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[Illustration: _Frontispiece._
"'You seem half starved, dear,' he said."--_Page 33._]
THE STORY OF JOHN WESLEY.
Told to Boys and Girls.
BY
MARIANNE KIRLEW,
_Author of "The Red Thread of Honour," etc., etc._
WITH PREFACE BY REV. DINSDALE T. YOUNG.
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London:
ROBERT CULLEY,
2 AND 3 LUDGATE CIRCUS BUILDINGS, FARRINGDON STREET, E.C.;
2 CASTLE STREET, CITY ROAD, E.C.
TO THE SACRED MEMORY
OF THE
Dear Mother,
WHO BY PRECEPT AND EXAMPLE
SOUGHT TO BRING UP HER CHILDREN
IN "THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD";
THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED
BY HER DAUGHTER.
* * * * *
"_That our sons may be as plants grown up in their
youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones,
polished after the similitude of a
palace._"--PSALM CXLIV. 12.
PREFACE.
THE Story of John Wesley is one of which the world does not easily
weary. There is perennial freshness in it. "Age cannot wither it." We
may indeed almost affirm that it has an "infinite variety."
It is specially important that this remarkable history should be re-told
for young people. The youth of England ought to be fully conversant with
John Wesley's unique personality and immortal work.
John Wesley's name is far above mere denominationalism. He belongs to
all the churches, for he belongs to the "Holy Catholic Church." He is a
great national and historic figure. It has ever been claimed by some,
whose authority is high, that John Wesley was the saviour of modern
England. Surely there is large truth in this. The great religious leader
was indeed one of the most potent political forces England has known. If
there be even an approximation towards fact in such a claim, then how
important for young England to know the record of a man so supremely
distinguished.
Certainly, on any ground, these pages meet a distinct want; and I think
it will be the judgment of readers, that they meet it admirably well.
Here John Wesley's life is traced clearly, even to the point of
vividness. The style in which the story is told, will be found to add to
the intrinsic interest of the recital.
The author of this life of Wesley is thoroughly imbued with the spirit
of her subject, nor does she forget to apply the lessons, with which
this wonderful life-story is crowded.
If the _children_ of our land could be fired with enthusiasm for the
truths John Wesley taught and lived, what a blessed outlook would there
be for England!
We earnestly pray, that many a young reader may be stirred to the very
depths of his being, by the narration here so attractively given. "'Tis
a consummation devoutly to be wished."
DINSDALE T. YOUNG.
_Manchester,
June, 1895._
CONTENTS.
_Chapter_ _Page_
I. 1
II. 6
III. 10
IV. 13
V. 19
VI. 23
VII. 28
VIII. 32
IX. 35
X. 38
XI. 45
XII. 49
XIII. 54
XIV. 59
XV. 63
XVI. 68
XVII. 73
XVIII. 77
XIX. 82
XX. 86
XXI. 89
XXII. 92
XXIII. 98
XXIV. 102
XXV. 106
XXVI. 110
XXVII. 116
XXVIII. 120
XXIX. 123
XXX. 128
XXXI. 134
XXXII. 138
XXXIII. 142
XXXIV. 145
XXXV. 149
XXXVI. 152
XXXVII. 156
XXXVIII. 159
XXXIX. 163
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THE STORY OF JOHN WESLEY.
CHAPTER I.
Jacky.--His brothers and sisters.--His cottage
home.--What happened to the little pet-dog.--How
Jacky's father forgave the wicked men of
Epworth.--"Fire! Fire!"
LONG, long ago, more than one hundred and fifty years, lived the hero of
this book. Because his name was John, everybody called him Jack or
Jacky; and by everybody I mean his dear, good father and mother, and his
eighteen brothers and sisters. Eighteen, did I say? Yes, indeed, they
counted eighteen; and seeing there were so many, I will not trouble you
with all their names. I will just tell you three. Samuel was the eldest,
he was the "big brother"; Jacky was number fifteen, and Kitty and
Charlie came after him.
But Jacky did not mind all this houseful, I think he rather liked it,
for you see he always had plenty of playmates. His home was in a country
village called Epworth, in Lincolnshire. If you look on your map I think
you will find it. The house was like a big cottage; the roof had no
slates on like ours, but was thatched with straw, the same as some of
the cottages you have seen in the country; and the windows had tiny
panes of glass, diamond-shaped, and they opened like little doors. The
walls of the cottage were covered with pretty climbing plants, and what
was best of all, there was a beautiful big garden where apple and pear
trees grew, and where there was lots of room for Jacky and Charlie and
the others to run about and play "hide and seek."
But I must tell you that a great many wicked people lived at Epworth,
and Jack's father, who was a minister, tried to teach them how wrong it
was to steal and fight, and do so many cruel things. But his preaching
only made them very angry with good Mr. Wesley, and one of the men, out
of spite, cut off the legs of his little pet-dog. Was not that a
dreadfully cruel thing to do?
But Jack's father, because he loved Jesus so much, loved these wicked
men, and always forgave them. He knew if he could get _them_ to love
Jesus, they would soon stop being cruel and unkind.
One night in winter, when everybody was fast asleep, Kitty woke up
feeling something very hot on her feet. Opening her eyes she was
dreadfully frightened to see the bedroom ceiling all on fire. She was
only a very little girl, but she jumped out of bed, and ran to the room
where her mother and two of her sisters were sleeping. Her father, who
was in another room, hearing a great noise outside, and people calling
"Fire! Fire!" jumped up and found it was his own house that was in
flames. Telling the elder girls to be quick and get dressed and to help
their mother, who was very ill, he ran to the nursery, and burst open
the door. "Nurse, nurse!" he shouted, "be quick and get the children up,
the house is on fire."
Snatching up baby Charles in her arms, and calling to the other children
to follow her, the nurse hurried down-stairs. But there they found the
hall full of flames and smoke, and to get out of the front-door was
impossible. So some of the children got through the windows and some
through the back-door into the garden.
Just as the minister thought he had all his family safe, he heard a cry
coming from the nursery, and on looking round, he found Jacky was
missing. He rushed into the burning house, and tried to get up the
stairs, but they were all on fire. What should he do? He didn't know. So
he just knelt down in the hall surrounded by the dreadful flames, and
asked God to take care of little Jack, and if he couldn't be saved to
take him to heaven.
Now I must tell you how it was Jack was still in the burning house. He
had been fast asleep when the nurse called, and did not hear her and the
other children go out of the room. All at once he woke up, and seeing a
bright light in the room, thought it was morning. "Nursie, nursie!" he
called, "take me up; I want to get up." Of course there was no answer.
Then he put his head out of the curtains which surrounded his little
bed, and saw streaks of fire on the top of the room. Oh, how frightened
he was!
Jacky was only five years old, but he was a brave boy, and instead of
lying still and screaming and crying, he jumped up and ran to the door
in his night-gown. But the floor and the stairs were all on fire. What
should he do? He ran back again into the room, and climbed on a big box
that stood near the window. Then some one in the yard saw him and
shouted: "Fetch a ladder, quick! I see him."
"There's no time," called out somebody else; "the roof is falling in.
Look here!" said the same man, "I'll stand against this wall, and let a
man that's not very heavy stand on my shoulders, and then we can reach
the child."
So the strong man fixed himself against the wall, and another man
climbed on his shoulders, and Jacky put out his arms as far as he could,
and the man lifted him out of the burning room, and he was safe. Two
minutes afterwards the roof fell in with a big crash.
Jack was carried into a neighbour's house, and they all knelt down while
the minister thanked God for taking care of them, and so wonderfully
preserving all their lives.
Jack never forgot that terrible night, and all his life afterwards he
felt that God had saved him from being burnt to death, in order that he
might do a great deal of work for Him.
You will not be surprised to hear, that it was the wicked people in
Epworth who had set the minister's house on fire. But as Jesus forgave
His enemies, so Mr. Wesley forgave these men, and tried more than ever
to show them how much Christ loved them.
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