Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-12-18
JsAa wsslsy's Chapel and Grave.

The cable last evening announced the
partial burning on Sunday night Of the
famous chapel Of John Wesley in Lon
don. The FIRE entirely destroyed one
Of the wings, irreparably injured the
more recent irescoes OF the main cell
ing and weakened the original roof.
The cable despatch accurately speaks
OF the wesleyan Chapel in City Road"
American visitors 20 London who look
up The antiquities Of Methodism are Of
ten shown another wesleyan chapel
in Kentish town 10 the north Of the Mid
land Station, another near LIncoln's Inn
Fields, another in lslington near the
Agricultural Hall, end one near The ex-
treme East End ot London in East In
dia Road. These chapels are all more
pretentious in architecture and decoTa-
iions than the little modest building on
City Road, opposite TO the entrance OF
the Bunhill Fields Burying Ground and
between Finsbury Square and the Gre
clan Theatre. II stands about hun
dred feet back from the street and is OF
q simple and utterly unambitious sp-
pearance. II is fronted by church
yard Of about seventy-five feet square,
through which runs broad walk. In
the yard are several old trees. and .por-
tsons OF L are iaid oai witb fiower-beds.
The chapel also has q chulchyard Of no
mean proportions in The rear. II can
be reached By the omnibuses which run
between the Angel at Islington and the
Bank Of England, or by tram-cars from
Moorgate street and London Wall, or
by other omnibuses that run past the
Langham through Portland Place. Eus-
ton, PentonvilIe and the City Road
down 10 the Bank Of England. The
chapel was finished in TITS. The cor
ner-stone was laid the year before by
John Wesley himself, and in il was in
serted brass plate inscribed with bis
name. Upon that occasion Southey
tells Us that Wesley said +: Probably
this plate will be seen no more by any
human eve, but will remain there Till
the earth and The works thereof are
burnt up." In this chapel, excepting
when travelling, John Wesley preached
during twelve successive years. The
Bible which be used Is still there: and
Il appears from the cable despatch that
bis original pulpit was uninjured by the
FIRE. The great apostle of Methodism
himself was buried March 2, 1871, in a
vault in the ehurchyard, within q few
feet Of the street frontage. Over the
vault is seen by every passeroby a PLAIN
square white marble monument. sur
mounted by Q shaft which rises 10 Q
point, and altogether only aboGt twelve
feet high. II bears his name aud all
the necessary dates, and also inscrip-
tions 10 memory Of bis mother and his
brother Charles, the "sweet SINGER"
whose remains, however, rest in the
BuHhill Fields Burying Ground imne-
dlately opposite. Into this chapel, ac-
cording 70 Wesley's last request, his
body was carried IN plain coffin after
being shrouded in plain woollen cloth.
Over the shroud were put his gown.
eassnck and band. On his head rested
the familiar clerical cap. In one band
Q Bible was clasped and IN the other .
white handkerchieE-such as be had al
ways carried in the pulpit. Within the
chapel the remains reposed one whole
day and were visited by such immense
crowds that il was deemed best-in ex-
Pectation Of the greater crowds which
might come the next day-to have the
remains inferred az dsybreak the ensu-
ing morning. This was done in strict
accordance with the dying directions Of
John Wesley-"Let me be borne without
hesrse, coach or escutcheon by six poor
men, who shall each receive burial
fee Of guinea. In place Of pOmp
wish the tears Of them that love me and
who are following me 10 Abraham's .
bosom" But notwithstanding the sud-
den change OF the hour Of interment
many hundred persons heard of IL and
filed the churchyard during the brief
but impressive services.
All Of these events had impaired to
the chapel in City Road and its sur
roundings tender interest, and doubt
less no American Methodist has ever
visited London without recalling them
as he stood m the chapel and was shown
the very spot whereOn Wesley's coffin
had rested: or as be fingered near the
vault and the monument, or crossed the
busy street into "BHnhill Flelds" and
looked there upon the modest head