Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-06-06

A PORTRAIT OF WESLEY.

'Seldom have l seen," says biogra-
pher of John Wesley, in Herder's Adroster,
"a more beautiful old man. A serene and
smooth countenance, an arched nose, the
clear and most piercing eye, a fresh col
or, quite unusual to one Of This age, and be-
traying perfect health-all this gives him
an exterior at once interesting and venera-
ble You could not see him without being
struck with his appearance. Many per-
sons who were full of prejudice and oppo-
sition to him before seeing him acquired
quite different opinion of him after max
ing his personal acquaintance. There was
mingling of cheerfulness and seriousness
in his voice, and in all his conduct He
was very sprightly, and one could not but
notice the quick variability of his animal
spirits, through deep peace reigned within
him. Ii you were TO see his profile, it
would indicate great acuteness of under
standing. His dress was a model of neat
ness and simplicity: a thrice-folded neck
cloth, coat with u narrow standing collar,
no knee-buckles, nor silk nor satin on his
whole body, but crowned with snow-white
hair. These gave him the appearance of
an apostle. Cleanliness and order shone
out from all his person
lin social life, Wesley was lively and
communicative. He had been much among
men he was full of anecdotes and expe-
riences, which he related willingly, and,
what is not of less importance, wei. He
could be very cheerful and pleasant His
elasticity of spirits communicated itself to
Others, and suffered so little beneath the
weakness OF age or the approch of death,
that no one could think he had been as
happy i'll his twentieth as he was in his
A Jnf l.,
BILE; in his early life he carried it much too
far. He commenced fasts. and other
forms of self-denial, at Oxford, and in
dulged in but little sleep, but toward the
close of his life he relaxed somewhat from
this rigid regimen. In thirty-five years he
did not have to lie in bed one day.
wesley was one of the most industri-
GUS of men. Even yet he has not ceased
to travel. If he had not possessed the art
of dividing his time very Systematically,
he could not have done what he has. But
every item of business has its own hour.
He went to bed between nine and ten
O'Clock, and rose at four. No society, no
conversation, however pleasant, nothing
but case of sheer necessity, could induce
him to break his rules. In the same me-
thodical way he wrote and travelled, and
visited the sick. 1t has been calculated
that he delivered 40, AGO discourses, to say
nothing of the multitude of addresses he
made to his society and classes. In his
early life, he travelled on horseback.
The reins resting on the horses neck, he
held his book before his eyes, and studied.
lie had many an adventure on horseback.
1t is thought that in fifty years he travelled
2SO, 900 English miles. In addition to this
comes his great authorship. He composed
hymns and added melodies. He made
singing doubly pleasant, for he had the
male and female voices interchange parts;
he appointed singing exercises, so that
when there was no organ in the chapel, its
place might be amply supplied by accom-
plished vocalists; he sometimes made sa-
cred music the subject of discourses. The
singing of many thousands of Methodists
in. the open fields, in forests. or grave
yards, was sometimes followed by won-
dcrful effects