Nay to high heav'n for greater gifts I bend, Allow'd the sportive and instructive scene: Nay, yet sublimer joys our bosoms prov'd, The shiv'ring wretch we cloth'd, the mourner cheer'd, Their bodies, nor neglects th' immortal part. Sometimes, in shades impierc'd by Cynthia's beam, Youth, wit, good nature, candor, sense, combin'd, Now close the blissful scene, exhausted muse, Miss Kezzey Wesley was addressed by Mr. Hall, a young gentleman of a good understanding, agreeable in his person, and engaging in his address. He was entered at Lincoln College as Mr. Wesley's pupil, on the 22d of January, 1781; but Mr. Wesley was totally ignorant of the matter when he first paid his addresses to his sister.* Mr. Hall, I think, entered into orders while he was at Oxford; and though most of the family thought highly of him in every respect as a religious character, yet Samuel Wesley strongly doubted his sincerity. Mr. John Wesley believed him sincere and pious, but in a letter written to his mother, when Mr. Hall was at Oxford, he speaks of him as highly enthusiastic and superstitious. After he had gained the affections of the young lady he quitted her, and paid his addresses to her elder sister. The family opposed this conduct with great vehemence, especially the three brothers. But the marriage, notwithstanding, took place, and the future conduct of Mr. Hall by no means corresponded to *This appears from a letter Mr. Wesley wrote to Mr. Hall, in which he mentions this circumstance. the expectations they at first formed of him. After some years he quitted his wife, and afterwards lived in the most loose and scandalous manner. Mrs. Hall bore her trials with remarkable patience and resignation. Indeed in this respect she was a pattern to all Christians; for I do not remember, that I ever heard her speak ill of any person, whatever injuries she might have received. -Miss Kezzy Wesley died on the 9th of March, 1741, and Mr. Charles gives the following account of her death in a letter to his brother. "Yesterday morning sister Kezzy died in the Lord Jesus. He finished his work, and cut it short in mercy-full of thankfulness, resignation and love, without pain or trouble, she commended her spirit into the hands of Jesus, and fell asleep." Mrs. Hall survived all her brothers and sisters, and died in peace, July 12th, 1791. CHAPTER V. Of the Rev. Samuel Wesley Junior. SAMUEL WESLEY, M. A., son of Samuel and Susannah Wesley, was born about 1692,* a year or two before his parents removed to Epworth; being nearly eleven years older than his brother Mr. John Wesley, and sixteen older than Mr. Charles. He was sent to Westminster School about the beginning of the year 1704, and admitted a King's Scholar in 1707.† Before he left home, his mother, by judicious and constant instruction, had formed his mind to a knowledge and serious sense of religion; but she knew the danger of his situation at Westmintser, and how exceedingly apt young persons are to be drawn aside from religion and virtue, by improper companions, and bad examples constantly before their eyes. On this account she was anxious for the preservation of his morals, as he grew up and became more exposed to the temptations of evil. After she had recovered from the shock of the fire which destroyed all they had, and from the fury of which they saved themselves with great difficulty, she wrote to him a long letter, dated October, 1709; which, for the importance of the matter, and the energy with which it is written, is highly deserving of preservation; but on account of its length I can insert only a part of it. This part of it, however, will bring forward to the view of parents an example of attention to the best interest of a child, which it will be their happiness and glory to follow. "I hope," says she, "that you retain the impressions of your education, nor have forgot that the vows of God are upon you. You know that the first fruits are heaven's by an unalienable right; *This date of his birth is taken from a memorandum, which Mr. John Wesley wrote on the back of one of his brother's letters. + Welch's List of Scholars of St. Peter's College, Westminster, as they were elected to Christ Church, Oxford, and to Trinity College, Cambridge, p. 91. and that, as your parents devoted you to the service of the altar, so you yourself made it your choice when your father was offered another way of life for you. But have you duly considered what such a choice, and such a dedication imports? Consider well, what separation from the world! what purity! what devotion! what exemplary virtue! is required in those who are to guide others to glory. I say exemplary, for low, common degrees of piety are not sufficient for those of the sacred function. You must not think to live like the rest of the world: your light must so shine among men, that they may see your good works, and thereby be led to glorify your Father which is in heaven. For my part, I cannot see with what face clergymen can reprove sinners, or exhort men to lead a good life, when they themselves indulge their own corrupt inclinations, and by their practice contradict their doctrine. If the holy Jesus be in truth their Master, and they are really his ambassadors, surely it becomes them to live like his disciples; and if they do not, what a sad account must they give of their stewardship. "I would advise you, as much as possible in your present circumstances, to throw your business into a certain method; by which means you will learn to improve every precious moment, and find an unspeakable facility in the performance of your respective duties. Begin and end the day with him who is the Alpha and Omega; and if you really experience what it is to love God, you will redeem all the time you can for his more immediate service. I will tell you what rule I used to observe when I was in my father's house, and had as little, if not less liberty than you have now: I used to allow myself as much time for recreation as I spent in private devotion; not that I always spent so much, but I gave myself leave to go so far, but no farther. So in all things else, appoint so much time for sleep, eating, company, &c. But above all things, my dear Sammy, I command, I beg, I beseech you, to be very strict in observing the Lord's day. In all things endeavor to act upon principle, and do not live like the rest of mankind, who pass through the world like straws upon a river which are carried which way the stream or wind drives them. Often put this question to yourself, Why do I this or that? Why do I pray, read, study, use devotion, &c. ?-by which means you will come to such a steadiness and consistency in your words and actions, as becomes a reasonable creature and a good Christian." These observations were worthy of the mother, and they were properly regarded and followed by the son. When senior scholar at Westminster, the Bishop of Rochester* took him to his seat at Bromley, in Kent, to read to him in the evenings. He was at this time eagerly pursuing his studies, and this circumstance, which for several reasons would have been highly gratifying to many, was to him no small mortification. From this place he wrote a Latin letter to his father, in August, 1710, in which he complains heavily of the bishop for the interruption he * The predecessor of Atterbury, who was not advanced to the See of Rochester till 1713. gave him in his learning. An extract from this letter I shall insert below, and give the general purport of it in English. Speaking of the bishop, he observes, "He will always be exceedingly troublesome to me both in sacred and profane learning; for he interrupts the studies to which I had applied with all my night. Last year, in the midst of our business in the college, he took me off both from study and from school, not only without any benefit, but without calling me to any thing which had even the appearance of either utility or pleasure. To-day he is from home, or I should scarcely have leisure to write this letter. He chose me from all the scholars, me, who am hoarse and short-sighted, to read to him at night. I am glad you enjoy good health. I beg yours and my mother's blessing. I saw my grandmotherf in the last holidays; in those which are approaching I cannot, because I am detained by an unfriendly friend." He was about eighteen years old when he wrote this letter, and not yet removed from school. We may observe in it marks of a strong mind, wholly devoted to the pursuit of classical knowledge; and considering his age and situation at the time, it shows a progress in learning which does him credit. His mother's advices had a proper effect on his mind, and were the means of preserving him from vices too common to the youth of the place. He retained his sobriety, his reverence for God, and regard for religion. In December this year he wrote to his mother, and the following extract from his letter gives a pleasing view of his simplicity, and serious attention to the state of his own heart, and the first motions of evil. "I received the sacrament," says he, "the first Sunday of this month-I am unstable as water-I frequently make good resolutions and keep them for a time, and then grow weary of the restraint. I have one grand failing, which is, that having done my duty, I undervalue others, and think what wretches the rest of the college are compared with me. Sometimes in my relapses I cry out, Can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots, then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil: but I answer again, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.' Amen." The next year, 1711, he was elected to Christ Church, Oxford;+ and here, as well as at Westminster, he acquired the character of an excellent classic scholar. But his mind was too large, and his zeal for religion and the established church too ardent, to be *Speaking of the bishop, he says, "Ille mihi, et in sacris et in profanis rebus semper erit infestissimus; studia enim intermitti cogit, quibus pro virili incubueram. Ultimo anno in collegio agendo, ubi non mihi seniori opus est amicorum hospitio, a studiis et a schola me detraxit; non modo nullam ad utilitatem, sed ne ad minimam quidem vel utilitatis vel voluptatis speciem me vocavit. Ipse hodie foras est, aliter vix otium foret quo has subscriberem. Me ex omnibus discipulis elegit, ut perlegerem ei noctu libros; me raucum, me μvшna. Gaudeo vos valetudine bona frui. Tuam et maternam benedictionem oro-Episcopus jussit me illius in literis mentionem facere. Da veniam subitis-Aviam ultimis festis vidi; his venientibus non possum, quia ab inimico amico detineor." The widow of Mr. John Wesley, of New-Inn Hall, Oxford, and niece to Dr. Thomas Fuller. She had now been a widow near forty years. Welch's List, &c. page 95. confined within the bounds prescribed by the common exercises of the place. The following letter shows that he took an active part in some of the principal questions agitated among the literati of that time. It is dated June 3, 1713, when he had been about two years at Oxford; and is addressed to the Honorable Robert Nelson, Esquire. He says, "I hoped long ere this to have perfected, as well I could, my dissertation on Ignatius, and gotten it ready for the press, when I came to town this year. But I found myself disappointed, at first, for some months, by my affairs in the East India House, and since by my charity hymns and other matters. I think I told you some time since that I had laid materials together for a second discourse on that subject, directly against Mr. Whiston's objections to the shorter and genuine copy of Ignatius; whereas my former was chiefly against the larger; because I then thought, if that were proved interpolated, it would be readily granted that the other was the genuine. But having found, when Mr. Whiston's four volumes came out, that he had in the first of them laid together many objections against the shorter epistles, I set myself to consider them; and having now got Archbishop Usher, Bishop Pearson, and Dr. Smith, on that subject, and as carefully as I could perused them, I found that many of Mr. Whiston's objections were taken from Daille, a few from the writings of the Socinians and modern Arians, though most of them from his own observations. These latter being new, and having not appeared when Bishop Pearson or the others wrote, could not be taken notice of by them, and being now published in the English language, may seduce some well-meaning persons, and persuade them that the true Ignatius was of the same opinion with the Arians (whereas I am sure he was as far from it as light is from darkness) and that the rather because there has been as yet no answer, that I know of, published to them, though they were printed in the year 1711. I know many are of the opinion it is best still to slight him and take no notice of him. This I confess is the most easy way, but cannot tell whether it will be safe in respect to the common people, or will tend so much to the honor of our church and nation. Of this, however, I am pretty confident, that I can prove all his main objections, whether general or particular, against the shorter copy, to be notoriously false. Such as that pp. 86, 87, that the smaller so frequently call Christ God,' which he says was done to serve the turn of the Athanasians, and cannot in reason be supposed to be an omission in the larger, but must be interpolation in the smaller whereas I find that the smaller call him God but fifteen times, the larger eighteen, and if we take in those to Antioch and Tarsus, twenty-two times, for an obvious reason. "Again, he says, p. 64, that serious exhortations to practical, especially domestic duties, are in the larger only, being to a surprising degree omitted in the smaller. But I have collected above one hundred instances wherein these duties are most pressingly recommended in the smaller. "But what he labors most, is to prove that the first quotations in Eusebius and others of the ancients are agreeable to the larger, |