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.
48 SUSANNA WESLEY. authority, however, to examine you ; but if any should be so impertinently curious to do it, put them civilly off, if you can ; but, if you cannot, resolutely tell them you will not satisfy their unreasonable desires ; and be sure you never, to gain the favour of any, hazard losing the favour of God, which you will do if you To God's merciful protection I commit speak falsely. you. " SUSANNA WESLEY." The next letter is not dated, but was written either during the same or the following year : SAMMY, " ' Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.' " Examine well your heart, and observe its inclinations, particularly what the general temper of your mind is; for, let me tell you, it is not a fit of devotion now and then speaks a man a Christian, but it is a mind universally and generally disposed to all the duties of Christianity in their proper times, places, &c. For instance, in the morning or evening, or any other time when occasion is offered, a good Christian will be cheerfully disposed to retire from the world, that he may offer to his Creator his sacrifice of prayer and praise, and will account it his happiness, as well as his duty, so to do. When he is in the world, if he have business, he will follow it diligently, as knowing that he must account with God at night for what he has done in the day, and that God expects we should be faithful in our calling as well as devout in our closets. A Christian ought, and in the general does, converse with the world like a stranger in an inn : he will use
TRIALS AND TROUBLES. 49 what is necessary for him, and cheerfully enjoy what he innocently can ; but at the same time he knows it is but an inn, and he will be but little concerned with what he meets with there, because he takes it not for his home. The mind of a Christian should be always composed, temperate, free from all extremes of mirth or sadness, and always disposed to hear the still small voice of God's Holy Spirit, which will direct him what and how to act in all the occurrences of life, if in all his ways he acknowledge Him, and depend on His assistance. I cannot now stay to speak of your particular duties; I hope I shall in a short time send you what I designed. " In the meantime, I beg of you, as one that has the greatest concern imaginable for your soul I : exhort you, as I am your faithful friend : and I command you, as I am your parent to use your utmost diligence to make your calling and election sure, to be faithful to your God ; and after I have said that, I need not bid you be industrious in your calling. " Sammy, think of what I say, and the blessed God make you truly sensible of your duty to Him, and also to me. Renew your broken vows ; if you have wasted or misemployed your time, take more care of what remains. If in anything you want counsel or advice, speak freely to me, and I will gladly assist you. I commit you to God's blessed protection. " SUSANNA WESLEY." While the mother was writing to her absent .boy, and keeping school with her other children, her husband was in his study writing rhyme as fast as it would flow from brain and pen. The Duke of Marlborough 4
- Page 10 and 11: vi PREFACE. of what they wrote, and
- Page 12 and 13: LIST OF AUTHORITIES. Memorials of t
- Page 14 and 15: 2 SUSANNA WESLEY. with a spice of s
- Page 16 and 17: 4 SUSANNA WESLEY. a saintly grandmo
- Page 18 and 19: 6 SUSANNA WESLEY. possibly being tu
- Page 20 and 21: 8 SUSANNA WESLEY. of figure to old
- Page 22 and 23: 10 SUSANNA WESLEY. Perhaps he sympa
- Page 24 and 25: 12 SUSANNA WESLEY. for he was engag
- Page 26 and 27: 14 SUSANNA WESLEY. read in their ch
- Page 28 and 29: 16 SUSANNA WESLEY. Fathers, but als
- Page 30 and 31: 18 SUSANNA WESLEY. his mother was d
- Page 32 and 33: 20 SUSANNA WESLEY. St. Dunstan's Ch
- Page 34 and 35: 22 SUSANNA WESLEY. CHAPTER IV. LATE
- Page 36 and 37: 24 SUSANNA WESLEY. in her own gener
- Page 38 and 39: 26 SUSANNA WESLEY. It was a rapid a
- Page 40 and 41: 28 SUSANNA WESLEY. How patiently sh
- Page 42 and 43: 30 SUSANNA WESLEY. was my principal
- Page 44 and 45: 32 SUSANNA WESLEY. ing timely corre
- Page 46 and 47: 34 SUSANNA WESLEY.
- Page 48 and 49: 36 SUSANNA WESLEY. should be always
- Page 50 and 51: 38 SUSANNA WESLEY. hardly have been
- Page 52 and 53: 40 SUSANNA WESLEY. (tithe?); and wh
- Page 54 and 55: 42 SUSANNA WESLEY. heir. Whether th
- Page 56 and 57: 44 SUSANNA WESLEY. CHAPTER VI. TRIA
- Page 58 and 59: 46 SUSANNA WESLEY. riding before hi
- Page 62 and 63: 50 SUSANNA WESLEY. was the hero of
- Page 64 and 65: 52 SUSANNA WESLEY. Epworth, June 7t
- Page 66 and 67: 54 SUSANNA WESLEY. I thank God, my
- Page 68 and 69: 56 SUSANNA WESLEY. bring him in not
- Page 70 and 71: 58 SUSANNA WESLEY. 1 find I walk a
- Page 72 and 73: '60 SUSANNA WESLEY. never intoxicat
- Page 74 and 75: 2 SUSANNA WESLEY. of duty towards a
- Page 76 and 77: 64 SUSANNA WESLEY. will not), and d
- Page 78 and 79: 66 SUSANNA WESLEY. " The eternal, e
- Page 80 and 81: 68 SUSANNA WESLEY. " Epworth, " DEA
- Page 82 and 83: 70 SUSANNA WESLEY. CHAPTER VIII. FI
- Page 84 and 85: 72 SUSANNA WESLEY. One can imagine
- Page 86 and 87: 74 SUSANNA WESLEY. and asked her fo
- Page 88 and 89: 76 SUSANNA WESLEY. to his window, w
- Page 90 and 91: 78 SUSANNA WESLEY. as one of the ha
- Page 92 and 93: 80 SUSANNA WESLEY. but I have thoug
- Page 94 and 95: 82 SUSANNA WESLEY. not been preserv
- Page 96 and 97: 84 SUSANNA WESLEY. the very birth o
- Page 98 and 99: 86 SUSANNA WESLEY. to enlighten you
- Page 100 and 101: 88 SUSANNA WESLEY. the purpose of b
- Page 102 and 103: 90 SUSANKA WESLEY. to the principle
- Page 104 and 105: 92 SUSANNA WESLEY. the Danish missi
- Page 106 and 107: 94 SUSANNA WESLEY. soon after the r
- Page 108 and 109: 96 SUSANNA, WESLEY. " Thursday, Dec
TRIALS AND TROUBLES. 49<br />
what is necessary for him, and cheerfully enjoy what<br />
he innocently can ;<br />
but at the same time he knows it is<br />
but an inn, and he will be but little concerned with<br />
what he meets with there, because he takes it not<br />
for his home. The mind of a Christian should be<br />
always composed, temperate, free from all extremes<br />
of mirth or sadness, and always disposed to hear the<br />
still small voice of God's Holy Spirit, which will<br />
direct him what and how to act in all the occurrences<br />
of life, if in all his ways he acknowledge<br />
Him, and depend on His assistance. I cannot now<br />
stay to speak of your particular duties; I hope I<br />
shall in a short time send you what I designed.<br />
" In the meantime, I beg of you, as one that has<br />
the greatest concern imaginable for your soul I<br />
:<br />
exhort you, as I am your faithful friend : and I<br />
command you, as I am your parent to use your<br />
utmost diligence to make your calling and election<br />
sure, to be faithful to your God ;<br />
and after I have<br />
said that,<br />
I need not bid you be industrious in your<br />
calling.<br />
" Sammy, think of what I say, and the blessed<br />
God make you truly sensible of your duty to Him,<br />
and also to me. Renew your broken vows ;<br />
if<br />
you<br />
have wasted or misemployed your time, take more<br />
care of what remains. If in anything you want counsel<br />
or advice, speak freely to me, and I will gladly<br />
assist you.<br />
I commit you to God's blessed protection.<br />
" SUSANNA WESLEY."<br />
While the mother was writing to her absent .boy,<br />
and keeping school with her other children, her husband<br />
was in his study writing rhyme as fast as it would<br />
flow from brain and pen. The Duke of Marlborough<br />
4
Change language