"I hope God will, in His mercy, spare me to see you in the flesh; and if I cannot labour for you, I shall gladly suffer with you. If you will put health into my flesh, joy into my heart, and life into my whole frame, be of _one heart_ and of _one soul_. Count nothing your _own_ but your _sin_ and _shame_; and bury that dreadful property in the grave of our Saviour. Let all you are and have be His who bought you. Dig hard in the _Gospel_ mines for hidden treasure. Blow hard the furnace of prayer with the bellows of faith until you are melted into love, and the dross of sin is purged out of every heart. Get together into Jesus, the heavenly ark, and sweetly sail into the ocean of eternity; so shall you be true miners, furnacemen, and bargemen. Farewell, in Jesus! Tell Mrs. Counds I shall greatly rejoice if she remembers Lot's wife." * * * * * THE DREGS OF LIFE. _To Mr_. IRELAND: "MADELEY, _September 13th_, 1784. "MY DEAR FRIEND,--I keep in my sentry-box till Providence removes me. My situation is _quite suited_ to my little strength. I may do as much or as little as I please, according to my weakness; and I have an advantage, which I can have nowhere else in such a degree--my little field of action is just at my own door, so that if I happen to overdo myself, I have but to step from my pulpit to my bed, and from my bed to my grave. If I had a body full of vigour, and a purse full of money, I should like well enough to travel about as Mr. Wesley does; but as Providence does not call me to it I readily submit. The snail does best in its shell; were it to aim at galloping, like the racehorse, it would be ridiculous indeed. My wife is quite of my mind with respect to the call we have to a sedentary life. We are two poor invalids, who between us make _half_ a labourer. "We shall have tea cheap and light very dear; I don't admire the change. Twenty thousand chambers walled up, and filled with foul air, are converted into so many dungeons for the industrious artisan, who, being compelled by this murderous tax, denies himself the benefit of _light_ and _air_. Blessed be God! the light of Heaven and the air of the spiritual world are still free. "My dear partner sweetly helps me to drink the dregs of life, and to carry with ease the daily cross. We are not long for this world--we _see_ it, we _feel_ it; and, by looking at death and his conqueror, we fight beforehand our last battle with that last enemy whom our dear Lord has overcome for us. That we may triumph over him with an humble, Christian courage, is the prayer of my dear friend, yours, "JOHN FLETCHER." CHAPTER XXV. EXTRACTS FROM FLETCHER'S WRITINGS. THE SIN OF UNBELIEF.