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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194 SUSANNA WESLEY. served faithfully according to his lights called Samuel up to the realms of peace and clear vision. Mrs. Wesley left him in his usual health at Tivertou and went to London early in 1739, perhaps resting at Salisbury on her way. John contemplated making a home and centre for his work in the metropolis, and wished her to live there. The Halls were near, Hetty in Soho, Anne at Hatfield, and Kezzy, her youngest born, at Bexley, where her brother John had placed her in the family of the Vicar, Mr. Piers, his friend and follower. Charles had recently been ill, and Kezzy, though delicate herself, had nursed him tenderly. The mother probably hailed the opportunity of being within easy reach of them all, and regarded the Foundry as a haven of rest for her old age. It certainly promised well, and bade fair to be a pleasant, healthy, airy residence. Moorfields was the people's park of the period, with fine old elm trees, wide stretches of green grass and broad gravel walks, where the city fathers enjoyed rest and recreation with their families after business hours. Close to this open space was Windmill Hill, on the east side of which stood a ruinous tiled building, where successive Governments had cast the first great guns used by our armies. But in 1716, while the French cannon taken in Marlborough's successful campaigns were being re-cast, a terrible explosion took place, blowing off the roof, shattering the walls, and killing and maiming many of the workmen. It was felt that such a source of danger ought not to exist in the very midst of London, and for the future the guns were cast at Woolwich, the old foundry being left in ruins. There were about forty yards of frontage, and the depth of the plot of land on

WIDOWHOOD. 195 which it stood was thirty-three yards. The site and building were secured for 115, and the edifice, when altered, repaired, and adapted for its new purposes cost about 650 more. John Wesley had no income beyond that brought in by his Oxford fellowship, but friends lent and subscribed money, though the full amount was long in coming. There was a rough chapel with benches, a rude pulpit, hastily made of boards, a house for the accommodation of the lay preachers and one or two servants, a small coachhouse and stable, and, over the band room, apartments for John Wesley, to which he brought home his mother and installed her as mistress. Here she was able to talk many things over with her son, who tells us that till a short time previously she said " she had scarce heard such a thing mentioned as the having God's spirit bear witness with our spirit much less did she imagine that this was the : common privilege of all true believers. 'Therefore/ said she, ' I never durst ask it for myself. But two or three weeks ago, while my son Hall was pronouncing these words in delivering the cup to me, "The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee/ v the words struck through my heart, and I knew God for Christ's sake had forgiven me all my sins/ I asked whether her father (Dr. Annesley) had not the same faith ; and whether she had not heard him preach it to others. She answered, he had it himself; and declared a little before his death, that for more than forty years, he had no darkness, no fear, no doubt at all of his being accepted in the Beloved. But that, have heard him nevertheless, she did not remember to preach, no, not once, explicitly upon it; whence she supposed he also looked upon it as the peculiar bless- 13 *

WIDOWHOOD. 195<br />

which it stood was thirty-three yards. The site and<br />

building were secured for 115, and the edifice, when<br />

altered, repaired, and adapted for its new purposes<br />

cost about 650 more. John <strong>Wesley</strong> had no income<br />

beyond that brought in by his Oxford fellowship, but<br />

friends lent and subscribed money, though the full<br />

amount was long in coming. There was a rough<br />

chapel with benches, a rude pulpit, hastily made of<br />

boards, a house for the accommodation of the lay<br />

preachers and one or two servants, a small coachhouse<br />

and stable, and, over the band room, apartments<br />

for John <strong>Wesley</strong>, to which he brought home his mother<br />

and installed her as mistress.<br />

Here she was able to talk many things over with<br />

her son, who tells us that till a short time previously<br />

she said " she had scarce heard such a thing mentioned<br />

as the having God's spirit bear witness with our<br />

spirit much less did she imagine that this was the<br />

:<br />

common privilege of all true believers. 'Therefore/<br />

said she, ' I never durst ask it for myself. But two or<br />

three weeks ago, while my son Hall was pronouncing<br />

these words in delivering the cup to me, "The blood<br />

of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee/ v<br />

the words struck through my heart, and I knew God<br />

for Christ's sake had forgiven me all<br />

my sins/ I<br />

asked whether her father (Dr. Annesley) had not the<br />

same faith ;<br />

and whether she had not heard him preach<br />

it to others. She answered, he had it himself; and<br />

declared a little before his death, that for more than<br />

forty years, he had no darkness, no fear, no doubt at<br />

all of his being accepted in the Beloved. But that,<br />

have heard him<br />

nevertheless, she did not remember to<br />

preach, no, not once, explicitly upon it; whence she<br />

supposed he also looked upon it as the peculiar bless-<br />

13 *

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