The Story of John Wesley, Told to Boys and GirlsKirlew, Marianne
Religion
The Story of John Wesley, Told to Boys and Girls
Kirlew, Marianne
Wesley, John, 1703-1791 -- Juvenile literature
It was a lovely May morning, and a kind little sunbeam had left the
green fields and the chirping birdlets to peep into Sandgate. I think it
must have heard the singing, and wanted to shine its gladness, that
God's praises were at last being sung to those poor people.
It was quite early, about seven o'clock in the morning, and some of the
men and women were still in bed; but little sunbeam went first to one
and then to another and kissed them awake, and when they had rubbed
their eyes and opened their ears, they heard a strange sound. What could
it be? They had never heard anything like it before.
[Illustration: "If you come to yon hill at five o'clock to-night, I'll
tell you what I mean."--_Page 95._]
They sat up in bed and listened, then they got dressed, and then they
went out. The music acted like a magic spell, and drew them to it. One
man, two men, three men, four men, five men; oh, dear! there are too
many to count. Such a number of women too, why, there must be five
hundred people all together, and still they keep coming. One of the
gentlemen is now talking. Listen what he is saying! He is preaching a
sermon, and this is his text: "_He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was
upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed._" He is telling those poor
men and women that it was Jesus, the Son of God, who suffered this for
them, _because He loved them_.
The people, who numbered about twelve hundred, stood gaping and staring,
they had never heard anything like this before.
"Who are you?" shouted one man.
"What do you mean?" called out another.
The gentleman with the long hair and beautiful face answered them: "If
you want to know who I am, my name is John Wesley, and if you come to
yon hill at five o'clock to-night, I'll tell you what I mean."
At five o'clock the hill was covered with people from the top to the
bottom, and as Mr. Wesley stood with that great crowd round him, all
eager to learn about the wonderful Saviour who had died for them, and of
whom they had never heard, tears of pity filled his eyes, and a big love
for them filled his heart.
Oh, so sweetly and tenderly did he read to them God's own words: "_I
will heal their back-sliding, I will love them freely_;" and then he
told them the "Old, Old Story."
He told it very slowly:
"'That they might take it in,
That wonderful redemption,
God's remedy for sin.'
He told them the story simply:
'As to a little child,
For they were weak and weary,
And helpless and defi'ed.'
He told them the story softly:
'With earnest tones and grave,
For were they not the sinners
Whom Jesus came to save?'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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