th, 1810.

    My very dear child,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Letter to the Loving and Beloved People of the Parish of Madeley, and Its Vicinity, Who Have Lost a Friend to Piety in the Death of Mrs. Fletcher, Widow of the Rev. J. W. Fletcher, (or de la Flechere,) Late Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.

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