Saints CVs – The Wesleys

In this article, we will consider three members of a remarkable 18th-century

SUSANNA WESLEY (NEE ANNESLEY) 1669-1742

If a godly mother is the greatest blessing an infant can know, then Susanna’s nineteen children were blessed indeed.¹ She was an intelligent woman with a mature grasp of Christian doctrine. Susanna endured a difficult marriage to an Anglican clergyman, with frequent disagreements leading to long periods of her husband’s absence from the family home. The Wesleys also suffered from serious financial difficulties. In this unpromising environment, Susanna educated her children ‘in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’, Eph. 6. 4. She wrote to her husband, ‘I cannot but look upon every soul you leave under my charge as a talent committed to me under a trust’.²

Susanna practised home schooling, starting her children’s education when they reached the age of five. They were expected to learn the complete alphabet on the first day. The children also studied Greek and Latin; one daughter was able to read from the Greek New Testament when she was only eight years old.

However, the most important part of Susanna’s motherly care for her children was her prayer life. She prayed with her young family at home every day; often neighbours would come into her house to listen to these prayers.

The remainder of this article focuses on two of Susanna’s sons, namely John and Charles.

JOHN WESLEY 1703-1791

As a youngster aged five, John was rescued from a house fire. From that moment, he saw himself as a ‘brand plucked from the burning’.³ After studying at Charterhouse school in London, John went to Oxford University in 1720, where he became an accomplished scholar and was later ordained as a clergyman. He joined a society known as the ‘Holy Club’ - a prototypical student Christian union in which members read the Bible together and carried out charitable work.

After an unsuccessful visit to America, John returned to London in 1738. He attended a religious meeting in Aldersgate Street one evening, where he heard someone read LUTHER’s introduction to the Epistle to the Romans. Recalling the incident years later, Wesley says, ‘I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me’.⁴

John Wesley was friendly with George Whitefield, another former member of the Oxford Holy Club. The two men became pioneers of open-air preaching, particularly as their evangelical message was generally unwelcome in the established church.

Wesley stated, ‘I look upon all the world as my parish’.⁵ He admitted that he preferred ‘a commodious room, a soft cushion and a handsome pulpit, but field preaching saves souls’.⁶

Wesley was frustrated by the lack of spiritual reality and enthusiasm in the established Church of England. He longed for evangelical revival and preached to that end. In the great doctrinal controversy of his day, Wesley sided against the Calvinist doctrine of a limited atonement. He had disagreements with his contemporaries and difficulties in his marriage. Like the best of men, he was only a man at best. Nevertheless, as SPURGEON says, ‘The character of John Wesley stands beyond all imputation for self-sacrifice, zeal, holiness, and communion with God’.⁷

CHARLES WESLEY 1707-1788

Charles Wesley was John’s younger brother. Born prematurely, his mother wrapped him in wool and the baby didn’t cry until he was two months old. He attended Westminster school in London, then followed his brother John to Oxford University. Charles was a founder of the Holy Club, whose members were mocked as ‘Bible moths’ by other students.⁸

Charles’ conversion experience occurred three days before that of his brother John. He was captivated by the thought of ‘the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’, Gal. 2. 20. On 21st May 1738, Charles states that he finally ‘found [him]self at peace with God, and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ’.⁹

Charles became a prolific poet, writing several thousand hymns.¹⁰ Many of his works are still popular today, includingAnd can it be, Love divine, O for a thousand tongues to sing, andHark the herald angels sing. Modern scholars agree that Charles Wesley’s lyrics are ‘richly saturated in scripture’.¹¹ We conclude with a verse from my favourite Wesley hymn.

Jesus the name to sinners dear,
The name to sinners given;
It scatters all their guilty fear,
It turns their hell to heaven.