The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-22
JOHN WESLEY.
His Personal Appearance and His Habits o.
Lafs--A Rare. sweet Characters.

t Life--A Rare. sweet Character.
Tefords Life of Wesley
John Wesley, like ali the Epworth family, was
short OF stature. He measured not quite hve
feet six inches, and weighed one hundred and
twenty five pounds He seemed not 60 have a q
atom of sLDerhuous flesh. ont Wac Muscular
and strong. His face was remarkably fine. even
| to old aye. A clear, smooth forehead an aqut-
line nose. eye the brightest and most piercing
that can be conceived conspired to render him d
venerable and most interesting figure. In
youth his HAIR was black; in old age, when 1t
| was white snow, It added fresh grace 10
his appearance. which waslke that OF an apostle.
he Wore mario W. plated atoek. and q coat with
small, upright collar. He allowed himself no
knee huckles and no silk or velvet IN any part
/ of his dress.
Wesley was scrupulously neat in his person
and habits. Henry Moore saw book
| misplaced a scrap of paper lying about his
study in London. His punctuAlity and exact
/ ness enabled him transact the enormous
| work which rested on him for half century with
perfect mposure He once told friend that
ne had time to be in hurry. Though am
| always in haste, l am never IN hurry, because
never undertake any more work tnan can
get through with perfect calmness of spirit" He
wrote to all who sought his counsel. and bad
perhaps a greater number of pious correspond
ents than any man of his century. He duo
every thing deliberately, because he had no
time TO spend in going over it again. Moore
says that he WAS the slowest writer he ever
i saw. Wesley once said TO his brotnsr Charles >
youngest son Sammy. be punctual. Whe n
/ ever am to go to place. the first thing do Is
to get ready; then wnat time remains Is all my
/ own" His coachTnan was expected to Dc at the
door exactly at the moment fixed. Ii anything
/ detained his carriage Wesley would walk on till
IL overlook him. Every minute, both of day
and night had its appointed work. Joshua,
/ when go 20 bed, go to bed to sleep, not TO
talk, was his rsbuke to young preacher who
| once shared his room and wished TO steal some
/ of Wesley's precious moments OF repoSe for con-
versation on some difficulty problems. To one
who asked him how he got through so much
work in SO short q tine. he answered. Brother,
do only one thing at time, and do 1t with
/ all my might
| HIS extensive reading. his vast experience,
and his natural amiability of temper combined
/ welc ome guest DIR. johnson greatly enjoy ed
| his company John Wesley's conversation is
| good" he said; 'but he is never at leisure. He
is always Obliged TO go at certain hour. rms
/ is very disagreeable to man who loves 60 fold
/ his legs and have his talk out as / do" This
| is high praise from the greatest talker of the
/ eighteenth century. Wesley once dined with
| the Doctor He had apart TWO hours for
| this visit. Dinner, however. was an hour late.
| Wesley was therefore obliged TO get up as soon
/ as it done. His sister, Mrs. Hall, who was
| Johnsoo's intimate friend. tried to soothe the
| lie photographer, who was greatly disappointed at
| the departure of his gnest. why, Doctor
| she said, my brother has been with You two
| hours" 1.-TWO hours madam! was the an.
| swer; az could talk all day. and all night too,
| with your brother"
| Wesleys cheerfulness under all privations is
| one of the most notable features of his life. At
the close of 1880 he writes: Il do not remember
to have felt lowness of spirit for quarter of
hour since was born" Twenty five years
before, he told his friend. Mr.. Blackwell that
his companions were always IN good humor
with him, and that he could not bear to
| have people about him OF any other spirit.
"If a dinner addressed. hard bed, poor
room, shower of rain. or a dirty road
will put them out of humor, it lays a burden
upon me greater than all the rest put together.
BY the grace of God, never fret; l repne at
nothing; / disconted with nothing. And to
have persons at my fretting and murmuring
at everything is like tearing the flesh off my
bones God sitting upon his throne and
ruling all things WELL"
Wesley was greatly beloved in the homes
where be entertained during his long itn-
eracy. He would spend an hour after dinner
with his friends, pouring forth his rich store
of anecdotes, TO the delight of young and old
He was ALWAYS at home and quite at liberty"
He generally closed the conversation with two
three verses of some hym mn strikingly appro
pirate to the occasion. and made every one feel
at ease by his unaffected courtesy and his var
led conversation. Two years before his death
his friend, Alexander Knox. had an opport unity
of spending some days in his company He en-
deayorod to form an impartial Judgment OF the
venerable evangelist The result that
every moment afforded fresh reasons for esteem
and veneration. $50 fine an old man l never
sawi The happiness of his mind beamed forth
in his countenance. Every look showed how
fully he enjoyed the gay rememberance OF
lifs we'll spent Wherever Wesley went he
diffused portion of his own felicity Easy and
affable in his demeanor, he accommodated him
self to every sort of company. and showed how
happily the most finished courtesy may be
blended with the most perfect piety. In his con-
versation might be at a loss whether
admire most his fine class ical taste, his extern
sive knowledge of men and things. or his over
flowing goodness of heart. While the grave and
serious charmed with his wisdom. his
sportlve saies of innocent mirth delighted
even the young and thoughtless: and both
in his uninterrupted cheerfulness the excel ency
of true religion. No cynical remark the
levity of youth embittered his discourses No
applausive retrospect to past times marked his
present discomfort In him old age APP
Deared delightful, like an evening wlthout a
cloud; and it was impossible to observe i'm
without wishing ferventy, May my latter end
be like his!"
Wesley's relations to children and young peo-
ple set his character in peculiarly attractive
light His visits were eagerly anticipated by
his young friends. He provided himself with a
stock of new mouey. and often gave them one
children in his arms and bless them, reconcile
their little differences, and teach them to love
another. In his last years he greatly re-
joieed at the rise of Sunday schools all over the
country, and preached sermons on their behalf
various places. The singing of the boys and
girls selected out of the Sunday school at Bolton
seemed to him a blessed anticipation of the
of angels in our Fathers house One who loved
children more than Wesley 1t would be hard
indeed to find. 81 reverence the young" he
said, because they may be useful after am
dead" se fe
Wesley and preacher of his were once in
vited to lunch with gentleman after service.
The itlnerant was of very plain manners.
quite unconscious OF the restraints belonging TO
good society. While talking with their hosts
daughter. who was remarkable for her beauty.
and had been profoundly impressed by Mr..
Wesleys preaching. this good man noticed that
she wore number of rings. During a pause
in the meal, he took hold of the young lady's
hand, and raising it, called Wesleys attention
TO the sparkling gems. What do yon think of
this, SIR" said he flor a Methodists hand7n
The girl turned crimson. The question was ex-
tremeiy awkward for Wesley. whose aversion
to all display of jewelry we'll known.
But the aged evangelist showed a tact VIII ich
Lord Chesterfield might have envied With
quiet, benevolent smile he looked and sim
ply said: 1.-THE hand very beautiful" The
young lady appeared at evening worship with
out her jewels, and became firm and decided
Christian.
To 1921 Weslev's niece sent Adam Clark
sketch of some incidents in his life, in which
she says: "His Distinguished kindness to me
from the earliest period can remember made
an iudelible impression. [ can retrace no
word but of tenderness action but of conde-
scension and generosity" She clearly shows