Susanna Wesley
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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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176 SUSANNA WESLEY. spiritual diseases, which must be cured by the power of Christ before we can be capable of being happy, even though it were possible for us to be admitted into heaven hereafter. If the young man's father were well apprised of this, he would not venture to pronounce his son a good Christian upon such weak grounds as he seems to do. Yet, notwithstanding the father's indifference, I cannot but conceive good hopes of the son, because he chooses to spend so much of his time with you (for I presume he is not forced to it) ; and if we may not from thence conclude that he is good, I think we may believe he desires to be so and ; if that be the case, give him time. We know that the great work of regeneration is not performed at once, but proceeds by slow and often imperceptible degrees, yet, with by reason of the strong opposition which corrupt nature makes against it. ... " Mr. Clayton and Mr. Hall (afterwards Mrs. Wesley's son-in-law) are much wiser than I am ; submission to their better judgments, I think that though some mark of visible superiority on your part is convenient to maintain the order of the world, yet severity is not since ; experience may convince us that such kind of behaviour towards a man (children are out of the question) may make him a hypocrite, but will never make him a convert. Never trouble yourself to enquire whether he love you or not. If you can persuade him to love God, he will love you as much as is necessary. If he love not God, his love is of no value. But be that as it may, we must refer all things to God, and be as indifferent as we possibly can be in all matters wherein the great enemy self is concerned. " If you and your few pious companions have devoted two hours in the evening to religious reading

PARTINGS. 177 or conference, there can be no dispute but that you ought to spend the whole time in such exercises as it was set apart for. But if your evenings be not strictly devoted, I see no harm in talking sometimes of your secular affairs ; but as if, you say, it does your novice no good, and does yourselves harm, the case is plain you must not prejudice your own souls to do another good, much less ought you to do so when you can do no good at all. Of this ye are better judges than I can be. " It was well you paid not for a double letter. I am always afraid of putting you to charge, and that fear prevented me from sending you a long scribble indeed a while ago. For a certain person [probably John Whitelamb] and I had a warm debate on some important points in religion, wherein we could not agree ; afterwards he wrote some propositions which I endeavoured to answer. And this controversy I was minded to have sent you, and to have desired your judgment upon it, but the unreasonable cost of such a letter then hindered me from sending it. Since, I have heard him in two sermons contradict every article he before defended, which makes me hope that upon second thoughts his mind is changed and if that is ; so, what was said in private conference ought not to be remembered, and therefore I would not send you the at all. papers " I cannot think Mr. Hall does well in refusing an opportunity of doing so much service to religion as he certainly might do if he accepted the living he is about to refuse. Surely there never was more need of orthodox, sober divines in our Lord's vineyard than there is now ; and why a man of his extraordinary piety and love for souls should decline the service in this 12 critical

176 SUSANNA WESLEY.<br />

spiritual diseases, which must be cured by the power<br />

of Christ before we can be capable of being happy,<br />

even though it were possible for us to be admitted<br />

into heaven hereafter. If the young man's father<br />

were well apprised of this, he would not venture to<br />

pronounce his son a good Christian upon such weak<br />

grounds as he seems to do. Yet, notwithstanding the<br />

father's indifference, I cannot but conceive good hopes<br />

of the son, because he chooses to spend so much of his<br />

time with you (for I presume he is not forced to it) ;<br />

and if we may not from thence conclude that he is<br />

good, I think we may believe he desires to be so and<br />

;<br />

if that be the case, give him time. We know that the<br />

great work of regeneration is not performed at once,<br />

but proceeds by slow and often imperceptible degrees,<br />

yet, with<br />

by reason of the strong opposition which corrupt<br />

nature makes against<br />

it. ...<br />

" Mr. Clayton and Mr. Hall (afterwards Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong>'s<br />

son-in-law) are much wiser than I am ;<br />

submission to their better judgments, I think that<br />

though some mark of visible superiority on your part<br />

is convenient to maintain the order of the world, yet<br />

severity is not since<br />

; experience may convince us that<br />

such kind of behaviour towards a man (children are<br />

out of the question) may make him a hypocrite, but<br />

will never make him a convert. Never trouble yourself<br />

to enquire whether he love you or not. If you<br />

can persuade him to love God, he will love you as much<br />

as is necessary. If he love not God, his love is of no<br />

value. But be that as it<br />

may, we must refer all things<br />

to God, and be as indifferent as we possibly can be in<br />

all matters wherein the great enemy<br />

self is concerned.<br />

" If you and your few pious companions have<br />

devoted two hours in the evening to religious reading

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