Fletcher of MadeleyMacdonald, Frederic W. (Frederic William)
Religion
Fletcher of Madeley
Macdonald, Frederic W. (Frederic William)
Fletcher, John, 1729-1785
They remained about six weeks in Dublin, and their labours were made a
great blessing to many. Fletcher preached with his accustomed unction
and power. His host, a gentleman of position and influence in the city,
applied to the rector of the parish in which he lived to allow Mr.
Fletcher to preach in his church, and this was immediately granted. The
church was crowded to excess. The congregation was greatly moved; but
when it became known that he had preached on the evening of the same
day at the Methodist chapel, all the churches were at once closed
against him, with the exception of the Huguenot French church. Here he
preached, both in French and in English. Even when he preached in
French, people who could not understand a word would be present. "We go
to look at him," they said, "for heaven seems to beam from his
countenance." In addition to his public labours Fletcher met the
members of the society in private, and exhorted and counselled them to
their great comfort. Mrs. Fletcher met the classes of women. A great
revival of religion followed. The Methodist society increased in
numbers from about five hundred persons to upwards of a thousand, and
the spiritual life of many was deepened and enriched.
When Fletcher was about to leave them the grateful people pressed him
to accept a sum of money in payment of his expenses. This he entirely
refused to accept, until being pressed in such a manner that further
refusal seemed impossible, he consented to receive it on condition that
he might dispose of it as he pleased. To this they readily agreed, and
every penny of it was given to their own poor people before Fletcher
and his wife left Dublin. A letter warmly thanking them for "your
labour of love in crossing the sea to visit us, and your spending body
and soul for our profit while among us," was signed by one hundred and
fifty-one members of the Dublin Methodist society, and sent after them
to Madeley. The passage from Dublin to Holyhead was a stormy one, but
they reached their home at last in peace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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