Susanna Wesley
This is the story of Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742 Mother of Charles and John Wesley, who were founders of the Methodist Church. Susanna and her husband, Samuel, had nineteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. Her son Charles became a well-known hymn writer and her son John became the found of Methodism. Susanna was brought up in a Puritan home as the youngest of twenty-five children. As a teenager, she became a member of the Church of England. She became the wife of a chronically debt-ridden parish rector in an English village. She said, "I have had a large experience of what the world calls adverse fortune." Nonetheless, Susanna managed to pass down to her children Christian principles that stayed with them.
This is the story of Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742 Mother of Charles and John Wesley, who were founders of the Methodist Church. Susanna and her husband, Samuel, had nineteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. Her son Charles became a well-known hymn writer and her son John became the found of Methodism.
Susanna was brought up in a Puritan home as the youngest of twenty-five children. As a teenager, she became a member of the Church of England. She became the wife of a chronically debt-ridden parish rector in an English village. She said, "I have had a large experience of what the world calls adverse fortune." Nonetheless, Susanna managed to pass down to her children Christian principles that stayed with them.
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PARTINGS. 175<br />
think they ought to do ; for, as bad as they think their<br />
condition now, I doubt it will be far worse when his<br />
head is laid low. Your sisters send their love to you<br />
and Charles ;<br />
and my love and blessing to you both.<br />
Adieu.<br />
" SUSANNA WESLEY."<br />
Some parts of a very long letter written to John by<br />
his mother during Mr. <strong>Wesley</strong>'s last absence in<br />
London, are interesting as showing how well she was<br />
acquainted, through her son's conversation and letters,<br />
with his Oxford friends, and the mode of dividing<br />
their time and regulating their occupations which<br />
had already earned for them the appellation of<br />
Methodists :<br />
"<br />
SON,<br />
Saturday, March 30th, 1734.<br />
" The young gentleman's father (Mr. Morgan),<br />
for aught I can perceive, has a better notion of<br />
religion than many people, though not the best, for<br />
few insist upon the necessity of private prayers.<br />
But if they go to church sometimes, and abstain<br />
from the grossest acts of mortal sin, though they<br />
.are ignorant of the spirit<br />
and power of godliness,<br />
and have no sense of the love of God and universal<br />
benevolence, yet they rest well satisfied of their salvation,<br />
and are pleased to think they enjoy the world<br />
as much as they can while they live, and have heaven<br />
in reserve when they die. I have met with abundance<br />
of these people in my time, and I think it one of<br />
the most difficult things imaginable to bring these<br />
off from their carnal security, and to convince them<br />
that heaven is a state as well as a place a state of<br />
holiness begun in this life, though not perfected till<br />
we enter on life eternal that all sins are so many
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