Susanna Wesley: The Complete Writings

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Her quotations and allusions include Locke, Pascal, and Herbert, as well as a number of now forgotten theologians. In some of her work, one can distinguish doctrinal and spiritual leanings, such as Arminianism and Christian perfection, that would later find wide expression in the spread of Methodism.

Further, her writings demonstrate her readiness, for conscience's sake, to stand up to the men in her life--father, husband, and sonsand the three incarnations of English Protestantism they represented: Tracing these incidents in her letters and diaries, a reader can begin to understand how spirituality, even an otherwise conservative one in rather restrictive times, can serve to empower the voice of women. Read more Read less.

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The Power of Positive Energy: Change your mind, change your life. Some should be overlooked and taken no notice of, and others mildly reproved ; but no wilful transgression ought ever to be forgiven children without chastise- ment less or more, as the nature and circumstances of the case may require. I insist on the conquering of the will of children betimes, because this is the only strong and rational foundation of a religious educa- tion, without which both precept and example will be ineffectual.

But when this is thoroughly done, then a child is capable of being governed by the reason and piety of its parents, till its own understanding comes to maturity, and the principles of religion have taken root in the mind. As self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so whatever cherishes this in children ensures their after wretchedness and irreligion: Heaven or hell depends on this alone, so that the parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving a soul.

The parent who indulges it does the Devil's work ; makes religion impracticable, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child body and soul for ever. They were veiy early made to distinguish the Sabbath from other days, before they could well speak or go. They were as soon taught to be still at family prayers, and to ask a blessing immediately after, which they used to do by signs, before they could kneel or speak.

They were not suffered to ask even the lowest servant for aught with- out saying ' Pray give me such a thing ' ; and the servant was chid if she ever let them omit that word. And it is almost incredible what may be taught a child in a quarter of a year by a vigorous application, if it have but a tolerable capa- city and good health. Kezzy excepted, all could read better in that time than the most of women can do as long as they live. Rising out of their places, or going out of the room, was not permitted except for good cause ; and running into the yard, garden, or street, without leave, was always esteemed a capital offence.

Never were children in better order. Never were children better disposed to piety, or in more subjection to their parents, till that fatal dispersion of them after the fire into several families. In these they were left at full liberty to converse with servants, which before they had always been restrained from, and to run abroad to play with any children, bad or good. They soon learned to neglect a strict observance of the Sabbath, and got knowledge of several songs and bad things which before they had no notion of.

That civil behaviour which made them admired when they were at home, by all who saw them, was in a great measure lost, and a clownish accent and many rude ways were learnt which were not reformed without some difficulty. I mention them here because I think them useful. To prevent this, a law was made that whoever was charged with a fault of which they were guilty, if they would ingenuously confess it and promise to amend should not be beaten.

This rule prevented a great deal of lying, and would have done more if one in the family would have observed it.

But he could not be prevailed upon, and therefore was often imposed on by false colours and equivocations which none would have used but one, had they been kindly dealt with ; and some in spite of all would always speak truth plainly. Wesley must have been interrupted, or that possibly a line or two of her letter may have been lost it has been several times printed , for usually she was very clear- headed and precise in what she wrote, and certainly would have considered pilfering on any day and in any place sinful.

This rule can never be too much inculcated on the minds of children; and from the want of parents and governors doing it as they ought, proceeds that shameful neglect of justice which we may observe in the world. This rule also is much to be observed, for the putting children to learn sewing before they can read perfectly is the very reason why so few women can read fit to be heard, and never to be well understood. Very few of her country men and women at the present day ever attain the art of reading aloud audibly and intelligibly, as may be observed by diligent attendance at church, where the average clergy mumble and murder both liturgy and lessons.

Perhaps school-books of the ordinary sort were scarce at Epworth certainly there was no money to spare for the purchase of them or perhaps it was on principle that Mrs. Wesley's children were taught their very letters and small words from the first chapter of Genesis, and made perfect in reading each verse before going on to the next. As soon as the fifth birth- day was passed the house was set in order, and the mother devoted the six school-hours of one whole day to teaching her youngest pupil its letters, with what success she herself has told us.

She must have had a great deal of uninterrupted time for her educa- tional work, as her husband spent most of his days in his study when at home, and was chosen by his clerical brethren in Lincolnshire to represent them three several times in Convocation. This took him to London for many months at a time ; and though the journey and the expense of remaining in the metropolis so long were heavy drains on his purse, the occupation was congenial and kept him before the public eye, thus causing a readier sale for his literary productions and giving him the opportunity of distinguishing himself and communicating with publishers.

During these absences Mrs. Wesley had everything in her own hands, the glebe, the parish, and the family ; she kept the books, did the best she could with regard to farm- ing operations ; though having, like her husband, spent her youth in London, and among books, she could 38 SUSANNA WESLEY. Just a little ease from pecuniary difficulties seems to have dawned on the Wesleys in the spring of The rector's " History of the Old and New Testament attempted in verse, and adorned with three hundred and thirty sculptures " had appeared a few months before, and doubtless was expected to prove a source of considerable profit.

The money, however, came in very slowly, and creditors pressed so hard for what was due to them, that in March Mr. Wesley once more mounted his horse and rode to London for aid. His appeal was responded to in various quarters, for the Dean of Exeter gave him ten pounds, the Archbishop of Canterbury ten guineas, the Marquis of Normanby twenty, and the Marchioness five.

A few other small sums raised the amount to sixty pounds, and the good man rode joyfully home with it, paid off some debts entirely, and a portion of others, and kept ten pounds in his own hands towards the expense of getting in his harvest. It need not necessarily be assumed that these moneys were given him out of charity pure and simple, for publishing was then, as now, an expensive process, and authors who had no capital accomplished it by subscription.

It is very possible that the Marquis and the Archbishop and others had promised their sub- scriptions but not paid them up, so that Mr. Wesley may only have collected money justly due to him. But loss and poverty pursued him, for the summer proved hot and the thatched roof of the parsonage got very dry, and perhaps the kitchen chimney wanted sweeping.

It must have occurred either when Anne was a very few weeks old or just before she was born. I was at the lower end of the town to visit a sick person, and thence to R. As I was returning they brought me the news. I got one of his horses, rode up, and heard by the way that my wife, children, and books were saved, for which God be praised, as well as for what He has taken. They were altogether in my study and the fire under them.

When it broke out she got two of the children in her arms, and ran through the smoke and fire ; but one of them was left in the hurry, till the other cried for her, and the neighbours ran in and got her out through the fire, as they did my books and most of my goods ; this very paper amongst the rest, which I afterwards found as I was looking over what was saved. Wes- ley's life which, though it rests on the authority of her son John, must be either a mistake or an exagge- ration; and, as the circumstance related occurred before his birth, he, of course, repeated it only from hearsay, and not of his own personal knowledge.

It is to the effect that Mrs. Wesley, never having viewed William of Orange as the rightful Sovereign of England, did not respond to the prayer for the King as read by her husband at their family worship. He asked the reason why, and was favoured with a plain but full exposition of her political views ; where- upon he retorted hotly, " Sukey, if that be the case, you and I must part ; for if we have two kings we must have two beds," and declared that unless she renounced her opinions he would not continue to live with her.

So much, runs the story, did he take her contumacy to heart that he left the room without another word, retired to his study, and in the course of the day rode off to Convocation without taking leave or holding any further communication with her. He remained in London for a year without corre- sponding, and only returned after Queen Anne's acces- sion.

There could be no dispute between the pair as to her right to reign, so the ordinary habits of life were resumed, and John Wesley was the first child born afterwards. The strength and tenacity of Mrs. The country was at war, and the object of Marlborough's campaigns was to break the power of France, though there were some special pleaders who declared that their end and aim was the preser- vation of Protestantism.

For, notwithstanding some men of a singular com- plexion may persuade themselves, I am of opinion that as our Saviour's Kingdom is not of this world, so it is never lawful to take up arms merely in defence of religion. It is like the presumption of Uzzah, who audaciously stretched out his hand to support the tottering ark ; which brings to mind those verses of no ill poet: In such a cause 'tis fatal to embark, Like the bold Jew, that propped the falling ark ; With an unlicensed hand he durst approach, And, though to save, yet it was death to touch.

And truly the success of our arms hitherto has no way justified our attempt ; but though God has not much seemed to favour our enemies, yet neither hath He altogether blest our forces. But though there is often many reasons given for an action, yet there is commonly but one true reason that determines our practice, and that, in this case, I take to be the secur- ing those that were the instruments of the Revolution from the resentments of their angry master, and the preventing his return and settling the succession in an 42 SUSANNA WESLEY.

Whether they did well in driving a prince from his hereditary throne, I leave to their own consciences to determine ; though I cannot tell how to think that a King of England can ever be accountable to his subjects for any mal-administration or abuse of power. But as he derives his power from God, so to Him only he must answer for his using it. But still, I make great difference between those who entered into a confederacy against their Prince, and those who, knowing nothing of the contrivance, and so conse- quently not consenting to it, only submitted to the present Government, which seems to me the law of the English nation, and the duty of private Christians, and the case with the generality of this people.

Wesley stayed at home instead of going to church, and she justifies her action thus: Since, then, I do not absent myself from Church out of any contempt for authority, or out of any vain presumption of my own goodness, as though I needed no solemn humiliation, and since I endeavour, according to my poor ability, to humble myself before God, and do earnestly desire that he may give this war such an issue as may most effectually conduce to His own glory, I hope it will not be charged upon me as a sin, but that it will please Almighty God, by some way or other, to satisfy my scruples, and to accept of my honest intentions, and to pardon my manifold infirmities.

John Holland, at Epworth, that there might be no break or loss of time in his preparation for Westminster School, and he was the only one of the brothers who received any other assistance on entering at a public school than that which could be given by his parents.

John was probably a delicate babe, as he was baptized by his father when only a few hours old. He received the names of John Benjamin, after two baby boys the tenth and eleventh children who had preceded him and died in infancy. He was the only one of the family who had a second name, and it was never used, as he was simply called Jack, or Jacky, at home, and never signed himself otherwise than plain John.

THE Rector of Epworth was not remarkably popular in his own parish ; perhaps a very poor clergyman never is. He had great difficulty in repairing and rebuilding the part of his house that had been destroyed by fire ; and when his son John was about seven or eight months old Mr. Wesley suffered a fresh loss, as his crop of flax was set fire to and demolished under circumstances that looked very much like incendiarism. He was also involved in a controversy that caused a deal of ill-feeling and bad blood in consequence of a letter, or rather pamphlet, which he had written in his youth, before he removed from London to South Ormsby, after attending a meeting of the Calves Head Club, a body of violent political Dissenters.

Very much disgusted, Wesley went home, and, while his heart was hot within him, wrote off a long letter, and, after writing it, went to bed about five in the morning. A friend probably his landlord, Robert Clavel, a bookseller and then Master of the Stationers' Company came in while he slept, took possession of the MS. Twelve years afterwards, without the author's consent, he published it, under the title of " A Letter from a Country Divine to his Friend in London concerning the Education of Dissenters in their Private Academies in several parts of this Nation: Humbly offered to the consideration of the Grand Committee of Parliament for Religion now sitting.

The strife waxed quite furious as pamphlet succeeded pamphlet, and angry passions arose on all sides. Wesley's special antagonist was a Rev. Samuel Palmer, who, of course, had his adherents, and to such an extent did this wordy warfare go that Daniel De Foe, who took his full share in it, was committed to New- gate in July It was a great trial to her to part with her first- born son, Samuel, who in was placed at West- minster, though she would have been the last woman to have stood in the way of her child's advancement.

He had also several friends in London ; his paternal grandmother was still alive, and his uncle Matthew was a surgeon and apothecary in good circumstances, while another uncle, Timothy Wesley, and an aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Dyer, his father's only sister, also lived in the city. They all appear to have shown the boy the kindness to be expected by a nephew, and were most likely proud of his talents and rapid progress. His mother's aniious affection for him was so great that she devoted many hours, and also many sheets of foolscap, to writing him a series of letters, which were neither more nor less than treatises on Revelation and the law of reason.

The first is dated March llth, , and is very long, and, to say the truth, dry, unrelieved by a scrap of home news or gossip. She, no doubt, in writing it and successive epistles, fulfilled what she felt to be a conscientious duty, but was aware that they were beyond the boy's comprehension at that period, as she told him to keep them till he was older and better able to understand them.

A letter written towards the close of the summer seems more natural, and better suited to a school-boy's comprehension: I thought to have been with you ere this, but I doubt if I shall see you this summer; therefore send me word particularly what you want. I shall be employing my thoughts on useful subjects for you when I have time, for I desire nothing in this world so much as to have my children well instructed in the principles of religion, that they may walk in the narrow way which alone leads to happiness.

Particularly I am con- cerned for you, who were, even before your birth, dedicated to the service of the sanctuary, that you may be an ornament of that Church of which you are a member, and be instrumental if God shall spare your life in bringing many souls to Heaven.

14 147,64 RUB

Take heed, therefore, in the first place, of your own, lest you yourself should be a castaway. But I earnestly beg of God to give you His grace, and charge you, as you will answer for it at the last great day, that you care- fully 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,' lest you should finally miscarry.

I do not know what secrets you may have: To God's merciful protection I commit you. 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: 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 occur- rences 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.

I exhort you, as I am your faithful friend: Renew your broken vows ; if you have wasted or misemployed your time, take more care of what remains. If in anything you want coun- sel or advice, speak freely to me, and I will gladly assist you. I commit you to God's blessed protection.


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The nation delighted to honour the soldier-statesman, whose victory justified Queen Anne's confidence in him, both Houses of Parliament publicly thanked him, the City of London entertained him at a civic feast, the nation gave the Manor of Woodstock to him and his heirs for ever, and built for him that Blenheim Palace but just now despoiled of the art treasures he collected during his successful campaigns against the power of the Grande Monarque. Policy and patriotism both tended to inspire Mr. Wesley's muse, and he achieved a poem of five hundred and ninety-four lines, entitled, Marl- borough, or the Fate of Europe.

Archbishop Sharpe took poem and author under his fostering wiug, and brought them under the Duke's notice. The least that the hero could do in return was to give Mr. Wesley the chaplaincy to Colonel Lepelle's regi- ment ; and so pleased was another peer with the poem that he sent for its writer, and tried to procure him a prebend's stall. The best laid schemes of mice and men Gang aft agley!

Early in May , Mrs. Wesley gave birth to another son, but, between worry and weakness was unable to nurse it, so it was given into the charge of a woman who lived opposite the rectory. It was small wonder that Mrs. Wesley should have been worried both before and after her confinement ; for Queen Anne had dissolved Parliament on the 5th of April, and it was well known that the contest between Whigs and Tories would be keen.

No Romanist is so zealous or so bigoted as a "convert," and no Churchman is so ' ' high " as one who was born and brought up in the bosom of Dissent. Thus it was perfectly natural that the Rector of Epworth should be a Tory of the first water, and throw all his weight and personal influence into the scale against Colonel Whichcott and Mr. Albert Bertie, the candidates who favoured Presbyterianism and had the Dissenters on their side, and who contested the representation of Lin- colnshire with the previous members, Sir John Harold and " Champion " Dymoke.

No doubt the Tory party, already friendly to him, would have remembered, and in some manner rewarded the zealous clergyman who had espoused their cause with all his might and main, had they been successful ; but the Whigs carried the day, and he was consequently insulted by the mob, and was in some danger of maltreatment. His oppo- nents speedily deprived him of his chaplaincy to Colonel Lepelle's regiment, so that he suffered in purse as well as in local popularity and reputation. His own account of the state of affairs is found in a letter he wrote to Archbishop Sharpe as soon as the hubbub had a little subsided.

Epworth, June 7th, A great part of the night our Isle people kept drumming, shouting, and firing of pistols and guns under the window where my wife lay, who had been brought to bed not three weeks. I had put the child to nurse over against my own house: Then they left off, and the nurse, being heavy to sleep, overlaid the child. She waked and finding it dead, ran over with it to my house, almost distracted, and calling my servants, threw it into their arms. They, as wise as she, ran up with it to my wife, and before she was well awake, threw it cold and dead into hers.

She com- posed herself as well as she could, and that day got it buried.

Susanna Wesley : The Complete Writings by Susanna Wesley (1997, Hardcover)

I went by Gainsbro', and God preserved me. One of them passing by on Friday evening, and seeing my children in the yard, cried out, ' O ye devils! He was in debt to one of the people he had angered by his zeal at the recent Election, and, as he had not the wherewithal to pay, was speedily arrested, and sent to Lincoln jail. Here is the account given by his own hand to the Arch- bishop of York: On Friday last June 23rd , when I had been, in christening a child, at Epworth, I was arrested in my churchyard by one who had been my servant, and gathered my tithe last year, at the suit of one of Mr.

Whichcott's relations and zealous friends Mr. Pinder , according to their promise when they were in the Isle before the Election. The sum was not thirty pounds, but it was as good as five hundred. Now they knew the burning of my flax, my London journey, and their throwing me out of my regiment, had both sunk my credit and exhausted my money.

My adversary was sent to where I was on the road, to meet me, that I might make some proposals to him. But all his answer which I have by me was, that I must immediately pay the whole sum or go to prison. Thither I went with no great concern for myself, and find much more civility and satisfaction here than in brevibus gyaris of my own Epworth. I thank God, my wife was pretty well recovered, and churched some days before I was taken from her ; and hope she '11 be able to look to my family, if they don't turn them out of doors, as they have often threatened to do.

One of my biggest concerns was my being forced to leave my poor lambs in the midst of so many wolves. But the great Shepherd is able to provide for them, and to preserve them. My wife bears it with that courage which becomes her, and which I expected from her. And I 'm getting acquainted with my brother jail-birds as fast as I can; and shall write to London, next post, to the Society for Propaga- ting Christian Knowledge, who, I hope, will send me some books to distribute amongst them.

I should not write these things from a jail if I thought your Grace would believe me ever the less for my being here ; where if I should lay my bones, I 'd bless God and pray for your Grace. Your Grace's very obliged and most humble servant, " S. Wesley was able to explain all satisfactorily, and, after detailing the falsehoods fabricated and spread by his opponents, adds: The falling of my parsonage barn, before I had re- covered the taking my living ; the burning great part of my dwelling-house about two years since, and all my flax last winter ; the fall of my income nearly one half by the low price of grain ; the almost entire failure of my flax this year, which used to be the better half of my revenue ; with my numerous family ; and the taking this regiment from me, which I had obtained with so much expense and trouble: Yet I hope to rise again, as I have always done when at the lowest ; and I think I cannot be much lower now.

Wesley and the family fared at home, he tells in a letter written on the 12th of September: There were three cows all wounded at the same time, one of them in three places ; the biggest was a flesh wound, not slanting but directly in towards the heart, which it only missed by glancing outwards on the ribs. It was nine inches deep, whereas the brawn's tusks were hardly two inches long. All conclude that the work was done with a sword by the breadth and shape of the orifice.

The same night the iron latch of my door was turned off, and the wood hacked in order to shoot back the lock, which nobody will think was with an intention to rob my family. My house-dog, who made a huge noise within doors, was sufficiently punished for his want of politics and moderation, for the next day but one his leg was almost chopped off by an unknown hand. She is not what she is represented, any more than me.

I believe it was this foul beast of a worse than Eryman- thean boar, already mentioned, who fired my flax by rubbing his tusks against the wall ; but that was no great matter, since it is now reported I had but five pounds loss. Wesley met him at Lincoln or elsewhere, during her husband's imprisonment, is not known, but certain it is that they had an interview, at which, among other questions, he asked, "Tell me, Mrs.

Wesley, whether you ever really wanted bread? And, I think, to have bread on such terms is the next degree of wretchedness to having none at all. Wesley had been in prison about three months, some of his clerical neighbours and some of Jbis political friends assisted him by paying off about half his debts, and arranging for the liquidation of others.

The joyful intelligence speedily produced a very grateful letter, in which he told the Archbishop what had occurred, and mentioned another touching manifestation of his wife's devotion: When I came hither my stock was but little above ten shillings, and my wife's at home scarce so much. She soon sent me her rings, because she had nothing else to relieve me with ; but I returned them, and God soon provided for me.

The most of those who have been my bene- factors keep themselves concealed. But they are all known to Him who first put it into their hearts to show me so much kindness ; and I beg your Grace to assist me to praise God for it, and to pray for His blessing upon them. Hoar, that he has paid ninety-five pounds which he has received from me. He adds that ' a very great man has just sent him thirty pounds more ' ; he mentions not his name, though surely it must be my patron.

I am a bad beggar, and worse at returning formal thanks, but I can pray heartily for my benefactors ; and I hope I shall do it while I live, and so long beg to be esteemed your Grace's most obliged and thankful, humble servant, " SAM. Wesley was released and re- turned home, where he lived with a lighter heart in the bosom of his family, and engaged in a voluminous correspondence with his eldest son at Westminster School.

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OP the next five or six months of Mrs. Wesley's life nothing is recorded; so they were probably passed in as much quietude and comfort as she had ever known. In May she wrote a letter to her eldest son, which shows that what we now call teetotalism was not among the austere virtues practised either in her own circle or that in which her boy lived. Two glasses cannot possibly hurt you, provided they contain no more than those commonly used ; nor would I have you concerned though you find yourself warmed and cheerful after drinking them ; for it is a necessary effect of such liquors to refresh and in- crease the spirits, and certainly the Divine Being will never be displeased at the innocent satisfaction of our regular appetites.

Consider you have an obligation to strict temperance which all have not I mean your designation to holy orders. Remember, under the Jewish economy it was ordained by God Himself that the snuffers of the Temple should be perfect gold ; from which we may infer that those who are admitted to serve at the altar, a great part of whose office it is to reprove others, ought themselves to be most pure, and free from all scandalous actions ; and if others are tempe- rate, they ought to be abstemious. You may remember one Robert Darwin, of this town.

This man was at Bawtry fair, where he got drunk; and riding homeward down a hill, his horse came down with him, and he, having no sense to guide him- self, fell with his face to the ground and put his neck out of joint. Those with him immediately pulled it in again, and he lived till next day; but he never spake more. I have been the more particular in this relation because this man, as he was one of the richest in the place, so he was one of the most implacable enemies your father had among his parishioners ; one that insulted him most basely in his troubles, one that was the most ready to do him all the mischief he could, not to mention his affronts to me and the chil- dren, and how heartily he wished to see our ruin, which God permitted him not to see.

This man and one more have been now cut off in the midst of their sins since your father's confinement. I pray God amend those that are left. Wesley himself wrote to his boy a letter, which speaks so beautifully of the mother that no life of her would be complete which did not contain this tribute to her worth: Nay, supposing a parent was not able to provide for his child, but be forced to expose him in infancy, and leave him to the pity and charity of others, which you know is very common in the great city where you live ; I say it would follow that, if such a child should afterwards accidentally come to know his parents, he would not be obliged to pay them any manner of duty ; which is so false that I believe nature itself would teach him otherwise.

I own that the obliga- tions of benefits, good education, and the like, when added to that of nature, make the tie much stronger ; and that those children whose parents either neglect them or give them ill examples, may be said, in one sense, to be but little beholden to them for bringing them into the world.


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But where these two are united we can hardly express gratitude enough for them. And, indeed, that of nature and civil society, which would be dissolved, or exceedingly weakened, if this great foundation-stone should be removed. Perhaps you may have read of one of the Ptolemies who chose the name of Philometer as a more glorious title than if he had assumed that of his predecessor Alexander. And it would be an honest and virtuous ambition in you to attempt to imitate him, for which you have so much reason ; and often reflect on the tender and peculiar love your dear mother has always expressed towards you, the deep affliction both of body and mind which she underwent for you both before and after your birth ; the particular care she took of your education when she struggled with so many pains and infirmities ; and, above all, the wholesome and sweet motherly advice and counsel which she has often given you to fear God, to take care of your soul, as well as of your learning, to shun all vicious practices and bad examples the doing which will equally tend to your reputation and your happiness as well as those valu- able letters she wrote you on the same subjects.

You will, I verily believe, remember that these obligations of gratitude, love, and obedience, and the expressions of them, are not confined to your tender years, but must last to the very close of life, and even after that render her memory most dear and precious to you. You will endeavour to repay her prayers for you by doubling yours for her, as well as your fervency in them ; and, above all things, to live such a virtuous and religious life that she may find that her care and love have not been lost upon you, but that we may all meet in heaven.

No exact date has ever been assigned to the birth of Martha, who was Mrs. Wesley's next baby, her eighth daughter and seventeenth child; but it must have been during the later months of She was an ailing and delicate infant, and from the time she began to take notice always reserved her brightest smiles for her little brother John, who was next to her in age, and about three years and a half old when she was born.

Her mother's hands must have been very full during the first few months of Martha's life, though her elder girls were big enough to relieve her sometimes of the care of the child. What, you, my son, you, who was once the son of my extremest sorrow, in your birth and in your infancy, who is now the son of my tenderest love, my friend, in whom is my inexpressible delight, my future hope of happiness in this world, for whom I weep and pray in my retirements from the world, when no mortal knows the agonies of my soul on your account, no eye sees my tears, which are only beheld by that Father of spirits of whom I so importunately beg grace for you that I hope I may at last be heard, is it possible that you should be damned?

O that it were impossible! Indeed, L think I could almost wish myself accursed, so I were sure of your salva- tion. But still I hope, still I would fain persuade my- self that a child for whom so many prayers have been offered to Heaven will not at last miscarry. Wesley's heart, as well as that of her husband, was rejoiced by an official intimation that " Sammy " would probably be elected to one of the King's Scholarships at Westminster, which would enable him to go to Oxford.

This drew forth another epistle from the wise yet anxious mother. I would have you, in the first place, humbly to acknow- ledge and bewail all the errors of your past life, as far as you can remember them ; and for those that have escaped your memory pray, as David did, that God would cleanse you from your secret faults.


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  • Full text of "Susanna Wesley";

    • Man is not to be depended on; God is all in all. Those whom He blesses shall be blessed indeed. When you have done this, entirely resign yourself and all your fortunes to the Almighty God ; nor be too careful about your being elected, nor troubled if disappointed. May that Infinite Being, whose we are, and whom I hope we endeavour to serve and love, accept and bless us.

    He probably had a good voice, and some knowledge of music, or he would not have been chosen for a King's Scholar, as boys occupying that position are almost always choristers at the Chapel Royal. This brings them into notice, and they receive many invitations into musical and aristocratic society. Wesley was terribly afraid that her son might become of the world, worldly, and wrote to warn and exhort him: I am sadly afraid lest you should neglect your duty towards Him.

    Take care of the world, lest it unawares steal away your heart, and so make you prove false to those vows and obligations which you have laid upon your- self, in the covenant you personally made with the ever blessed Trinity, before your reception of the Holy Communion. Have you ever received the Sacrament at London? If not, consider what has been the cause of your neglect, and embrace the next opportunity.

    Wesley's motherly sympathies were called forth by hearing that her boy was laid up with rheumatism ; but by the end of November he had recovered, and she wrote him a very long letter, chiefly theological, but containing some plain words on the temptations likely to assail a youth on the threshold of manhood. The opening and closing paragraphs are alone suited to these pages: What foundation there is for com- plaints on your side I know not ; but I am apt to suspect you have written more letters to me than I have received, for you lately sent one that never came to my hands, though I was advertised of some part of the contents of it, as of you having received the Sacrament, at which I was greatly pleased, and that you desire some directions how to resist tempta- tions, and some particular advice how to prepare for the reception of the blessed Communion.

    I do not know what time is assigned you for it, and I think your health and studies require that you should take a pretty deal of exercise. You know whether your heart be too much set upon it. If it be, I will tell you what rule I observed in the same case when I was young and too much addicted to childish diver- sions, which was this: I leave it to your consideration whether this is practicable by you or not. I think it is. May God, in His infinite mercy, direct you in all things. Wesley was prematurely confined of her eighteenth child, Charles, who became the sweet singer of Methodism.

    This was on December 18th, The babe was a frail and almost inanimate little creature, and neither cried nor opened his eyes for several weeks. He was too fragile even to be dressed, and was kept wrapped up in wool for some time. When the moment arrived at which he should have come into the world if all had been well with his mother, he opened his eyes and cried, and thenceforth throve tolerably. He was somewhat delicate as a youth and young man, but lived to a good old age. In these circumstances Mrs. Wesley could not be expected to write letters, and there is a long gap in her correspondence with Samuel, which the father did his best to fill up.

    Martin Luther's Theology O. Five Means of Grace Elaine A. Fresh Expressions Audrey Warren. Methodist Theology Kenneth Wilson. Marks of Methodism Dennis M Campbell. Wesley for Armchair Theologians William J. Singing the Faith Methodist Church. John Wesley John Wesley. Wesley on the Christian Life Fred Sanders. Assist Me to Proclaim John R.

    Susanna Wesley: The Complete Writings - Susanna Wesley - Google Книги

    A Kestrel for a Knave Chrissie Wright. John Wesley Stephen Tomkins. Review quote Susanna Wesley should be reckoned with.