United States or Portugal ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I am, dear sisters, your well- wisher, "Only a Methodist!" To CHARLES WESLEY: "MADELEY, October 12th, 1761. "MY DEAR SIR, You have always the goodness to encourage me, and your encouragements are not unseasonable; for discouragements follow one another with very little intermission.
"What the devil does this mean, Hilliard?" If never before, the indolent man was now thoroughly aroused. He had an open letter in his hand. Hilliard, standing before him in a little office that smelt of ledgers and gum, and many other commercial things, knew that the letter must be from Eve, and savagely hoped that it was dated London. "This is from Miss Madeley, and it's all about you.
"There are many adversaries indeed," writes the Father of Methodism, "but yet they cannot shut the open and effectual door." It was not for lack of invitation, but rather because he was so engrossed in his work that the Vicar of Madeley had up to this time confined his labours to his own parish.
Could I help her? I asked her why she came to me. She said she had heard of me from someone who used to be employed at our place. That was flattering. I showed my sense of it. Then I asked her name, and she said it was Miss Madeley." A gust threw rain against the windows. Narramore paused, looking into the fire, and smiling thoughtfully. "You foresee the course of the narrative?"
As the Vicar of Madeley had naturally no objection to so advantageous an exchange, Fletcher was instituted to the cure of the large Shropshire village, in which he spent a quarter of a century. There is no need to record his apostolical labours in this humble sphere of duty. Madeley was a rough parish, full of colliers; but there was also a sprinkling of resident gentry.
Before taking up his quarters in the house, however, the idea of escaping into Wales occured to Charles, so, when night set in, he quitted Boscobel Wood, where he had been hidden all the day, and started on foot with his rustic guide in a westerly direction with the object of getting over the river Severn, but various hardships and obstacles induced Penderel to suggest a halt at a house at Madeley, near the river, where they might rest during the day and continue the journey under cover of darkness on the following night; the house further had the attraction of "priests' holes."
Fletcher was a minister for a woman to occupy the pulpit of the church at Madeley, her husband had a large building erected, in close proximity to the rectory, for her especial use. Here, for the few years that he was spared to his wife, it was Mr. Fletcher's pleasure though he had few equals in erudition to listen to the gentle teachings of this amiable woman.
Around the Countess gradually gathered such fellow-workers as Romaine, Venn, Toplady, Fletcher of Madeley, and many others equally with them aflame with love for the perishing souls of men.
Those which are of an inward nature are sufficiently known to you; but some others are peculiar to myself, especially those I have had for eight days past, during Madeley wake. "Seeing that I could not suppress these bacchanals, I did all in my power to moderate their madness; but my endeavours have had little or no effect.
Are not these the intimations of the will of God? It seems so to me." So it came to pass that in the parish book was made the following entry: "John Fletcher, clerk, was inducted to the vicarage of Madeley the 17th of October, 1760. John Fletcher, Vicar."
Word Of The Day