The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-18

its consequences. 1t also exercised pro-
found and lasting influence upon the spirit
of the established church, upon the amount
and distribution of the moral forces OF the
nation, and even upon the course OF its po-
litical history
"Birrell. the recent brilliant essayist. may
close these testimonies: Wesley was HIM
self the greatest force of the eighteenth
century in England. No man lived nearer
the center than John Wesley; neither Give
nor Pitt, neither Mansfield nor Johnson
No single figure Influenced so many minos;
no single voice touched so many hearts.
No other man did such lifework for Eng
land
I'm the closing moments of this service
desire TO call your attention to that which
LED up to this wonderful life, which was
attended with such remarkable results.
HIS BOYHOOD.
Mr.. Wesley as a boy was of a religious
turn of mind. He was reverential, con-
scientious, considerate to the extent that
he attracted the notice of the thoughtful
about him. He felt himself TO be under
the keeping of the Holy Spirit, notwith-
standing he was young. For in after life
he said of those days: Until was about
ten years old 1 had not sinned away, that
washing of the Holy Ghost which was
given me at baptism AS in these days so
sociations, for his spiritual fervor was
cooled down In the frigid atmosphere of the
Charter House School. He left this place
for the university 10 become more lax in
life, and, as we are told, he sinned against
his deeper convictions of duty to himself
and to others. At the age of twenty-five
his father pressed upon him the duty of
taking holy orders, and ne became more
reflective and more active in the work of
God, and finally was led TO give himself in
entire conservation to God. From this con-
secration he never receded, but for some
reason he was left without the power Of
God.
His religious experience differentiated
him from the clergy of the old establish
ment. 1t was that that made him powerful
In the statement Of religious thought. 1t
was that that produced conviction and
made men fall as dead under the preaching
of the truth. II is that thing that made the
Methodist Church great. If we hold to
that we are safe. If we drop that from our
" Hereby we do know that we know 4
know whom have believed Let us stand
by that God will honor us and that for
centenary of Mr.. Wesley come in more
gloriously by far than has the bicentenary,
and may God help us to contribute to that
end.
But, as one has said: Nothing must
supersede or subordinate our conservation
Nothing must enslave us. There must be
no bondage of rules. Such prescient wis
dom left the Wesleyans with the possibility
of instant and ready adaptation to every
new land and all changing conditions. In
ract' the whole scheme of doctrine. the
immortal hope, have been immutable. and
we are as ready to begin this century as
We were to commence the last one. We
have no need of revisions. We need not
spend an hour over any readjustment of
John Wesley's teachings of New Testament
piety or the plan Of salvation. We can go
on as We have come on. Our gospel is
as new, as mighty, as efficient as when
Wesley began to sound 1t forth as a glad
salvation. II our ministers will stop talk
ing about it. and talk it; If they will stop
defending It, and preach it as automatic
but. like the early Wesleyans, know and
preach this one thing only; If our laymen
will keep 1t as an experience, put ii always
at the front Of their business, talk about it
get their pleasure out of it, make it the
rule Of their living in all things, that COS
pei, the sun rising from on high" which
burst through the clouds in the revival of
the eighteenth century. will prove equally
the power Of God unto salvation in this and
every time until time is no more %