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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206 SUSANNA WESLEY. let me rather grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. I know not what other opinion people may have of human nature, but, for my part, I think that without the grace of God we are utterly incapable of thinking, speaking, or doing anything good therefore, if in any : part of our life we have been enabled to perform anything good, we should give God the glory. If we have not improved the talents given us, the fault is our own. I find this is a way of talking much used among this people, which has much offended me ; and I have often wished they would talk less of themselves and more of God. I often hear loud complaints of sin, &c., but rarely, very rarely, any word of praise and thanksgiving to our dear Lord, or acknowledgment of His Infinite . . ." The remaining sentences are lost, and, as they probably bore on the kind of persons who frequented the Foundry and its services, it is a pity. It was about six months after the date of this letter, early in March 1741, that Kezia Wesley died at Bexley at the age of thirty-two. It is supposed that she never quite recovered the shock of finding that Wesley Hall had played with her youthful affections as a mere pastime while he was pledged to her sister Martha. She was the youngest, born just after her mother had gone through the terrible ordeal of fright and danger at the Epworth fire. She had endured many privations herself in her youth, all of which helped to account for her delicacy ; but hearts do count for something in women's lives, and an unhappy attachment often produces a want of physical rallying power, especially in one who has no very strong ties to life. Charles seems

to have been present when his LAST YEARS. 207 sister died, and to have been satisfied with her mental and spiritual state. The only specific disease from which Mrs. Wesley suffered was gout, which in her case was hereditary. It certainly had not arisen from high living and luxury in her own person. The powers of life gradually failed, and all the remaining daughters gathered round their mother. She especially asked Anne not to leave her again if she had strength to remain. Charles was obliged to go away, thinking that she might linger till his return ; J ohn was at Bristol, and, hearing that she was failing fast, rode off on Sunday evening, July 18th, 1742, after preaching to a large congregation. He reached the Foundry on the 20th, and, after seeing her, mother on the wrote in his journal, "I found my but she has no doubt or fear, nor borders of eternity ; any desire but, as soon as God should call her, to depart and be with Christ." On the following Friday afternoon he saw that the end was very near : she was speechless, but conscious ; so he read the commendatory prayer, as he had done seven years previously for his father. It was four o'clock, and, being weary with watching and emotion, he left her side for a moment to " drink a dish of tea." " She opened her One of his sisters called him back. eyes wide," he says, "and fixed them upward for a moment. Then the lids dropped, and the soul was set at liberty, without one struggle or groan or sigh. 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.'" It fell to Mrs. Lambert's lot to write to Charles the particulars of his mother's last days, and she said :

to have been present when his<br />

LAST YEARS. 207<br />

sister died, and to have<br />

been satisfied with her mental and spiritual state.<br />

The only specific disease from which Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong><br />

suffered was gout, which in her case was hereditary.<br />

It certainly had not arisen from high living and luxury<br />

in her own person. The powers of life gradually failed,<br />

and all the remaining daughters gathered round their<br />

mother. She especially asked Anne not to leave her<br />

again if she had strength to remain. Charles was<br />

obliged to go away, thinking that she might linger till<br />

his return ;<br />

J ohn was at Bristol, and, hearing that she<br />

was failing fast, rode off on Sunday evening, July 18th,<br />

1742, after preaching to a large congregation. He<br />

reached the Foundry on the 20th, and, after seeing her,<br />

mother on the<br />

wrote in his journal, "I found my<br />

but she has no doubt or fear, nor<br />

borders of eternity ;<br />

any desire but, as soon as God should call her, to<br />

depart and be with Christ."<br />

On the following Friday afternoon he saw that the<br />

end was very near : she was speechless, but conscious ;<br />

so he read the commendatory prayer, as he had done<br />

seven years previously for his father. It was four<br />

o'clock, and, being weary with watching and emotion,<br />

he left her side for a moment to " drink a dish of tea."<br />

" She opened her<br />

One of his sisters called him back.<br />

eyes wide," he says, "and fixed them upward for a<br />

moment. Then the lids dropped, and the soul was set<br />

at liberty, without one struggle or groan or sigh.<br />

We<br />

stood round the bed, and fulfilled her last request,<br />

'<br />

uttered a little before she lost her speech, Children,<br />

as soon as I am released, sing a psalm of praise to<br />

God.'"<br />

It fell to Mrs. Lambert's lot to write to Charles the<br />

particulars of his mother's last days, and she said :

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