no more.*

I was then near three years my father's Curate. During most of this time, he continued much the same; but in the year 1729, I observed, his letters grew much more serious, and when I returned to Oxford, in November that year, I found him in great earnestness to save his soul."

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Mr. Charles Wesley gives the following account of himself for the first year or two after he went to Oxford.† 'My first year at the College I lost in diversions; the next, I set myself to study. Diligence led me into serious thinking: I went to the weekly sacrament, and persuaded two or three young students to accompany me, and to observe the method of study prescribed by the statutes of the University. This gained me the harmless name of Methodist. In half a year (after this) my brother left his Curacy at Epworth, and came to our assistance. We then proceeded regularly in our studies, and in doing what good we could to the bodies and souls of men."

In the year 1728, in the twentieth year of his age, he began to apply more closely to study, to be more serious in his general deportment than usual, and to write a diary, in which he intended to register daily the state of his mind and the actions of the day. He knew that his brother Mr. John Wesley, had kept such a diary for several years, and was able to give him instructions how to proceed. He therefore wrote to him in January 1729, as follows: "I would willingly write a diary of my actions, but what particulars am I to take notice of? Am I to give my thoughts and words, as well as deeds, a place in it? Am I to mark all the good and ill I do; and what besides? Must I not take account of my progress in learning, as well as religion? What cipher can I make use of? If you would direct me to the same, or like method to your own, I would gladly follow it; for I am fully convinced of the usefulness of such an undertaking. I shall be at a stand till I hear from you.

"God has thought fit, it may be, to increase my weariness, to deny me at present your company and assistance. It is through Him strengthening me, I trust to maintain my ground till we meet. And I hope, that, neither before nor after that time, I shall relapse into my former state of insensibility. It is through your means, I firmly believe, that God will establish what he has begun in me; and there is no one person I would so willingly have to be the instrument of good to me as you. It is owing, in great measure, to somebody's prayers, (my mother's most likely,) that I am come to think as I do; for I cannot tell myself, how or when I awoke out of my lethargy—only that it was not long after you went away.".

The enemies of the Christian Revelation were become so bold, at this time, in their attempts to propagate their principles in the University, as to rouse the attention of the Vice-Chancellor; who, with the consent of the Heads of Houses and Proctors, issued the following programma, or edict, which was fixed up in most of the halls of the University:

"WHEREAS there is too much reason to believe, that some members of the University have of late been in danger of being corrupted by illdesigning persons, who have not only entertained wicked and blasphemous notions, contrary to the truth of the Christian religion; but have

*He was odd, eccentric, and what is called absent, in a high degree. Mr. John Wesley told me, that he always dreaded his visiting him, notwithstanding their great love to each other, knowing well the derangement of books and papers that would probably ensue. + In his letter to Dr. Chandler.

endeavoured to instil the same ill principles into others: and the more effectually to propagate their infidelity, have applied their poison to the unguarded inexperience of less-informed minds, where they thought it might operate with better success; carefully concealing their impious tenets from those whose riper judgment, and more wary conduct, might discover their false reasoning, and disappoint the intended progress of their infidelity. And whereas, therefore, it is more especially necessary at this time, to guard the youth of this place against these wicked advocates for pretended human reason against Divine revelation, and to enable them the better to defend their religion, and to expose the pride and impiety of those who endeavour to undermine it; Mr. Vice-Chan cellor, with the consent of the Heads of Houses and Proctors, has thought fit to recommend it, as a matter of the utmost consequence, to the several tutors of each College and Hall in the University, that they discharge their duty by a double diligence, in informing their respective pupils in their Christian duty, as also in explaining to them the articles of religion which they profess, and are often called upon to subscribe, and in recommending to them the frequent and careful reading of the Scriptures, and such other books as may serve more effectually to promote Christianity, sound principles, and orthodox faith. And, farther, Mr. Vice-Chancellor, with the same consent, does hereby forbid the said youth the reading of such books as may tend to the weakening of their faith, the subverting of the authority of the Scripture, and the introducing of Deism, profaneness, and irreligion in their stead."-The Dean of Christ Church was so much a friend to infidelity, that he would not suffer this programma to be put up in the Hall of his College. But the Lord was about to take the matter into his own hand. At the very time when the friends of infidelity were making so strong an effort to propagate their principles in this celebrated seminary of learning, God was preparing some young men to plant a religious society in the same place, which should spread its branches throughout the world!

In the course of the following summer, Mr. Charles Wesley became more and more serious, and his zeal for God began to manifest itself in exertions to do good beyond the common round of religious duties. He endeavoured to awaken an attention to religion in the minds of some of the students, and was soon successful in one or two instances. This appears from the following letter, which he wrote to his brother John in May, 1729.

"Providence has at present put it into my power to do some good. I have a modest, humble, well-disposed youth lives next me; and have been, thank God, somewhat instrumental in keeping him so. He had got into vile hands, and is now broke loose. He durst not receive the sacrament but at the usual times, for fear of being laughed at. By convincing him of the duty of frequent communicating, I have prevailed on both of us to receive once a week.

"I earnestly long for, and desire the blessing, God is about to send me in you. I am sensible this is my day of grace; and that, upon my employing the time before our meeting and next parting, will in great measure depend my condition for eternity."

In November, 1729, Mr. John Wesley left his Curacy, and came to reside wholly at Oxford. The beginning of the society then formed was small, and it appeared contemptible to those around; but events

have shown, that it was big with consequences of the utmost importance to the happiness of millions. So little do men know beforehand of the designs of Providence!

About this time Mr. Charles Wesley began to take pupils. On this occasion his father wrote to him as follows, in a letter dated January 1730, when Charles had just passed the 21st year of his age: "I had your last, and you may easily guess whether I were not well pleased with it, both on your account and my own. You have a double advantage by your pupils, which will soon bring you more, if you will improve it, as I firmly hope you will, by taking the utmost care to form their minds to piety as well as learning. As for yourself, between logic, grammar, and mathematics, be idle if you can. I give my blessing to the Bishop for having tied you a little faster, by obliging you to rub up your Arabic and a fixed and constant method will make the whole both pleasing and delightful to you. But, for all that, you must find time every day for walking, which you know you may do with advantage to your pupils; and a little more robust exercise, now and then, will do you no harm. You are now launched fairly, Charles; hold up your head, and swim like a man; and when you cuff the wave beneath you, say to it, much as another hero did,

:

CAROLUM vehis, et CAROLI fortunam.*

But always keep your eye fixed above the pole-star: and so God send you a good voyage through the troublesome sea of life! which is the hearty prayer of your loving father."

Charles

Mr. Charles Wesley and his brother John had been always united in affection; they were now united in their pursuit of learning, their views of religion, and their endeavours to do good. A Mr. Morgan, then a student also, was to them as another brother; and, united together, they were as a threefold cord, which is not easily broken. had much more fire and openness of temper than his brother; but he was not less cautious in this respect. If any doubts arose in his mind; or if any practice, which he thought proper and commendable, seemed likely to give great offence to others, he asked the advice of those who were older and wiser than himself, how he ought to proceed. In a letter which he wrote to his father in June 1731, he says, "On Whitsunday the whole College received the sacrament, except the servitors, (for we are too well bred to communicate with them, though in the body and blood of Christ,) to whom it was administered the next day; on which I was present at church, but with the Canons left the sacrament to those for whom alone it was prepared. What I would beg to be resolved in is, whether or no my being assured I should give infinite scandal by staying, could sufficiently justify me in turning my back on God's ordinance? It is a question my future conduct is much concerned in, and I shall therefore earnestly wait for your decision." We see here what a view he had of the sin of turning away from the ordinance of God!

Mr. Charles Wesley proceeded Master of Arts in the usual course, and thought only of spending all his days at Oxford as a tutor; for he "exceedingly dreaded entering into Holy Orders." But, in 1735, a "Thou carriest Charles, and Charles's fortune."-Spoken originally of Cæsar. His letter to Dr. Chandler.

VOL. I.

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new scene opened before him and his pious brother, which had not been contemplated by either of them, but was manifestly marked out by the providence of Him "who worketh all things after the counsel of his

own will."

We have seen Mr. John Wesley rising into notice and esteem on account of his literary talents, yet still in the humble situation of curate to his father, which he now quitted at the call of the chief men of his college. In consequence of that order, he entered upon a new situation he obtained pupils, and became a tutor. He presided also in the Hall as Moderator in the disputations, which were held six times a week; and always regarded this last appointment as a very gracious providence it gave him a complete knowledge of that important branch of learning, by which he was afterwards enabled, during his whole life, to defend the truth against all opponents. "For several years," says he himself, "I was Moderator in the disputations which were held six times a week at Lincoln College in Oxford. I could not avoid acquiring hereby some degree of expertness in arguing; and especially in discerning and pointing out well-covered and plausible fallacies. I have since found abundant reason to praise God for giving me this honest art. By this, when men have hedged me in, by what they called demonstrations, I have been many times able to dash them in pieces; in spite of all its covers, to touch the very point where the fallacy lay, and it flew open in a moment.”*

He was now fully employed between his public offices and his pupils. Of the latter he took the greatest care, accounting himself not only responsible for them to their parents and the community, but to God. He laboured not only to make them scholars, but Christians also, and to that end wrote a form of prayers for them (which is still extant) for every day in the week.

His own address to the Tutors of the University, will clearly evince the spirit in which he acted.

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"Ye venerable men," says he, "who are more especially called to form the tender minds of youth, to dispel thence the shades of ignorance and error, and train them up to be wise unto salvation: are you filled with the Holy Ghost? With all those fruits of the Spirit, which your important office so indispensibly requires? Is your heart whole with God? Full of love and zeal to set up his kingdom on earth? Do you continually remind those under your care, that the one rational end of all our studies, is to know, love, and serve the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent? Do you inculcate upon them, day by day, that love alone never faileth? (Whereas, whether there be tongues, they shall fail,'-or philosophical knowledge, it shall vanish away:') and that without love, all learning is but splendid ignorance, pompous folly, vexation of spirit? Has all you teach an actual tendency to the love of God, and all mankind for his sake? Have you an eye to this end in whatsoever you prescribe, touching the kind, the manner, and the measure of their studies: desiring and labouring, that wherever the lot of these young soldiers of Christ is cast, they may be so many burning and shining lights, adorning the gospel of Christ in all things? And permit me to ask, do you put forth all your strength in the vast

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*His masterly refutation of the Pelagian system of Dr. Taylor is an admirable proof of this. See his Works, vol. 17, p. 79.

work you have undertaken? Do you labour herein with all your might? Exerting every faculty of your soul? Using every talent which God hath lent you, and that to the uttermost of your power? Let it not be said, that I speak here, as if all under your care were intended to be clergymen. Not so: I only speak as if they were all intended to be Christians."*

Mr. Wesley's labours as a tutor, were not in vain. The late Rev. Mr. Hervey, author of the "Meditations," &c, was one of his pupils, and thus speaks of him with reference to the advantages he had received under his tuition at Oxford, in a letter dated Oxon, September 2, 1736.

"As for me, I am still a most weak, corrupt creature. But, blessed be the unmerited mercy of God, and thanks be to your never-to-beforgotten example, that I am what I am."

And again,

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"Do you, dear sir, put up your prayers, and oh! let the mighty God set to his seal, that it may be unto me according to my heart's desire. Then will I invite you, (my father, shall I call you, or my friend! For indeed you have been both unto me,) to meet me among the spirits of just men made perfect: since I am not like to see your face in the flesh any more for ever!† Then will I bid you welcome, yea, I will tell of your love, before the universal assembly, at the tremendous tribunal.” In the postscript he adds,

"I heartily thank you, as for all other favours, so especially for teaching me Hebrew. I have cultivated, (according to your advice,) this study, and am (blessed be God, the giver of knowledge,) somewhat improved in this language."

In another letter, dated Weston, near Northampton, December 30, 1747, he observes," Assure yourself, dear sir, that I can never forget that tender-hearted and generous Fellow of Lincoln, who condescended to take such compassionate notice of a poor under-graduate: whom almost every body condemned; and no man cared for his soul."

Mr. Wesley's own account of his religious views and impressions while at Oxford, is so worthy of observation, that I give it without any alteration.

"In the year 1725, being in the twenty-third year of my age, I met with Bishop Taylor's Rules and Exercises of Holy Living and Dying.' In reading several parts of this book, I was exceedingly affected with that part in particular which relates to purity of intention. Instantly I resolved to dedicate all my life to God: all my thoughts, and words, and actions: being thoroughly convinced, there was no medium: but that every part of my life, (not some only,) must either be a sacrifice to God, or to myself, that is, in effect, to the devil.

saw,

"In the year 1726, I met with Kempis's Christian Pattern.' The nature and extent of inward religion, the religion of the heart, now appeared to me in a stronger light than ever it had done before. I that giving even all my life to God, (supposing it possible to do this and go no farther,) would profit me nothing, unless I gave my heart, yea, all my heart, to him. I saw that simplicity of intention and purity of affection,' one design in all we speak or do, and one desire, ruling all our tempers, are indeed the wings of the soul,' without which she can never ascend to the mount of God.

* His Works, vol. i, p. 86.

Mr. Wesley was at this time in Georgia.