The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodists. Vol. 2 (of 3)Tyerman, L. (Luke)
History
The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodists. Vol. 2 (of 3)
Tyerman, L. (Luke)
Methodism; Wesley, John, 1703-1791
His wife arrived from America at the end of June; and, a few weeks
afterwards, he set out for the north of England. In Grimshaw’s church,
at Haworth, he had a thousand communicants; and, in the churchyard,
about six thousand hearers. In Leeds, his congregation consisted of
above ten thousand. On his way to Newcastle, Charles Wesley met him,
and, returning with him, introduced him to the Orphan House pulpit.
Under the date of October 8, Charles writes “The Lord is reviving His
work as at the beginning. Multitudes are daily added to His church.
George Whitefield, my brother, and I, are one; a threefold cord, which
shall no more be broken. The week before last, I waited on our friend
George at our house in Newcastle, and gave him full possession of our
pulpit and people’s hearts, as full as was in my power to give. The
Lord united all our hearts. I attended his successful ministry for some
days. He was never more blessed, or better satisfied. Whole troops of
the Dissenters he mowed down. They also are so reconciled to us, as
you cannot conceive. The world is confounded. The hearts of those who
seek the Lord rejoice. At Leeds, we met my brother, who gave honest
George the right hand of fellowship, and attended him everywhere to our
societies. Some at London will be alarmed at the news; but it is the
Lord’s doing, as they will by-and-by acknowledge.”[52]
Rightly or wrongly, we thus find Whitefield disassociated from all
churches and all societies,—the friend of all, the enemy of none,—an
evangelist, not a pastor, making it the one business of his life to
spread gospel truth, and to convert sinners from sin to holiness, and
from the power of Satan unto God.
Wesley intended to visit Rotterdam at the beginning of 1749; but was
prevented by a request that he would write an answer to Dr. Middleton’s
book against the fathers. He says: “I spent almost twenty days in that
unpleasing employment.”
In the middle of the month of February, he and his brother, and
Charles Perronet, set out from London for Mr. Gwynne’s, in Wales,
for the purpose of making final arrangements for Charles’s marriage.
John’s proposal was to give his brother security for the payment of
£100 per annum out of the profits of their publications. This was
accepted as satisfactory, and Mr. Gwynne and Mr. Perronet were to act
as the trustees. Miss Sally Gwynne promised to let Charles continue
his vegetable diet and his travelling; and, though Mrs. Gwynne wished
to stipulate that he should not go again to Ireland, this, at her
daughter’s request, was not enforced. It is a fact, however, that, for
some reason, Charles Wesley never visited Ireland after he became the
son-in-law of Mrs. Gwynne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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