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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TRIALS AND TROUBLES. 57<br />
so much care to get it before it was eat, and to pay<br />
for it after, as has often made it very unpleasant to me.<br />
And, I think, to have bread on such terms is the next<br />
degree of wretchedness to having none<br />
"<br />
at all." You<br />
are certainly right/' replied the Archbishop, who the<br />
next day gave the much-tried rector's wife a handsome<br />
present in money.<br />
When Mr. <strong>Wesley</strong> had been in prison about three<br />
months, some of his clerical neighbours and some of<br />
Jbis political friends assisted him by paying off about<br />
half his debts, and arranging for the liquidation of<br />
others. The joyful intelligence speedily produced a<br />
very grateful letter, in which he told the Archbishop<br />
what had occurred, and mentioned another touching<br />
manifestation of his wife's devotion :<br />
" MY LORD, Lincoln Castle, Sept. 17th, 1705.<br />
" I am so full of God's mercies that neither<br />
my eyes nor heart can hold them. When I came<br />
hither my stock was but little above ten shillings, and<br />
my wife's at home scarce so much. She soon sent me<br />
her rings, because she had nothing else to relieve me<br />
are all<br />
with ;<br />
but I returned them, and God soon provided<br />
for me. The most of those who have been my benefactors<br />
keep themselves concealed. But they<br />
it into their hearts to<br />
known to Him who first put<br />
show me so much kindness ;<br />
and I beg your Grace<br />
for His<br />
to assist me to praise God for it,<br />
and to pray<br />
blessing upon<br />
" them.<br />
This day I have received a letter from Mr. Hoar,<br />
that he has paid ninety-five pounds which he has<br />
received from me. He adds that ' a very great man<br />
has just sent him thirty pounds more ' ;<br />
he mentions<br />
not his name, though surely it must be my patron.
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