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.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
SUEVIVOBS AND DESCENDANTS. 223<br />
from John, written to Mrs. Hall very shortly after the<br />
burial of their mother. It is as if he would insinuate<br />
that the time spent by a mother in her natural duties<br />
towards her children must be abstracted from that<br />
which should be occupied in furthering her own spiritual<br />
advancement, and, if so, is an item of a very selfish<br />
creed. Happily/ most of us believe that in rightly<br />
and conscientiously performing our parental and other<br />
obligations, we are best fulfilling the ends for which we<br />
are created. John <strong>Wesley</strong>, who never had a child of<br />
his own, and whose marriage was not precisely a union<br />
of<br />
souls, looked at the matter from quite another point<br />
of view :<br />
" Newcastle-on-Tyne,<br />
" DEAR " SISTER, November 17, 1742.<br />
" I believe the death of your children is a great<br />
instance of the goodness of God towards you. You<br />
have often mentioned to me how much of your time<br />
they took up. Now that time is restored to you, and<br />
you have nothing to do but to serve our Lord without<br />
carefulness and without distraction, till<br />
you are sanctified<br />
in body, soul and spirit.<br />
As soon as I saw Mr.<br />
Hall, I invited him to stay at the Foundry, but he<br />
desired I would have him excused. There is a strange<br />
inconsistency in his temper and sentiments with regard<br />
to me. The still brethren have gradually infused into<br />
him as much as they could of their own contempt of<br />
me and my brother, and dislike of our whole method<br />
of proceeding, which is as different from theirs as light<br />
from darkness. Nay, they have blunderingly taught<br />
him to find fault even with my economy and outward<br />
management, both of my family and society. Whereas<br />
I know this is the peculiar<br />
talent which God has given
Change language