The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-01
CHARLES WESLEY
His Rank is With the Great Preachers of the
 World.
HIS EVAMGELISTlC WORK
How He Helped Lay the Founda- lions of the Mighty
 NIctIlodisn.

Tried by any reasonable test, ospe- cially by that of the work accom- plished, the effect produced, Charles Wesley must rank with the great preachers of the world, His chief bi- ographer, Thomas Jackson. says For some years lie was surpassed, perhaps, by no man since the apos- tolic times in power and efficiency as a Christian preacher, and people eY- eTyWhere fell under his word like grass under the scythe of the mower" He was more emotional than his brother John, and, also, rather strangely, more aphoristic. When Henry Moore, a prominent Methodist writer and preacher Of the early days, who knew both brothers intimately, was asked to describe their preaching, he replied Johns preaching was all principles, Charles was all aphor
 isms." John himself said in a letter to hS brother on one occason: Tn con- nection I baat you, but in strong, short, pointed sentences you teat me- tie surpassed him. also. we judge, in con- centrated. overwhelming appeal to the emotions. something extremely ef- fective with the ignorant, impression able people that waited on his min istry
 Joseph Sutcliffe, the commentators described him as beginning his dis courses slowly, but toward the close showing an irresistible vehemence, impetuosity, passion. There were times when nothing could withstand the wisdom and power with which he spoke. As one said. It was aV thun- der and lightning" Even in later fife Moore speals of his procla!mins Christ in such mighty fashion ha. he looked to SC, the whole congregation on their knees crying for mercy He had not the organ-litc voice and dramatic genius of Whiietleld nor vet his brothers marvellous grip on the reason and conscience. but he stirred the souls and touched the hearts IS profoundly. The fount lius of the great deep were broken up in himself ana l hence. also, in his hearers. The tears ran down his checks; his voice shook with trembling patros anl una'locted tenderness: the contaSton Q. his i'el- ins melted the multitude ilc lived in the spirit of prayer; he laid hold on 1 strefcth divine; God WIS wl,h hih'' anl Nrought through him
 I II is interesting to note sHlne oi the stages by which he reac1"l tic he.sl@
 If lis power, and a.'e thr teR"ns If IGs, line. In his earliest mi1islW he carefully wrote his sorro lS and read ' them rom the pulpit tllways, But l;,iter his cofis rs.C, n N'htsrndaN, { May 21. l73S. be t, gan t. practice extcmpore speaking, esreaialI' iii 'he exposition of Scupture ut tue s'icct societies" whero his now experience made him welcome. The next step "aS to introddcs cXtempore p2"1tts into i his public llscourseH as ms heart be come enlarged. On Friday, october ,, l at st. Antholin's church. London, sec ing but few present, he ventured, 'le l says, on the promise, 'Lo' ] am with YOU alway," and first delivered an on, 1 tire sermon without notes, speaking without hesitation for three-quarters i of an hour on justification by faith, from Romans iii He steadily gained greater self-command through prac- tice. and May 20, t739 at a village in 1 Essex, about 40 miles from London, 2 | farmer inviting him to preach In his i field, he did SO, for the nrst time, t1 about 500 people He did it again on the 3lst to TOO, and on Juno i de- 1 clared to above l0oU attentive sinners ! Gods power to save Many showed their emotion by the tears, and the next day he returned to London with q quiet mind" satisfied that he was l in the path of duty. June 2l he preached to near 10000 helpless sin- ners waiting for the word in Moor ! ields,p and after this speedily became a past master of such assemblies.
 On the very next Sunday he preach ed in his turn at St Mary's before the university of Oxford all being exceed l ingly attentive. and one, at least, nov ed to tears. on the Sunday following taking up the Moorfields work again he was sued for trespass by surly landholder over whose ground he had
 walked and was obliged to pay, ir damages and costs. l 9 pounds, 6s, Sd
 At the bottom of the bill (which is still in eXistonce) Charles Wesley
 wrote: "I paid them for the thing. that l never took" and on the back
 "To be rejudged in that day" In tn, streets and highways and fields, at [
 public ic-house-"full above stairs ane
 below" he says-and in many other
 places he delivered his soul with sucl evident signs of most vehement de.
 sire for the salvation of his hearers
 and such faith that the worst of sin
 ners might turn, that great multitude'
 came to God. He preached again a
 St Mary's before the university, Apri IA, 1142, probably for the last time His text was, Awake, thou that sleep
 est and arise from the dead. anC
 Christ shall give thee light" His bi
 ographer thinks that no other sermon
 in English, or any other language, ha!
 passed through so many editions oi
 been the means of so much spirtua
 good Within seven years of it's frs
 publication l6 editions had been is
 sued, and it has been in constant de
 mand ever since. It stands in the frs
 volume of John Wesley's sermons at
 No. ,, in tGe midst of those preached
 by John himself at St Mary's.
 For many subsequent years lie nov cd up and down through England ant
 Ireland. turning many from sin t righteousness under the open skies o
 under such roofs sweTe accessible ; with power rarely surpassed. "taIkin.