"Some families who seldom went to church, now go constantly; and one person who has not been there for seven years, is now prevailed upon to go with the rest. "There are many other good consequences of this meeting which I have not time to mention. Now I beseech you weigh all things in an impartial balance: on the one side, the honor of Almighty God, the doing of much good to many souls, and the friendship of the best among whom we live; on the other (if folly, impiety, and vanity may abide in the scale against so ponderous a weight) the senseless objections of a few scandalous persons, laughing at us, and censuring us as precise and hypocritical; and when you have duly considered all things, let me know your positive determina tion. "I need not tell you the consequences, if you determine to put an end to our meeting. You may easily foresee what prejudices it may raise in the minds of these people against Inman especially, who has had so little wit as to speak publicly against it. I can now keep them to the church, but if it be laid aside, I doubt they will never go to hear him more, at least those who came from the lower end of the town; but if this be continued till you return, which now will not be long, it may please God that their hearts may be so changed by that time, that they may love and delight in his public worship so as never to neglect it more. "If you do, after all, think fit to dissolve this assembly, do not tell me that you desire me to do it, for that will not satisfy my conscience: but send me your positive command, in such full and express terms, as may absolve me from all guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity of doing good, when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our LORD JESUS CHRIST." The meeting, I believe, was continued until Mr. Wesley returned to Epworth. Mrs. Wesley continued to discharge the duties of a wife and parent with the greatest diligence and punctuality. The letters she wrote to her sons, when at Oxford, and after they had left it, show her in the most amiable light, both for knowledge and piety. In 1735 she lost her husband, and afterwards divided her time between her children, till about the year 1739; after which, I believe, she resided chiefly in London. It appears from all we have seen of Mrs. Wesley, that she was a woman of real experience in the things of God. But it does not appear that she had a clear notion of justification as distinct from sanctification; on the contrary, she seems to have confounded them together. The consequence was, that her knowledge of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, without the deeds of the law, was not so clear as it might have been; and this hindered her from enjoying that full assurance of her state, and the peace and joy consequent upon it, which otherwise she would have had. When her two sons, Mr. John and Charles Wesley, began to preach the doctrine of justification by faith in 1738, and many professed to be so justified, and to know the time when this change in their state took place, she mentions their notions as new, in a letter she wrote to her son Samuel in November this year; though it must be acknowledged that she had not then conversed with them on the subject, and therefore did not know what doctrines they taught, except by report. It has indeed been said that she "lived long enough to deplore the extravagance of her sons;" and this assertion was founded on the letter above mentioned. But what she says on this subject has only a reference to dreams, visions, or some extraordinary revelation, which some persons pretended to have had, and in which they had received the knowledge of their justification, at least this was reported of several; but she no where charges her sons with teaching this as the way of justification. But the author of the assertion above mentioned has made several assertions concerning some of his family, which have not the least foundation in any fact, and could have originated no where but in his own mistaken fancy; so little credit is generally due to an author, even of character and ability, when he speaks of religious persons, against whom he has imbibed some prejudice. The following extract from three of her letters to Mr. Charles Wesley,† will show us her opinion of the doctrine and conduct of her sons, more clearly than any thing which has yet appeared inprint. "October 19, 1738. "It is with much pleasure I find your mind is somewhat easier than formerly, and I heartily thank God for it. The spirit of inan may sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear. If this hath been your case, it has been sad indeed. But blessed be God who gave you convictions of the evil of sin, as contrary to the purity of the divine nature, and the perfect goodness of his law. Blessed be God who showed you the necessity you were in of a Saviour to deliver you from the power of sin and Satan (for Christ will be no Saviour to such as see not their need of one) and directed you by faith to lay hold of that stupendous mercy offered us by redeeming love! JESUS is the only physician of souls; his blood the only salve which can heal a wounded conscience. It is not in wealth, or honor, or sensual pleasures, to relieve a spirit heavy laden and weary of the burden of sin; these things have power to increase our guilt, by alienating our hearts from God, but none to make our peace with him; to reconcile God to man, and man to God, and to renew the union between the divine and human nature. No, there is none but CHRIST, none but CHRIST, who is sufficient for these things-But blessed be God, he is an all-sufficient Saviour! and blessed be his holy name, that thou hast found him a Saviour to thee, my son-O! let us love him much, for we have much to be forgiven. "I would gladly know what your notion is of justifying faith; because you speak of it as a thing you have but lately obtained." The second letter is dated December 6th, 1738. In it she says, I think you are fallen into an odd way of thinking. You say, * Printed in Dr. Priestley's collection. + For these letters, and some other papers of importance in this work, I am under great obligations to the Rev. Mr. L―y. that, till within a few months, you had no spiritual life, nor any justifying faith. Now this is, as if a man should affirm he was not alive in his infancy, because when an infant he did not know he was alive. All then that I can gather from your letter is, that till a little while ago you were not so well satisfied of your being a Christian as you are now. I heartily rejoice that you have now attained to a strong and lively hope in God's mercy through Christ. Not that I can think you were totally without saving faith before; but it is one thing to have faith, and another thing to be sensible we have it. Faith is the fruit of the Spirit, and is the gift of God; but to feel, or be inwardly sensible that we have true faith requires a further operation of God's Holy Spirit. You say you have peace, but not joy, in believing; blessed be God for peace; may this peace rest with you. Joy will follow, perhaps not very closely, but it will follow faith and love. God's promises are sealed to us, but not dated. Therefore patiently attend his pleasure; he will give you joy in believing. Amen." From these letters we see, that Mrs. Wesley was so far from "deploring the extravagance of her sons," that she rejoiced in their christian experience, and praised God for it. She thought them mistaken in judging of their former state, but not in their notions of justifying faith itself; for she says in the letter last mentioned, "my notion of justifying faith is the same with yours; for that trusting in Jesus Christ, or the promises made in him, is that special act of faith to which our justification or acceptance is so frequently ascribed in the gospel. This faith is certainly the gift of God, wrought in the mind of man by his Holy Spirit." The two Mr Wesleys professed to know the time when they received justifying faith, and they taught that others might know the time of their justification: on this head she observes, "I do not judge it necessary for us to know the precise time of our conversion;" from which it appears that she did not think this part of their doctrine erroneous or extravagant; she was only afraid lest this circumstance should be made a necessary criterion of conversion which she thought might hurt the minds of weaker Christians. These letters, therefore, are a full confutation of Mr. Badcock's assertion. The third letter is dated December 27th, 1739, after she had come to reside chiefly in London. Here she enjoyed the conversation of her sons alternately, the one being always in town while the other was in the country. She now attended on their ministry, conversed with the people of the society, and became more perfectly acquainted with their whole doctrine, and seems heartily to have embraced it. Charles was in Bristol when she wrote this letter to him. She observes, "You cannot more desire to see me, than I do to see you. Your brother, whom I shall henceforward call son Wesley, since my dear Samuel is gone home-has just been with me, and much revived my spirits. Indeed I have often found that he never speaks in my hearing without my receiving some spiritual benefit. But his visits are seldom and short; for which I never blame him, because I know he is well employed; and blessed be God, hath great success in his ministry. "But my dear Charles, still I want either him or you. For indeed, in the most literal, sense, I am become a little child, and want continual succor. 'As iron sharpeneth iron, so doth the countenance of a man his friend.' I feel much comfort and support from religious conversation when I can obtain it. Formerly I rejoiced in the absence of company, and found, the less I had of creature comforts, the more I had from God. But alas! I am fallen from that spiritual converse I once enjoyed; and why is it so? because I want faith. God is omnipresent unchangeable good, in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.' The fault is in myself; and I attribute all mistakes in judgment, all errors in practice, to want of faith in the blessed Jesus. O! my dear, when I consider the dignity of his person, the perfection of his purity, the greatness of his sufferings; but above all, his boundless love, I am astonished and utterly confounded: I am lost in thought; I fall into nothing before him! O how inexcusable is that person who has knowledge of these things, and yet remains poor and low in faith and love. I speak as one guilty in this matter. "I have been prevented from finishing my letter. I complained I had none to converse with me on spiritual things; but for these several days I have had the conversation of many good Christians, who have refreshed in some measure my fainting spirits. And though they hindered my writing, yet it was a pleasing, and I hope not an unprofitable interruption they gave me. I hope we shall shortly speak face to face, and I shall then, if God permit, impart my thoughts more fully. But then, alas! when you come, your brother leaves me yet that is the will of God, in whose blessed service you are engaged; who hath hitherto blessed your labors, and preserved your persons. That he may continue so to prosper your word, and protect you both from evil, and give you strength and courage to preach the true gospel, in opposition to the united powers of evil men and evil angels, is the hearty prayer of, dear Charles, your loving mother, S. W." This letter gives full evidence that Mrs. Wesley cordially approved of the conduct of her sons, and was animated with zeal for the success of their labors. She continued in the most perfect harmony with them till her death; attending on their ministry, and walking in the light of God's countenance, she rejoiced in the happy experience of the truths she heard them preach. In the first attempts of a Layman to preach, it is said she heard his discourses. Mr. John Wesley was at this time absent from London; but the thing being quite new, and appearing extraordinary, he was immediately acquainted with it. He hastened up to London, with a full determination to put a stop to so glaring an irregularity. He conversed with his mother on the subject, and told her his intention. She said, "I charge you before God, take care what you do, for that man is as much called to preach the gospel as ever you were." This kept him from a hasty execution of his purpose; and it being found upon enquiry that good was done to the people, the practice was suffered to continue. Mr. Wesley gives the following account of his mother's death:* *Wesley's Works, vol. xxviii, p. 83. N. B. The date in the printed journal is erroneous. "I left Bristol in the evening of Sunday the 18th (July, 1742), and on Tuesday came to London. I found my mother on the borders of eternity. But she had no doubt or fear; nor any desire, but as soon as God should call, to depart and be with Christ. "Friday the 23d, about three in the afternoon, I went to my mother, and found her change was near. She was in her last conflict; unable to speak, but I believe quite sensible. Her look was calm and serene, and her eyes fixed upward, while we commended her soul to God. From three to four the silver cord was loosing, and the wheel breaking at the cistern; and then, without any struggle or sigh or groan, the soul was set at liberty! We stood round the bed, and fulfilled her last request, uttered a little before she lost her speech; 'Children, as soon as I am released, sing a psalm of praise to God.' "Sunday, August 1st. Almost an innumerable company of people being gathered together, about five in the afternoon, I commited to the earth the body of my mother, to sleep with her fathers. The portion of scripture from which I afterwards spoke, was, 'I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it; from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.' It was one of the most solemn assemblies I ever saw, or expect to see, on this side eternity. "We set up a plain stone at the head of her grave, inscribed with the following words: "Here lies the body of Mrs. Susannah Wesley, the youngest and last surviving daughter of Dr. Samuel Annesley. "In sure and steadfast hope to rise, Mrs. Wesley had taken great pains with all her children, to furnish their minds with useful knowledge, and to instil into them the principles of religion and virtue. The daughters were by no means neglected, they shared their mother's care with the sons. I have many of their letters by me, in which there is much strong sense, clean wit, and accurate language; though they were written on trifling subjects, and without any expectation that they would be preserved. Most of them had a fine genius for poetry; but Mrs. Wright shone the brightest in this walk of elegant amusement, and to her I shall chiefly confine my observations in speaking of the daughters of these venerable parents. Mrs. Wright was her mother's tenth or eleventh child; and it has been said, that when she was eight years old, she could read the Greek Testament. From her infancy she was gay and sprightly; and extremely addicted to wit and humor. As she grew up, she indulged herself in these dispositions so far, as to give great uneasiness to her parents, and was often betrayed into little inadvertences, which contributed, at least, to her future unhappiness |