BOOK SECOND. CHAPTER I. GIVING SOME ACCOUNT OF MR. JOHN WESLEY, FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE YEAR 1729. WHEN We view Mr. Wesley rising into public notice, from the bosom of a family which had long been venerable for christian knowledge and piety, the mind feels a degree of prepossession in his favor, and our expectation is raised of something great and good from him. As we proceed to examine his education, and the principles instilled into his mind, at an early period of life, we shall see a solid foundation laid of sound knowledge and genuine piety. But that every one may judge for himself in this matter, I shall endeavor to trace, step by step, the circumstances of his early life, during the period mentioned in this chapter. He was a second son of Samuel and Susannah Wesley, and born at Epworth in Lincolnshire, on the 17th of June, 1703, O. S. There has indeed been some variation in the accounts given of his age by different persons of the family; but the certificate of it, sent him by his father a little before he was ordained priest, to satisfy the bishop of his age, puts the matter beyond a doubt. The original lies before me, and the following is a faithful copy. Epworth, August 23, 1728. "John Wesley, M. A., Fellow of Lincoln College, was twentyfive years old the 17th of June last, having been baptized a few hours after his birth, by me, SAMUEL WESLEY, Rector of Epworth." When he was nearly six years old, a calamity happened which threatened the whole family with destruction, and him in particular; his parents for a short time believing, that he was actually consuming in the flames of their house. But his mother's letter to the Rev. Mr. Hoole, will be the best account of this matter. It is dated August 24, 1709, and is as follows. "REV. SIR,-My master is much concerned that he was so unhappy as to miss of seeing you at Epworth; and he is not a little troubled that the great hurry of business about building his house will not afford hiin leisure to write. He has therefore ordered me to satisfy your desire as well as I can, which I shall do by a simple relation of matters of fact, though I cannot at this distance of time recollect every calamitous circumstance that attended our strange. reverse of fortune. On Wednesday night, February the 9th, be tween the hours of eleven and twelve, our house took fire, by what accident God only knows. It was discovered by some sparks falling from the roof upon a bed where one of the children (Hetty) lay, and burnt her feet. She immediately ran to our chamber and called us; but I believe no one heard her, for Mr. Wesley was alarmed by a cry of fire in the street, upon which he rose, little imagining that his own house was on fire; but on opening his door, he found it was full of smoke, and that the roof was already burnt through. He immediately came to my room (as I was very ill he lay in a separate room from me) and bid me and my two eldest daughters rise quickly and shift for our lives, the house being all on fire. Then he ran and burst open the nursery door, and called to the maid to bring out the children. The two little ones lay in the bed with her; the three others in another bed. She snatched up the youngest, and bid the rest follow, which they did, except Jackey. When we were got into the hall, and saw ourselves surrounded with flames, and that the roof was on the point of falling, we considered ourselves inevitably lost, as Mr. Wesley in his fright had forgot the keys of the doors above stairs. But he ventured up stairs once more, and recovered them, a minute before the stair-case took fire. When we opened the street door, the strong north-east wind drove the flames in with such violence, that none could stand against them: Mr. Wesley, only, had such presence of mind as to think of the garden-door, out of which he helped some of the children; the rest got through the windows. I was not in a condition to climb up to the windows: nor could I get to the garden door. I endeavored three times to force my passage the street door, but was as often beat back by the fury of the flames. In this distress I besought our blessed Saviour to preserve me, if it were his will, from that death, and then waded through the fire, naked as I was, which did me no farther harın than a little scorching my hands and face. "While Mr. Wesley was carrying the children into the garden he heard the child in the nursery cry out miserably for help, which extremely affected him; but his affliction was much increased, when he had several times attempted the stairs then on fire, and found they would not bear his weight. Finding it was impossible to get near him, he gave him up for lost, and kneeling down he commended his soul to God, and left him, as he thought, perishing in the flames. But the boy seeing none come to his help, and being frightened, the chamber and bed being on fire, he climbed up to the casement, where he was soon perceived by the men in the yard, who immediately got up and pulled him out, just in the article of time that the roof fell in, and beat the chamber to the ground. Thus, by the infinite mercy of Almighty God, our lives were all preserved by little less than a miracle, for there passed but a few minutes between the first alarm of fire, and the falling of the house." 66 Mr. John Wesley's account of what happened to himself, varies a little from this relation given by his mother. "I believe," says he, it was just at that time (when they thought they heard him ery) I waked: for I did not cry, as they imagined, unless it was afterwards. I remember all the circumstances as distinctly as 6 though it were but yesterday. Seeing the room was very light, I called to the maid to take me up. But none answering, I put my head out of the curtains, and saw streaks of fire on the top of the room. I got up and ran to the door, but could get no further, all the floor beyond it being in a blaze. I then climbed upon a chest which stood near the window: one in the yard saw nie, and proposed running to fetch a ladder. Another answered, there will Hot be time: but I have thought of another expedient. Here I will fix myself against the wall: lift a light man, and set him on my shoulders.' They did so, and he took me out of the window. Just then the roof fell; but it fell inward, or we had all been crushed at once. When they brought me into the house where my father was, he cried out, Come, neighbors! let us kneel down! let us give thanks to God! He has given me all my eight children: let the house go, I am rich enough!'” "The next day, as he was walking in the garden, and surveying the ruins of the house, he picked up part of a leaf of his Polyglot Bible, on which just those words were legible. Vade; vende omnia quæ habes, et attolle crucem, et sequere me. Go; sell all that thou hast; and take up thy cross and follow me. The peculiar danger and wonderful escape of this child, excited a good deal of attention and inquiry at the time, especially among the friends and relations of the family. His brother Samuel, being then at Westminster, writes to his mother on this occasion in the following words, con plaining that they did not inform him of the particulars. "I have not heard a word from the country, since the first letter you sent me after the fire. I am quite ashamed to go to any of my relations. They ask me whether my father means to leave Epworth? whether he is building his house? whether he has lost all his books and papers? if nothing was saved? what was the lost child, a boy or a girl? what was its name? &c. To all which I am forced to answer, I cannot tell; I do not know; I have not heard-I have asked my father some of these questions, but am still an ignoramus." All the children received the first rudiments of learning from their mother, who, as we have seen, was admirably qualified for this office in her own family. I can find no evidence that the boys were ever put to any school in the country, their mother having a very bad opinion of the common methods of instructing and governing children. But she was not only attentive to their progress in learning, she likewise endeavored to give them, as early as possible, just and useful notions of religion. Her mind seems to have been led to a more than ordinary attention to Mr. Wesley in this respect. In one of her private meditations, when he was near eight years old, she mentions him, in a manner that shows how much her heart was engaged in forming his mind for religion. I shall transcribe the whole meditation for the benefit of the reader. "Evening, May 17, 1711. Son John. "What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercies? The ittle unworthy praise that I can offer, is so mean and contemptible *See Arminian Magazine, vol. i. page 32. an offering, that I am even ashamed to tender it. But, Lord, accept it for the sake of Christ, and pardon the deficiency of the sacrifice. "I would offer thee myself, and all that thou hast given me; and I would resolve, O give me grace to do it, that the residue of my life shall be all devoted to thy service. And I do intend to be more particularly careful of the soul of this child, that thou hast so mercifully provided for, than ever I have been; that I may do my endeavor to instil into his mind the principles of thy true religion, and virtue. Lord give me grace to do it sincerely and prudently, and bless my attempts with good success." Her good endeavors were not without the desired effect; for I believe it was about this time, being eight years old, that he begun to receive the sacrament. In the month of April, 1712, he had the smallpox, together with four others of the children. His father was then in London, to whom his mother writes thus: "Jack has bore his disease bravely, like a man, and indeed like a Christian, without any complaint; though he seemed angry at the smallpox when they were sore, as we guessed by his looking sourly at them, for he never said anything." In 1714, he was placed at the Charter-house, and became distinguished for his diligence and progress in learning; so that, in 1719, when his father was hesitating in wht situation he should place Charles, his brother Samuel writes thus of him: "My brother Jack, I can faithfully assure you, gives you no manner of discouragement from breeding your third son a scholar." Two or three months afterwards he mentions him again, in a letter to his father: "Jack is with me, and a brave boy, learning Hebrew as fast as he can." He was now sixteen, and the next year was elected to Christ Church, Oxford. Here he pursued his studies with great advantage, I believe under the direction of Dr. Wigan, a gentleman eminent for his classical knowledge. Mr. Wesley's natural temper in his youth was gay and phtly, with a turn for wit and humor. When he was about twenty-one years of age, "he appeared, as Mr. Badcock has observed, the very sensible and acute collegiana young fellow of the finest classical taste, of the most liberal and tainly sentiments."* His perfect knowledge of the classics gave a smooth polish to his wit, and an air of superior elegance to all his compositions He had already begun to amuse himself occasionally with writing verses, though most of his poetical pieces at this period, were, I believe, either imitations or translations of the Latin. Some time in this year, however, he wrote an imitation of the 65th Psalm, which he sent to his father, who says, "I like your verses on the 65th Psalm, and would not have you bury your In the summer of this year, his brother, Mr. Samuel Wesley, broke his leg, and when he was recovering, wrote to Mr. John Wesley at Oxford, infor...ing him of his misfortune, and requesting some verses from him. Mr. Wesley's answer is dated the 17th of * Westminster Magazine. June, when he was just twenty-one years of age. The letter shows his lively and pleasant manner of writing when young; and the verses afford a specimen of his poetical abilities to give a beautiful and elegant dress, to verses intended as ridicule. "I believe," says he, "I need not use many arguments to show I am sorry for your misfortune, though at the same time I am glad, you are in a fair way of recovery. If I had heard of it from any one else, I might probably have pleased you with some impertinent consolations; but the way of your relating it is a sufficient proof, that they are what you don't stand in need of. And indeed, if I understand you rightly, you have more reason to thank God that you did not break both, than to repine because you have broke one leg. You have undoubtedly heard the story of the Dutch seaman, who having broke one of his legs by a fall from the main-mast, instead of condoling himself, thanked God that he had not broke his neck. I scarce know whether your first news vexed me, or your last news pleased me more: but I can assure you, that though I did not cry for grief at the former, I did for joy at the latter part of your letter. The two things which I most wished for of almost any thing in the world, were to see my mother, and Westminster once again, and to see them both together was so far above my expectations, that I almost looked upon it as next to an impossibility. I have been so very frequently disappointed when I had set my heart on any pleasure, that I will never again depend on any before it comes. However, I shall be obliged to you if you will tell me, as near as you can, how soon my uncle is expected in England,* and my mother in London." "Since you have a mind to see some of my verses, I have sent you some, which employed me above an hour yesterday in the afternoon. There is one, and I am afraid but one good thing in them, that is, they are short. From the Latin. "As o'er fair Cloe's rosy cheek, As Juno near her throne above, Cloe shall have her fav'rite flea. Pleas'd at his chains, with nimble steps Leaving at length his old abode, The uncle here mentioned was his mother's only brother. He was in the service of the East-India Company, and the public prints having stated that he was returning home in one of the Company's ships, Mrs. Wesley came to London when the ship arrived, to meet him. But the information was false, and she disappointed. Private Papers |