The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-16
MIR. BIRRELL ON JOHN WESLEY

MIR. BIRRELL ON JOHN WESLEY. One of the Very Greatest Englishmen
 Who Ever Lived.
 It is delightfully."- instructive to read
 what MT Birrell has to say of Chris tianity, of Parliament, of Bagehot of | Froude, and of Browning. But we in-
 vite the special attention of our read
 CTS to the first essay in this series the
 essay.on John Wesley as he is revealed
 to US in his own Journal" We do not think this essay is placed first by acci- dent. We believe MT. Birrell realizes
 that Wesley Is the most important sub
 ject he has ever discussed. If Bagehot, Froude, Peel and even Browning, had
 never been born, the course of English history would not have been materially l other than it is If Wesley had never
 been born, modern England and the
 British empire and the United States e 1 America would have been quite q fer ent from what they are to-day Anyone 1 who is amazed at the apparent bold ness of this statement had better go to
 school at the feet of Mr. Birrel who has studied Wesley's journal and, there fore knows what even our historians
 had never yet learned. Cromwell had to wait 200 years for capable bio
 grapher, and half the people of Eng
 land do not know even now what the
 great Oliver did for them. More than
 a century has passed, and no one cspa-
 ble of writing the biography of Wesley
 has yet applied himself to the task. The
 most widely-read life of Wesley,
 Southey's, is, as MT. Birrell states, a
 dull, almost stupid book. which, hap
 oily, there Is no need to read" Tyer- mans immense volumes contain noun
 tainous heaps of information most la
 boriously, patienty and conscientiously piled together, and may be of some use when writer capable of understanding and appreciating Wesley takes the great work in hand. But up to now mo- body with the requisite genius, knowl- edge. insight, gift of literary expres- sion and personal goodness has come to explain to Englishmer1 and to mankind one of the very greatest Englishmen who ever lived.
 We have the journal which has taught MT. Birrell so much. It is, as Mr. Birrell says "a book full of plots and plays and novels, which quivers with life and is crammed full of char acter." It is far more interesting and instructive than Roswell's Johnson. If you want to get into the last that is, (the 1Bth) century, to feel it's pulses throb beneath your finger. deny yourself your annual reading of Bos- well or your biennial retreat with Sterne and ride up and down the country with the greatest force Of the 18th century in England No man lived nearer the center than John Wesley, neither Give nor Pitt, neither Mansfield nor John son. You cannot cut him out of your national life. No single figure intiuenc ed so many mnds no single voice touched so many hearts. No other man did such lifes work for England" Wesley was lone of the most typical | figures of the 18th century, and certain | ly the most strenuous"
 He began his published journal on | October 14, 1735, and its last entry Is | under date Sunday, October 24, 1790: | Between those two Octobers there lies | the most amazing record of human ex- ertion ever penned or endured" Never was Wesleys active career better de- scribed than in the witty political illus trations which MT. Birrell draws from | his own experience as Parliamentary "John Wesley" says this literary member of Parliament. "con- tested the three kingdoms in the cause of Christ during a campaign which last cd 40 years. He did it for the most part nn horseback. He paid more turnpikes than any man who ever bestrode rrI~ a,,I | annual record for many a long year, during each of which he seldom preach ed less frequently than 1000 times. Had he but preserved his scores at all the ms where he lodged they would have made by themselves history of prices And throughout it all he never knew what depression of spirits meant, though he had much to try hm-suits n chancery and q jealous wife. In the ,ourse of this unparalleled contest Wes- ey visited again and again the most the way districts, the remotest corners of England" And we may add, IS the result, he by the blessing of God changed the face of Eneland and of all ands where the English language is spoken. "It has been said that Ves- ey's character lacks charm" 'Tet no ,ne deny charm to Wesley" replies MT. 3irrell, "who has not read his Journal" The accusa ton is indeed absurd. Wo- nan is far better judge of charm than nan, and every woman w!o ever met ohm Wesley fell in love with him He 1 vas, in truth. one of the most charm ng men that ever lived. But his 'iographer has not yet come, and his ournal has been hidden for century. n somber editions of his works He is not popular figure simply because e is unknown. If France of Assist had cen equally unfortunate in having no .iotto and no Dante to create rorv- ar tradition about him. he would have cen equally unpopular.--From the fethodist Times, London.