The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21

children was John, who died in the year NJ his
birth. and the eleventh was Ben amin. who also
died In his natal year. 1t was the love OF the
mother for these two who had prematurely
perished, that led her to name for both the next
son who lived to be baptized. Accordingly.
when but few hours old, the future founder Of
Methodism was baptized John BENJAMIN. but
the second name was never used by the family.
| In tho fire which destroyed the registers
OF Epwortn parish John Wesley. then
six years old, was In peril, and had very mar
row escape. His father, discovering that his
| house was on fire.. awoke his wife, and. taking
the eldest girl, burst open the nursery door and
called the maid who was sleeping there with
| i've children. Sho caught up the youngest.
| bidding the others follow. Three obeyed. but
| John was not awakened. and, in the excitement
| was overlooked: but, when all wcre thought to
| be safe. he was heard crying In the nursery. Ills
father ran to mount tho stairs. but they would
not bear his weight. lie fell upon his knees
| IN the hall and commended tho soul
| Of tho child to God. John, awakened
| by the light. thought II day. and called
| to the maid to take him up. As no ono came,
| he opened the curtains. and. seeing flames, ran
| TO the door. but, not being able to escape that
| way. climbed upon chest which stood near tho
window, and was then from the yard No
ladder could be obtained. but AS the house was
another, reached the window. and rescued the
boy. moment later the whole roof fell In.
The father cried out to tho nciQhbors: Let us
| kneel down; let US give thanks to God. He has
given mo all my oight children. Let the house
90. am rich enough"
For eleven years John wesley's chief In
structor was his mother. and her system of
training was afterward so highly valued by him
that in 1882 he induced her. with much dim
Guilty. to write a full account of It. Mrs. Wesley
said: 1T cannot be OF service to any one to
know how I. that have lived such retired life
for so MANI years. used to employ my time and
care In bringing up my children. No one can.
without renouncing the world In n most literal
sense. follow my method and there are few. II
any, that would entirely devote twenty years
OF the primo OF life to tho hope OF saving
tho souls Of their children; for that was
my principal intention. however unskilfully
managed" Mrs. Weslcy's chief principles wore
these: At tho age OF one year each child was
taught to fear punishment amt to cry softly.
Nothing for which II cried was ever to be given
to child. on the ground that to do SO would 10
arecompense for crying and that he would GER
talnly cry again. Children wero limited to three
meals day; nothing was gtvep to them between
meals. All were to be washed and put to bed at
o'clock. and on no account was n servant
to 81: by n child until IL fell asleep. As soon
as they could speak, all the children
were taught tho Lords Prayer. and required
to repeat 1t every morning and every night. Six
hours n day were spent at school, but. with one
exception, none was taught to read until Ave
years OF age. and thea only single day was re-
served for learning the letters OF the alphabet.
great and small. The proyidental preservation
OF John led his mother TO devote special pains
to him. From the beginning he would do moth
inc without reneCtinu ita Atneaa and pro
priety. and argued about everything. SO
that his father said: Child, you think |
to carry everything by dint OF argument; |
but you will find how little Is ever |
done IN tho world by clear reason" In this !
particular DR.. Buckley notes similarity be- |
tween the childhood OF John Wesley and that |
Of william +. Gladstone. who was also so de- |
vout In spiri: that his father admitted him to |
the communion table when he was only 8 years |
old. An attack Of smallpox when he was be- |
tween and 0 Intensified John Wesley's ro-
lirlous feeling developing such patience that |
his mother wrote to his father that he had |
borne the disease like Christian.
In the year l7l4 John Wesley entered Char
terhouse School In London. where pupils were |
poorly fed. He suffered special privatiops, as |
tho older boys had habit Of appropratlng tho |
shares Of animal food distributed 70 the younger,
90 that, during the greater part OF the time. |
bread was his only solid nutriment. His health, !
however, was excellent. II fact attributed ny him
In after years to his obeying n command OF his
father to run around the Charterhouse garden |
every morning. According to his own te,tI-
mony he here grew less religious: he thinks
that he slnned away that washing o. the
Holy Ghost which ho received In bap-
tism when no was about ten years OF
age" and remarks concerning his Char
terhouse experience that ho WAS negligent of
outward duties and almost continually guilty
of outward sins. which. to quote his own Ian
GuaCe, Il knew to be such, though they were
not scandalous in the eye OF the world. Never
theless. | still read the Scriptures and said my
prayers morning and evening. What now
hoped TO he saved by was. first. not being so
bad rs other people; secondly. having still a
kindness for religion. and thirdly. reading the
Bible going to church. and saying my prayers"
In regard to this confession. Tycrman. ono OF
his biographers. uttcrs the dictum: John
Wesley entered tho Charterhou-e n saint
and left II sinner" This remark
Is characterized by another biographer ns
austere. II conveys an exaggerated
impression as to tho character of the boys
moral and spiritual shortcomings. The truth
seems to be that. although tho Charterhouse
was at that time collection of youths under
comparatively little restraint. full OF tho spirit
Va ~" "so HkutlHR, uTlnklng wnen |
they could. yet John Wesley passed through
tho school without contracting any faint
OF vice. In l7iD. being then 10. he
was placed under tho tuition OF his
elder brother Samuel. who had become head
usher or Westminster School. Samuel was so
much pleased with his docilty and proficiency
that he wrote to his father: My brother Jack,
j can faithfully assure you, gives you no mnn-
ner OF disbursement from breeding your third
son scholar. Jack Il n brave boy, learning
Hebrew AS fast AS no can"
When lie was seventeen John Wesley entered
Christ Church College. Oxford. and there
for five years. saying his pray
ers. publicly nnd privately. reading the Scrip.
lures and other religious books. According
I" his own testimony, however. he lind not
all this while 40 much ~ II notion Of in
warl holiness: nay, went on habtuaily and
for tho most part very contentediy. In some
ar other known sin" Meanwhile his ,eputa-
ton for scholarship was hgh and no made some
experiments In poetry. selections from which,