Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-11-21
From the British Quarterly.
John w eslev


John Wesley.
The October No. of the British Quarterly
Review contains an interesting article from
which we extract the following personal sketch
Of the distinguished Rev. John Wesley:
LAS is usual in most religious orders, Popish
or Protestant his spirit has survived in his So
cicty, ana the shadow of Wesley falls wide and
far. he lived through amazing changes of
opinion with reference TO himself, and before
he Gled, from being one of the most abused
and execrated of men, he certainly was one of
the most revered. No foe had been more ran
corous and unjust than Lavington, Bishop of
Exeter; Wesley lived TO unite with him in the
ordinance of the Lord s Supper, in his own
cathedral. lie writes with no bitterness of the
man who had with such bitter ribaldry abused
him, / was well pleased to take of the Lord 8
Supper, with my old opponent, Biskop Law
ington. Oh may we sir together in the king
dom of our Father. At Lewisham he dned
with the eminent Dr. Lowih, Bishop of Lon
don. On proceeding to dinner the Bishop re-
fused to SIT above Wesley at the table, saying,
Mr. Wesley, may l be found at your feet in
another world Wesley objected to take the
seat of precedence; but the learned prelate OBJ
waited the difficulty by requesting as a favor
that Wesley would sit above him because his
hearing was detective, and he desired not to
lose sentence OF Wesley conversation 1t
is known that the king had 8 great respect for
him and it is to this most probably Wesley
refers when wiring to one OF his preachers,
advising him TO stand is ground against the
vehement opposition of he Bishop of the Isle
Of man, he says, | know pretty we'll the mind
of Lord Mansfield and OF one that is greater
than he. In his latter days his movements to
and fro in the country became Ovations; not
merely did thousands gat her to hear him preach,
the streets OF towns were lined TO look upon
him, and the widows We're tbrooged as he
passed along While III Yorkshire we read of
cavalcades Of hors es and carriages formed to
receive and escort him on his way. At Red
ruth as be preached In the market place, the
congregation not only filed the windows, but
sat on the tops of the houses Assuredly, as
often as he had been per>ecuted he was not for
saken he did not die CT cruclixop, but he
felt no eIatlon of spirit, and see him still
the same man that he bad been il the widely
different ciTcumstan nces OF cruel and un ust mis-
representation.
It IS wonderful to think that at nearly ninety
wears of age he could continue to make an eff
fort to preach, but he did so, and he continued
as tower of strength to the companies he had
formed and called together But he outlived
most of his early incorporates, friends and
foes He stood 10 the pulpit of st. Giles's in
. London; he had preached there fifty years be-
fore, prior to bis departure for America. Are
they not passed as watch in the night? be
writes Old families that used to entertain
him had passed away. Their houses says
he. know neither me nor them any more. His
later letters show hat feryid sentiment for wo-
man known only to loftiest minds and hearts !;
this again is entwined with beautiful simple
regards for children. When he assembled the
pulpit of Raithby Church, where he was often
allowed to preach, a child sat in his way on the
stairs, he took it in his arms and kissed it, and
placed it tender!y on the same spot. Crabb
Robinson heard him at Colchester, be was then
eighty-seven, on each side of him stood min
lister supporting him. his feeble voice was
barely audible. Robinson then coy, destined
to enter into his 92d year, says, 1t formed a
picture never to be forgotten. He goes on to
say, 1t went to the heart, and never saw any
thing like it in after life' Three days after be
preached at Lowestoft, and there he had
another distinguished hearer, the poet Crabbe.
Here also, he was supported into the pulpit
by a muister on either side; bat what really
touched the poet naturally and deeply, was
Wesley's adaptation and appropriation OF some
lines of AnacreoQ.
In 1890 he gave up his accounts; his last
entry-exceedingly difficult to decipher-is
years (meaning, Of course, rather sixty eight,
| !. e., since he came to have money Of his own)
! have kent nv accounts exactly. | will not
attempt it any lenger, being satisfied with the
! continual conviction that | save all | can, and
give all can, that is. all | have.
July l6 $780, His beneyolence indeed was
excessive and Samuel Bradburn says, He
never relieved poor people 10 the street, but he
either took off or removed his hat to them
when they thanked him.
The story Of the old man S approach toward:
the gates of the celestial city is very beautiful
and has been often told. His last sermons are
certainly among bis best; the last sermon be
| printed, on Faith the evidence of things no
seen was the last he ever wrote, and was fin
i ished only six weeks before his death. Il
1 shows how his mind sustained the altitude o
highest power when bordering upon ninety
years Of age; it shows also how the dear ole
man was preeBing his wings for speedy fight
/ We suppose the last letter he wrote was tt
VIM Wilberfcrce, on the abolition of slavery
short, but full of strength giving to the apos
tie of freedom his benediction. IF God be fo
you, he writes, who can be against you? O.
be not weary in we'll doing! TO on, in tht
name of God aud in the power of His might
1t was in the City road that exhausted ma
ture gave way unable to bear any more. AnC
what a death il was! He was indeed, severa
days in diving, but there was no pain, only ex
\ baustion: in his wanderings he was preachin.
or attending classes. and singing snatches from
some of his brothers., and from Watt hymns
but he was half in heaven before he left tn
earth His last strain OF song vas
TO Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Who sweety all agree
But his voice failed and gasping for breat