,illustration3 ,frontispiece4 ',you seem half starved1 dear1' he said4--,page #cc4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,john ,,wesley4 ,told to ,boys and ,girls4 ,,by ,,marianne ,,kirlew1 ,author of ,the ,red ,thread of ,honour1 etc41 etc4 ,,with ,,preface ,,by ,,rev4 ,,dinsdale ,t4 ,,young4 ,illustration ,london3 ,,robert ,,culley1 #b ,,and #c ,,ludgate ,,circus ,,buildings1 ,,farringdon ,,street1 ,e4,c42 #b ,,castle ,,street1 ,,city ,,road1 ,e4,c4 ,,to ,,the ,,sacred ,,memory ,,of ,,the ,dear ,mother1 ,,who ,,by ,,precept ,,and ,,example ,,sought ,,to ,,bring ,,up ,,her ,,children ,,in ,,the ,,nurture ,,and ,,admonition ,,of ,,the ,,lord2 ,,this ,,book ,,is ,,lovingly ,,dedicated ,,by ,,her ,,daughter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth2 that our daughters may be as corner stones1 polished after the similitude of a palace4--,,psalm ,,cxliv4 #ab4 ,,preface4 ,,the ,story of ,john ,wesley is one of which the world does not easily weary4 ,there is perennial freshness in it4 ,age cannot wither it4 ,we may indeed almost affirm that it has an infinite variety4 ,it is specially important that this remarkable history should be re-told for young people4 ,the youth of ,england ought to be fully conversant with ,john ,wesley's unique personality and immortal work4 ,john ,wesley's name is far above mere denominationalism4 ,he belongs to all the churches1 for he belongs to the ,holy ,catholic ,church4 ,he is a great national and historic figure4 ,it has ever been claimed by some1 whose authority is high1 that ,john ,wesley was the saviour of modern ,england4 ,surely there is large truth in this4 ,the great religious leader was indeed one of the most potent political forces ,england has known4 ,if there be even an approximation towards fact in such a claim1 then how important for young ,england to know the record of a man so supremely distinguished4 ,certainly1 on any ground1 these pages meet a distinct want2 and ,i think it will be the judgment of readers1 that they meet it admirably well4 ,here ,john ,wesley's life is traced clearly1 even to the point of vividness4 ,the style in which the story is told1 will be found to add to the intrinsic interest of the recital4 ,the author of this life of ,wesley is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of her subject1 nor does she forget to apply the lessons1 with which this wonderful life-story is crowded4 ,if the children of our land could be fired with enthusiasm for the truths ,john ,wesley taught and lived1 what a blessed outlook would there be for ,england6 ,we earnestly pray1 that many a young reader may be stirred to the very depths of his being1 by the narration here so attractively given4 ',tis a consummation devoutly to be wished4 ,,dinsdale ,t4 ,,young4 ,manchester1 ,june1 #ahie4 ,,contents4 ,chapter ,page ,i4 #a ,,ii4 #f ,,iii4 #aj ,,iv4 #ac ,v4 #ai ,,vi4 #bc ,,vii4 #bh ,,viii4 #cb ,,ix4 #ce ,x4 #ch ,,xi4 #de ,,xii4 #di ,,xiii4 #ed ,,xiv4 #ei ,,xv4 #fc ,,xvi4 #fh ,,xvii4 #gc ,,xviii4 #gg ,,xix4 #hb ,,xx4 #hf ,,xxi4 #hi ,,xxii4 #ib ,,xxiii4 #ih ,,xxiv4 #ajb ,,xxv4 #ajf ,,xxvi4 #aaj ,,xxvii4 #aaf ,,xxviii4 #abj ,,xxix4 #abc ,,xxx4 #abh ,,xxxi4 #acd ,,xxxii4 #ach ,,xxxiii4 #adb ,,xxxiv4 #ade ,,xxxv4 #adi ,,xxxvi4 #aeb ,,xxxvii4 #aef ,,xxxviii4 #aei ,,xxxix4 #afc ,illustration ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,john ,,wesley4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,jacky4--,his brothers and sisters4--,his cottage home4--,what happened to the little pet-dog4--,how ,jacky's father forgave the wicked men of ,epworth4--,fire6 ,fire6 ,,long1 long ago1 more than one hundred and fifty years1 lived the hero of this book4 ,because his name was ,john1 everybody called him ,jack or ,jacky2 and by everybody ,i mean his dear1 good father and mother1 and his eighteen brothers and sisters4 ,eighteen1 did ,i say8 ,yes1 indeed1 they counted eighteen2 and seeing there were so many1 ,i will not trouble you with all their names4 ,i will just tell you three4 ,samuel was the eldest1 he was the big brother2 ,jacky was number fifteen1 and ,kitty and ,charlie came after him4 ,but ,jacky did not mind all this houseful1 ,i think he rather liked it1 for you see he always had plenty of playmates4 ,his home was in a country village called ,epworth1 in ,lincolnshire4 ,if you look on your map ,i think you will find it4 ,the house was like a big cottage2 the roof had no slates on like ours1 but was thatched with straw1 the same as some of the cottages you have seen in the country2 and the windows had tiny panes of glass1 diamond-shaped1 and they opened like little doors4 ,the walls of the cottage were covered with pretty climbing plants1 and what was best of all1 there was a beautiful big garden where apple and pear trees grew1 and where there was lots of room for ,jacky and ,charlie and the others to run about and play hide and seek4 ,but ,i must tell you that a great many wicked people lived at ,epworth1 and ,jack's father1 who was a minister1 tried to teach them how wrong it was to steal and fight1 and do so many cruel things4 ,but his preaching only made them very angry with good ,mr4 ,wesley1 and one of the men1 out of spite1 cut off the legs of his little pet-dog4 ,was not that a dreadfully cruel thing to do8 ,but ,jack's father1 because he loved ,jesus so much1 loved these wicked men1 and always forgave them4 ,he knew if he could get them to love ,jesus1 they would soon stop being cruel and unkind4 ,one night in winter1 when everybody was fast asleep1 ,kitty woke up feeling something very hot on her feet4 ,opening her eyes she was dreadfully frightened to see the bedroom ceiling all on fire4 ,she was only a very little girl1 but she jumped out of bed1 and ran to the room where her mother and two of her sisters were sleeping4 ,her father1 who was in another room1 hearing a great noise outside1 and people calling ,fire6 ,fire6 jumped up and found it was his own house that was in flames4 ,telling the elder girls to be quick and get dressed and to help their mother1 who was very ill1 he ran to the nursery1 and burst open the door4 ,nurse1 nurse6 he shouted1 be quick and get the children up1 the house is on fire4 ,snatching up baby ,charles in her arms1 and calling to the other children to follow her1 the nurse hurried down-stairs4 ,but there they found the hall full of flames and smoke1 and to get out of the front-door was impossible4 ,so some of the children got through the windows and some through the back-door into the garden4 ,just as the minister thought he had all his family safe1 he heard a cry coming from the nursery1 and on looking round1 he found ,jacky was missing4 ,he rushed into the burning house1 and tried to get up the stairs1 but they were all on fire4 ,what should he do8 ,he didn't know4 ,so he just knelt down in the hall surrounded by the dreadful flames1 and asked ,god to take care of little ,jack1 and if he couldn't be saved to take him to heaven4 ,now ,i must tell you how it was ,jack was still in the burning house4 ,he had been fast asleep when the nurse called1 and did not hear her and the other children go out of the room4 ,all at once he woke up1 and seeing a bright light in the room1 thought it was morning4 ,nursie1 nursie6 he called1 take me up2 ,i want to get up4 ,of course there was no answer4 ,then he put his head out of the curtains which surrounded his little bed1 and saw streaks of fire on the top of the room4 ,oh1 how frightened he was6 ,jacky was only five years old1 but he was a brave boy1 and instead of lying still and screaming and crying1 he jumped up and ran to the door in his night-gown4 ,but the floor and the stairs were all on fire4 ,what should he do8 ,he ran back again into the room1 and climbed on a big box that stood near the window4 ,then some one in the yard saw him and shouted3 ,fetch a ladder1 quick6 ,i see him4 ,there's no time1 called out somebody else2 the roof is falling in4 ,look here6 said the same man1 ,i'll stand against this wall1 and let a man that's not very heavy stand on my shoulders1 and then we can reach the child4 ,so the strong man fixed himself against the wall1 and another man climbed on his shoulders1 and ,jacky put out his arms as far as he could1 and the man lifted him out of the burning room1 and he was safe4 ,two minutes afterwards the roof fell in with a big crash4 ,jack was carried into a neighbour's house1 and they all knelt down while the minister thanked ,god for taking care of them1 and so wonderfully preserving all their lives4 ,jack never forgot that terrible night1 and all his life afterwards he felt that ,god had saved him from being burnt to death1 in order that he might do a great deal of work for ,him4 ,you will not be surprised to hear1 that it was the wicked people in ,epworth who had set the minister's house on fire4 ,but as ,jesus forgave ,his enemies1 so ,mr4 ,wesley forgave these men1 and tried more than ever to show them how much ,christ loved them4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,jacky learns his ,a ,b ,c4--,a wise mother4--,christ's little soldier4--,a chatterbox4--,the big brother and the little one4--,jacky poorly4--,the bravest of the brave4--,a proud father4 ,,jack',s father and mother were not rich people1 and they could not afford to send all their children to school1 so ,mrs4 ,wesley taught them at home1 and as there were so many of them it was almost like a proper school4 ,when ,jacky was five years old1 he became a little scholar4 ,the first day he learnt his alphabet1 and in three months could read quite nicely4 ,mrs4 ,wesley was a dear1 kind mother1 and took a great deal of trouble1 and often put herself to much pain to train her little boys to be ,christian gentlemen1 and her little girls to be ,christian ladies4 ,as soon as they could speak1 they were taught to say their prayers every night and morning1 and to keep the ,sabbath day holy4 ,they were never allowed to have anything they cried for1 and they were always taught to speak kindly and politely to the servants4 ,bad words were never heard among them1 and no loud talking or rough play was allowed4 ,this wise mother also knew that little people are sometimes tempted to tell untruths to hide a fault for fear of punishment1 so she made it a rule that if any of the children did what was naughty1 and at once confessed and promised not to do it again1 they should not be whipped4 ,one of the little boys--,i'm afraid it was ,jacky--did not always follow this rule1 and so he sometimes got what he did not like4 ,but ,mrs4 ,wesley never allowed her children to taunt one another with a fault1 especially when they were trying to do better4 ,another thing the children were taught1 was to respect the rights of property2 that is1 if ,jacky wanted ,charlie's top1 he was not to take it without ,charlie's leave2 and if ,emily wanted ,sukey's brooch1 she must ask her sister's permission before taking it4 ,oh1 how dreadfully strict6 ,i fancy ,i hear some of my readers say4 ,not at all1 dears1 it was a mother's kindness to her children2 for it took far more time1 and a great deal more trouble to teach them all these things than it would have done to let them do as they liked4 ,and when ,emily and ,mollie and ,jack and ,charlie and all the others grew up to be men and women1 they thanked ,god for giving them such a wise mother4 ,once a week ,mrs4 ,wesley used to take each of the children into her room1 separately1 for a quiet little talk4 ,they each had their own day for having mother all to themselves4 ,jack had every ,thursday1 and ,saturday was ,charlie's day4 ,so helpful were these little talks with mother1 that years afterwards when ,jack had left home1 he wrote and asked his mother if she would spare the same time every ,thursday to pray for him4 ,before ,jacky was eight years old he loved ,jesus so much that he wanted every one to know he meant to be one of ,his faithful soldiers4 ,so he asked his father if he might go to the communion1 which1 you know1 is doing what ,christ asked all ,his followers to do1 taking bread and drinking wine in remembrance of ,him4 ,though ,jack was such a little boy1 his father knew1 by his conduct1 that he meant what he said1 and so he admitted him to the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,i wish all my young readers could say1 as ,jacky could3-- ,i am a little soldier1 ,i'm only eight years old1 ,i mean to fight for ,jesus ,and wear a crown of gold4 ,i know ,he'll make me happy1 ,and help me every day1 ,i'll be ,his little soldier1 ,the ,bible says ,i may4 ,mrs4 ,wesley used to have services in her big kitchen on a ,sunday night1 for the servants1 and the poor people who could not walk all the long way to church2 and little ,jack used to sit and listen so attentively1 while his mother told the people how ,god's ,son was put to death on the cruel cross1 to save them from sin1 and to gain for them a place in heaven4 ,jack1 like many another little boy1 had rather a long tongue1 indeed1 he was a regular chatterbox4 ,his big brother ,sam did not always like ,jack putting his word in1 and giving his opinion2 he would put him down and say3 ,child1 don't talk so much1 when you're older you'll find that nothing much is done in the world by arguing4 ,his father used to stand up for ,jack1 and would say3 ,there's one thing1 our ,jack will never do anything without giving a good reason for doing it1 ,i know4 ,you will be sorry to hear that ,jacky had a dreadful illness when he was nine years old4 ,it was a disease that causes a great deal of pain and suffering4 ,but ,jack remembered that a soldier must be brave1 and1 as ,christ's little soldier1 he must be the bravest of the brave4 ,so ,jacky was very patient1 and gave his nurse as little trouble as he could4 ,his mother wrote to ,mr4 ,wesley1 who was in ,london at the time1 and said1 ,jack has borne his illness bravely1 like a man1 and like a little ,christian1 he has never uttered a word of complaint2 and the father1 as he folded the letter and put it into his pocket1 felt proud of his little son4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,jacky at boarding school4--,bullying4--,hard lines4--,a morning run4--,a ,christ-like schoolboy4--,charlie at ,westminster4--,scotch ,jamie4--,bravo1 ,captain ,charlie6 ,,by and by ,jack grew to be a big boy of eleven1 and all this time he had only been at the home-school4 ,his parents thought he was now quite old enough to go to a proper boys' school1 and through the kindness of a friend1 he was sent to a big school in ,london called the ,charterhouse4 ,here poor ,jacky had a very unhappy time for two or three years4 ,the big boys took a delight in bullying the little ones1 especially the new-comers2 and as ,jack had never been from home before1 their unkindness was hard to bear4 ,every meal-time each boy had to go to the cook's house for his allowance of food1 and the big boys used to lay wait for the little ones as they came out1 and snatch away their meat2 so for a long time ,jack had nothing but bread to eat at every meal4 ,those of my readers who know what boarding-school life is to-day1 will think this a very funny way of getting your food2 and so it was1 but1 you must remember1 this was in #agad1 one hundred and eighty years ago1 and every thing then was very different to what it is now4 ,before ,jack went to the ,charterhouse1 his father had said to him3 ,jack1 ,i should like you to run round the school garden every morning before breakfast1 it will give you an appetite and help to make you grow up a strong man4 ,and all the long years ,jack was at school he never failed to obey his father's wish2 and1 when he grew up1 he said this morning run had helped to make him the healthy1 strong man he had always been4 ,but1 poor little fellow1 it was very hard for him1 when1 feeling dreadfully hungry with the fresh air and exercise1 the big boys ran off with his meat1 and left him with only some bread for his breakfast4 ,however1 by and by1 ,jack grew old enough to fight for his meat4 ,and when this time came1 do you think he took his turn at stealing from the little boys1 and bullying them8 ,of course you will all say3 ,no1 indeed1 ,jack would never be so mean4 ,you are right2 instead of treating others as others had treated him1 he just did what he thought ,jesus would have done when he was a boy at school4 ,he stood up for the little fellows1 and fought the big boys who tried to steal their meat4 ,jack was so quiet and diligent at school1 and so careful to obey rules1 that he soon became a favourite with the head-master1 ,dr4 ,walker2 and when he grew to be a man1 he forgot all about the hard times he had had1 and never failed to visit the ,charterhouse once a year4 ,when ,jack had been two years at this school1 his brother ,charlie was sent to a school at ,westminster1 where his elder brother ,samuel was a teacher4 ,charlie was then a bright little boy of nine2 he was strong1 full of spirit and fun1 and afraid of nothing4 ,he became a great favourite1 and was soon looked upon as the captain of the school4 ,charlie was as generous as he was brave2 his great dream was to be a good man1 and to help others to be good too4 ,there was a little ,scotch laddie at the school whom all the other boys used to tease and mock4 ,the captain wouldn't stand this2 he took ,jamie under his special protection1 shielded him1 fought for him1 and saved him from what would otherwise have been a life of misery4 ,i fancy ,i hear you all say3 ,bravo1 ,captain ,charlie6 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,jack at ,westminster4--,at ,oxford4--,life at ,college4--,jack a deserter4--,his good angel4--,he that goes a borrowing1 goes a sorrowing4--,a bitter disappointment4--,a letter from ,mother4--,jack's decision4--,father's advice4 ,,when ,jack was sixteen he left the ,charterhouse ,school1 and joined ,charlie at ,westminster4 ,here too he was so diligent and persevering1 that when his brother ,samuel wrote home to his father1 he said3 ,jack is a brave boy1 and learning ,hebrew as fast as he can4 ,the next year he went to ,oxford1 where he got on splendidly4 ,he was very witty and lively1 and still very fond of talking2 but his was not foolish talk1 and he always took care to stand up for the right4 ,at first he was much shocked at the drinking and gambling1 and wickedness of all sorts that went on among the students at the university4 ,but when day after day we witness wrong-doing1 gradually we get less and less shocked1 and after a time think little about it4 ,this only happens though when we get down from our watch-tower1 and the enemy has a chance to get near to us4 ,jack's temptations to join his fellow students were very great1 and ,i am sorry to say1 he got off his guard1 and yielded4 ,for a time he quite disgraced the colours of his regiment1 and became a deserter from ,christ's army4 ,but it was not for long1 he remembered what he had learnt at home1 and how his dear mother had prayed for him4 ,he remembered how he had been saved from the burning house1 and he felt sure that ,god had not spared his life for him to grow up a wicked or a worldly man4 ,he had found it hard work to be a ,christian at the ,charterhouse ,school1 now he found it harder still at ,christ ,church ,college4 ,he loved fun and merry company1 and this sometimes led him to seek the society of young men who loved their own pleasure better than any thing else2 and many times ,jack1 following their bad example1 did things for which he was afterwards very sorry and very much ashamed4 ,i have somewhere read this line of poetry3 ,the boy that loves his mother ,is every inch a man1 and if ever boy loved his mother1 ,jack did4 ,the memory of her loving1 holy life was ,jack's good angel2 and when temptations proved almost too strong for him at ,oxford1 he wrote and asked her to pray for him1 and to pray on every ,thursday4 ,for ,thursday had been ,jacky's day with mother1 ever since a little boy he knelt at her knee2 and he felt that his mother's prayers on that day could not fail to bring down ,god's blessing upon him1 and give him strength to resist the many evil influences that surrounded his college life--and they did4 ,i told you before1 ,i think1 that ,jack's parents were not rich2 they had never been able to allow him much pocket-money1 and now at ,oxford1 when his expenses were greater1 he somehow could never manage to make his money last out4 ,i am afraid he was not always as careful as he might have been1 and ,i am sorry to say when he was spent up--which was very often--he did what so many boys and young fellows do1 borrowed money4 ,this is always foolish1 for1 of course1 it cannot make things any better1 and indeed only makes them worse2 because when the allowance comes1 the debts have to be paid1 and there is little or no money left4 ,however1 neither debt nor being short of money troubled ,jack at this time2 indeed he said it was just as well to be poor1 for there were so many rogues at ,oxford1 that if you carried anything worth stealing1 it was not safe to be out at night4 ,one of his friends was once standing at the door of a coffee-house about seven o'clock in the evening1 and happening to look round1 in an instant his hat and his wig--they wore wigs in those days--were snatched off his head by a thief1 who managed to get clear off with his booty4 ,jack writing home about this said3 ,i am safe from these rogues1 for all my belongings would not be worth their stealing4 ,when ,jack had been four years at ,oxford1 and was about twenty-one1 his brother ,samuel wrote to tell him he had had the misfortune to break his leg4 ,he also told him his mother was coming to ,london1 and if he liked he might go and meet her there4 ,it was a long1 long time since ,jack had seen his mother1 and you may imagine his delight when he got this letter4 ,he wrote back3 ,,dear ,,brother ,,samuel1 ,i am sorry for your misfortune1 though glad to hear you are getting better4 ,have you heard of the ,dutch sailor who having broken one of his legs by a fall from the mast1 thanked ,god that he had not broken his neck8 ,i expect you are feeling thankful that you did not break both legs4 ,i cried for joy at the last part of your letter4 ,the two things ,i most wished for of almost anything in the world were to see my mother and ,westminster again4 ,but ,i have been so often disappointed when ,i have set my heart on some great pleasure1 that ,i will never again be sure of anything before it comes4 ,your affectionate brother1 ,,jack4 ,poor ,jack6 it was well he did not anticipate this treat too much1 for when the time came he hadn't enough money to take him to ,london1 and as he was already in debt he could not borrow any more4 ,it was a bitter disappointment2 but when his mother got back home again after her visit to ,london1 she wrote one of her bright1 loving1 encouraging letters1 which did something towards comforting the heart of this mother's boy4 ,this was the letter3 ,,dear ,,jack1 ,i am uneasy because ,i have not heard from you4 ,don't just write letter for letter1 but let me hear from you often1 and tell me if you are well1 and how much you are still in debt4 ,dear ,jack1 don't be discouraged2 do your duty2 keep close to your studies1 and hope for better days4 ,perhaps we may be able to send you a few pounds before the end of the year4 ,dear ,jacky1 ,i pray ,almighty ,god to bless thee6 ,your mother1 ,,susanna ,,wesley4 ,when boys get to be fourteen or sixteen1 they begin to think and wonder what they will be when they are men4 ,very little boys generally mean to be either cab-drivers or engine-drivers2 and ,i did hear of one who meant to have a wild beast show when he grew up4 ,jack reached the age of twenty-one1 and had not decided what he would be4 ,at last the time came when he must make up his mind4 ,after thinking about it very seriously1 he thought he would like to be a minister like his father4 ,so he wrote home and told them his decision4 ,his father who had been ill and was unable to use his right hand properly1 wrote to him that he must be quite sure that ,god had called him to this work before he undertook it4 ,at present1 he said1 ,i think you are too young4 ,then1 referring to his illness1 he said3 ,you see that time has shaken me by the hand2 and death is but a little behind him4 ,my eyes and heart are almost all ,i have left1 and ,i bless ,god for them4 ,mrs4 ,wesley was very glad when she heard that her boy wished to be a minister4 ,god ,almighty direct and bless you1 she wrote to him4 ,a few months afterwards1 ,jack's father wrote1 and told him that he had changed his mind about his being too young1 and that he would like him to take ,orders1 that is1 to become a minister1 the following summer4 ,but in the first place1 he said1 if you love yourself or me1 pray very earnestly about it4 ,to choose to be ,christ's minister1 a preacher of the gospel1 ,mr4 ,wesley knew was a very solemn and responsible choice1 and he wished ,jack to think very seriously1 and to pray very earnestly before he took the important step4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,v4 ,books4--,two books that left impressions on ,jack4--,must a ,christian boy be miserable8--,jack says ,no4--,so says ,jack's mother4--,father gives his opinion4--,the ,enchanted ,rocks2 a fairy story4 ,i ,,wonder if any of my readers ever think what the books they read are doing for them1 especially the books they are most fond of8 ,do you know every book you read makes you a little bit different8 ,by you1 ,i mean the unseen part of you1 your mind and character4 ,i remember1 when ,i was somewhere about the mischievous age of eight or nine1 how fond ,i used to be of getting to the putty round a newly-put-in window pane4 ,it was lovely to press my thimble on it1 and see all the pretty little holes it left2 or to push a naughty finger deep down into the nice soft stuff4 ,then1 when the putty had dried hard1 ,i used to look with great interest on my work1 for every impression was there1 and could not now be removed4 ,so it is with books1 they make an impression on you2 and you are either a little bit better or a little bit worse for every book you read4 ,take care only to read those books that will make you better4 ,the summer after ,jack decided to be a minister1 he read two books which made some big impressions on his mind1 and left him better than he was before reading them4 ,one was called ,the ,imitation of ,christ1 and the other ,holy ,living and ,dying4 ,they taught him that true religion must be in the heart1 and that it is not enough for our words and actions1 as seen and heard by men1 to be right1 but our very thoughts must be pure and good1 such as would be approved of ,god4 ,he did not at all agree with ,thomas ,kempis1 the writer of the first book ,i mentioned1 in everything1 though1 for he made out1 according to ,jack's idea1 that we should always be miserable4 ,i think ,jack would never have persevered in his determination to follow ,christ1 if he had been convinced that to be good you must be miserable1 for he loved fun1 and could not help being happy4 ,he felt sure ,thomas ,kempis was mistaken1 especially when he remembered that verse in the ,bible which says religion's ways are ways of pleasantness 7,prov4 iii4 #ag74 ,when he wrote home1 he asked his mother what she thought1 for although he was now a young man of twenty-two1 he was still the old ,jack that thought father and mother knew better than anybody else4 ,his mother wrote back that she thought ,thomas ,kempis was mistaken1 for so many texts in the ,bible show us that ,god intends us to be happy and full of joy4 ,and1 she said1 if you want to know what pleasures are right and wrong1 ask yourself3 ',will it make me love ,god more1 and will it help me to be more like my great example1 ,jesus ,christ8' ,jack's father wrote3 ,i don't altogether agree with ,thomas ,kempis2 but the world is like a siren1 and we must beware of her4 ,if the young man would rejoice in his youth1 let him take care that his pleasures are innocent2 and in order to do this1 remember1 my son1 that for all these things ,god will bring us into judgment4 ,some of my readers will hardly understand what ,mr4 ,wesley meant when he said the world is like a siren4 ,most of you have read fairy tales2 well1 a kind of ,greek fairy story tells of some beautiful maidens1 called sirens1 who used to sit on some dangerous rocks1 and play sweetest music4 ,when sailors saw them and heard their singing1 they were drawn by magic nearer and nearer to where they were1 until at last their boats struck on the rocks1 and the poor deluded sailors were dragged by the sirens to the bottom of the sea and were drowned4 ,now1 do you see why the world is like a siren8 ,its pleasures all look so beautiful that we are tempted to draw nearer and nearer1 until at last we are lost to all that is holy and good4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,jack a minister4--,a letter from father4--,jack's first sermon4--,mr4 ,john4--,back at college4--,temptations and persecutions4--,for ,jesus' sake4--,mr4 ,john's long hair4--,clever1 but not proud4--,young soldiers for ,christ4 ,,we all love to get letters1 do we not8 though some of us are not so fond of writing them4 ,it was in the year #agbe1 when ,jack was twenty-two years old1 that he became a minister2 and just about this time he had a beautiful letter from his father4 ,in it ,mr4 ,wesley said3-- ,god fit you for your great work4 ,watch and pray2 believe1 love1 endure1 and be happy1 towards which you shall never want the most ardent prayers of ,your affectionate father1 ,,samuel ,,wesley4 ,jack's first sermon was preached at a small town near ,oxford1 and his second at his dear home-village1 ,epworth4 ,mr4 ,wesley was getting old1 and as he had now two churches to look after1 the one at ,epworth and another at a place called ,wroote1 where he and ,mrs4 ,wesley had gone to live1 he was very glad when his son offered to go and help him4 ,and now that ,jack has grown up and got to be a proper minister1 ,i think we must begin to call him ,mr4 ,john4 ,well1 ,mr4 ,john stayed some time helping his father at ,wroote and ,epworth1 and then went back again to ,oxford1 to study for a place in a college there--,lincoln ,college4 ,there were several others trying to get this same place1 and they didn't like ,mr4 ,john because he would not do the wicked things they did1 so they made great fun of him1 and laughed at him for being good4 ,nobody likes being laughed at2 and ,mr4 ,john didn't1 but he bore it bravely2 and his father comforted him when he wrote3 ,never mind them1 ,jack2 he is a coward that cannot bear being laughed at4 ,jesus endured a great deal more for us1 before ,he entered glory2 and unless we follow ,his steps we can never hope to share that glory with ,him4 ,bear it patiently1 my boy1 and be sure you never return evil for evil4 ,his mother1 too1 sent loving letters to cheer and comfort him4 ,so ,mr4 ,john worked hard1 and bore his persecutions patiently--for ,jesus' sake2 and in spite of all his enemies he won the coveted place1 and became ,fellow of ,lincoln ,college4 ,oh1 how glad and thankful he was6 ,and his father and mother were so proud and happy4 ,it was just about this time that ,mr4 ,wesley was afraid he would have to leave ,wroote1 and it was a great trouble to him4 ,but1 he said1 proudly1 wherever ,i am1 my ,jacky is ,fellow of ,lincoln4 ,as for ,jack1 he felt it was worth everything to give his father and mother such pleasure4 ,though he was properly grown up1 twenty-three years old1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,wesley always thought of him as their boy4 ,fathers and mothers always do this4 ,it doesn't matter how old their children grow to be1 they love to think of them1 and speak of them as their boys and girls4 ,dear readers1 remember there is no one on earth that loves you1 or ever will love you with such a big love as father and mother4 ,no matter how tall1 or how strong1 or how clever you may grow1 they will always love you with the same big love they did when you were little boys and girls4 ,and1 oh6 whatever you do1 never1 never grieve these dearest of all dear friends4 ,mrs4 ,wesley had been longing to see her boy again1 especially now that he had become ,fellow of ,lincoln ,college4 ,at last her wish was granted4 ,there were a great many things that puzzled ,jack which he wanted to ask his father and mother about4 ,so he went and spent a long summer at home1 getting his hard questions answered1 and helping his father with the work that was now almost too much for him4 ,he had such a happy time that he was almost sorry when the autumn came and he had to return to ,oxford4 ,being at school and college costs a great deal of money1 and ,jack knew that his father was not a rich man1 and that he had hard work often to pay his college expenses4 ,jack had been very sorry to be such a burden to his parents1 and tried to be as careful as he could4 ,have you ever seen a picture of ,mr4 ,john ,wesley8 ,if you have1 you will have noticed his long hair4 ,every one at ,oxford wore their hair short2 but having it cut cost money1 and ,john used to say3 ,i've no money to spend on hair-dressers4 ,so1 though his fellow-students made great fun of him1 he saved his money and wore his hair long1 and in time got so accustomed to it1 that he wore it long all his life4 ,now that he was ,fellow of ,lincoln ,college he received enough money to pay his own expenses1 and it made him very happy to think he need no longer be an expense to his dear father4 ,but he resolved still to be as careful as he could1 and never again to go into debt4 ,when he went back to his new ,college1 after spending the summer at home1 he said to himself3 ,i will give up all the old friends who have so often tempted me to do things that a ,christian ought not to do1 and ,i will make new friends of those who will help me on my way to heaven4 ,so1 though he was always polite to the many worldly young men who wanted to make his acquaintance1 he would not have them for his friends4 ,this made some of them say very unkind things about him2 but ,mr4 ,john bore it all quietly1 and never said unkind things back again4 ,he felt he was only treading the path ,jesus had trod before him1 the path which all ,his disciples must follow4 ,mr4 ,john got to be so clever that soon he was made professor1 or teacher of ,greek4 ,some boys and girls--yes1 and grown-up people1 too--become proud when they get to be clever1 but ,mr4 ,john did not4 ,he determined1 more than ever1 to be a faithful and humble follower of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,he was very patient with his scholars1 and tried not only to make them learned1 but to make them ,christians4 ,i want these young soldiers of ,christ to be burning and shining lights wherever they may go1 he said4 ,if they are not all intended to be clergymen1 they are all intended to be ,christians4 ,in the beginning of the next year 7#agbg71 ,mr4 ,john went home again to help his father1 who was getting very old1 and was often ill4 ,he stayed at ,wroote about two years1 and then went back again to ,oxford4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,charlie goes to ,oxford4--,won't have his brother interfere with him4--,a change in ,charlie4--,somebody's prayers4--,charlie's chums1 and how he treated them4--,dividing time4--,nickname4--,a nickname honoured4 ,,before ,i tell you any more about ,mr4 ,john1 ,i am sure you would like to know how ,charlie has been getting on all this long time4 ,we left him1 you remember1 captain of the school at ,westminster1 where his eldest brother ,samuel was a teacher4 ,he was so clever and brave1 and such a generous1 loving-hearted boy1 that he was a favourite with everybody4 ,he stayed nine years at ,westminster1 and then1 when he was eighteen1 went to one of the colleges at ,oxford4 ,it was not the one ,mr4 ,john was at1 but1 being in the same town1 the two brothers often saw each other4 ,charlie was not a ,christian1 and made companions of the worldly young students who spent their time in all sorts of wrong-doings4 ,john was very sorry for this1 and spoke to him about it2 but ,charlie became very angry at what he called his brother's interference1 and said3 ,do you want me to become a saint all at once8 ,however1 while ,mr4 ,john was away at home those two years helping his father1 ,charlie changed very much4 ,he became steadier and more thoughtful1 and even wrote to his brother1 and asked for the advice he would not have before4 ,i don't exactly know how or when ,i changed1 he said in his letter2 but it was soon after you went away4 ,it is owing1 ,i believe1 to somebody's prayers 7my mother's most likely7 that ,i am come to think as ,i do4 ,when boys and girls or grown-up people become ,christians1 those around them soon find it out4 ,charlie's giddy companions soon saw something was wrong with him4 ,he used to be lazy and shirk his studies1 spending his time with them in pleasure and amusement1 now he was diligent and worked hard4 ,the next thing they noticed was that he went to church regularly and took the ,sacrament4 ,and here ,i must tell you how he behaved towards these friends1 and ,i know it will make you like ,charlie more than ever4 ,i told you before how loving and genial he was1 and now he did not at all like to give up his old chums1 and yet he knew that if he meant to travel heavenwards he must have companions that were going the same way4 ,he longed for his friends to become ,christians1 and talked to them so lovingly and so wisely that before very long he got two or three of them to join him in fighting against the evils of their nature1 and encouraging and seeking after everything that was good4 ,you have all read in your ,english history how good ,king ,alfred the ,great divided his time2 well1 ,charles and his companions divided theirs in a similar way4 ,so many hours were spent in study1 so many in prayer1 and so many in sleeping and eating4 ,they made other strict rules for themselves1 and lived so much by what we call method1 that at last they got to be called ,methodists4 ,boys and girls are very fond of giving nicknames to their companions2 sometimes it is done in fun1 and then there is no harm in it1--but often spite and ill-nature suggest the nickname1 then it is very wrong and very unkind4 ,most of the young men at ,oxford thought religion and goodness were only things to make fun of1 so ,charles and his friends were a butt for their ridicule4 ,because they read their ,bibles a great deal they called them ,bible ,bigots1 and ,bible ,moths1 and their meetings they called the ,holy ,club4 ,but ,methodists was the name that fastened most firmly to them1 and1 as you know1 after all these years1 this is the name we call ourselves by to-day4 ,just think2 a nickname given to a few young men at ,oxford1 more than one hundred and fifty years ago1 is now held in honour by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,christian band at ,oxford4--,how they spent their time4--,mr4 ,john and the little ragged girl4--,a very early bird4--,methodist rules1 and the ,methodist guide-book4 ,,when ,mr4 ,john came back to ,oxford1 of course he joined the ,christian band1 and very soon they made him their leader4 ,he was cleverer and had more experience than the others1 and they all looked up to him for help and advice4 ,others joined the club1 and soon there were twenty-five members4 ,do you remember a verse in the ,bible that1 speaking of ,jesus1 says3 ,he went about doing good8 ,well1 these young men who were taking ,jesus for their copy1 just did the same2 all their spare time was spent in doing good4 ,some of them tried to rescue their fellow-students from bad companions and get them to become ,christians2 others visited and helped the poor4 ,some taught the children in the workhouse1 and some got leave to go into the prison and read to the prisoners4 ,very few of them were rich1 but they denied themselves things they really wanted in order to buy books1 and medicine for the poor4 ,every night they used to have a meeting to talk over what they had done1 and settle their work for the next day4 ,mr4 ,john started a school for poor little children2 he paid a teacher to teach them1 and bought clothes for the boys and girls whose parents could not afford to buy them4 ,once a little girl from the school called to see ,mr4 ,john4 ,it was a cold winter's day1 and she was very poorly clad4 ,you seem half starved1 dear1 he said2 have you nothing to wear but that cotton frock8 ,no1 sir1 she answered2 this is the only frock ,i have4 ,mr4 ,john put his hand into his pocket1 but1 alas6 he found no money there1 it had all gone4 ,just then he caught sight of the pictures on the walls of his room1 and he thought3 ,how can ,i allow these beautiful pictures to hang here while ,christ's poor are starving8 ,we are not told1 but ,i think we can be quite sure that the pictures were sold1 and that the little girl got a warm winter's frock4 ,mr4 ,john was just as careful of his time as his money1 he never wasted a moment4 ,he believed in the proverb you have often heard3 ,early to bed and early to rise4 ,some people say3 ,get up with the lark1 but ,i think ,mr4 ,john was always up before that little bird even awoke4 ,every morning when the clock struck four he jumped out of bed1 and began his work4 ,wasn't that early8 ,i wonder which of us would like to get up at that time8 ,and he did not do this only when he was young1 he did it all his life1 even when he was an old1 old man4 ,i told you these ,methodists made rules for themselves4 ,one of them was to set apart special days for special prayer for their friends and pupils4 ,and another one which we all should copy was3 ,,never ,,to ,,speak ,,unkindly ,,of ,,any ,,one4 ,the ,bible was their ,guide ,book1 and it told them1 as it will tell us1 all they ought to do1 and all they ought not to do4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a long walk4--,more persecutions4--,mr4 ,john's illness4--,not afraid to die4--,mrs4 ,wesley scolds4--,home again4--,a proud father4--,mr4 ,wesley's opinion about fasting4--,at ,wroote once more4--,mr4 ,wesley's ,good-bye4 ,,will you look on your map of ,england and find ,london8 ,now find ,oxford4 ,the two places are a long way apart1 are they not8 ,well1 do you know ,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley used often to walk all that long way to see a friend4 ,you know there were no railways in those days1 and to go by coach cost a great deal of money4 ,this friend's name was ,mr4 ,law2 he was a very good man1 and encouraged and helped the two brothers very much4 ,he taught them that religion is the simplest thing in the world4 ,he said3 ,it is just this1 ',we love ,jesus1 because ,jesus first loved us4' ,at ,oxford1 the ,methodists were still called all sorts of names and made great fun of1 not only by the idle1 wicked students1 but even by clever and learned men who ought to have known better4 ,some of their enemies said3 ,they only make friends with those who are as queer as themselves4 ,but ,mr4 ,john showed them this was not true1 for in every way he could he helped and showed kindness to those who said the most unkind things4 ,hard work1 close study1 and fasting1 at last made ,mr4 ,john very ill2 one night he thought he was going to die4 ,he was not at all afraid1 he just prayed1 ,o ,god1 prepare me for ,thy coming4 ,but ,god had a great deal of work for ,his servant to do1 and did not let him die4 ,with care and a doctor's skill he got quite better4 ,poor ,mrs4 ,wesley was often anxious about her two ,oxford sons1 and once wrote them quite a scolding letter4 ,unless you take more care of yourselves1 she said1 you will both be ill4 ,you ought to know better than to do as you are doing4 ,mrs4 ,wesley did not agree with them fasting so much2 she believed ,god meant us to take all the food necessary to support our bodies4 ,just about this time1 ,mr4 ,samuel--the big brother--got an appointment as master of a boys' school somewhere in the ,west of ,england2 but before he went to his new place he thought he would like to go home1 and see his dear father and mother4 ,when his brothers at ,oxford heard this1 they thought they would go too1 so that they might all be together in the old home once more4 ,and1 oh1 what a happy time they had6 ,mr4 ,wesley was getting very old1 and he was so proud to have his boys with him again4 ,he talked very seriously to ,john and ,charles1 and told them he did not at all approve of their way of living4 ,he said he was sure ,god never meant us to fast so much as to injure our health1 or to shut ourselves up and be so much alone4 ,jesus said3 ,let your light shine before men2 our light should be where everybody can see it4 ,i am sure old ,mr4 ,wesley was right4 ,a few months later1 and the brothers were again at ,wroote1 standing by the bedside of their dying father4 ,i am very near heaven1 he said1 as they gathered round him1 ,good-bye6 ,and father went ,home4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,x4 ,a corner in ,america4--,wanted a missionary4--,mrs4 ,wesley gives up her sons to ,god's work4--,at the dock-side4--,the good ship ,simmonds4--,life on board4--,a terrible storm4--,the ,german ,christians who were not afraid4 ,,if you look on your map of the ,united ,states1 you will see in the south-east1 a little corner called ,georgia4 ,it was to this place that a number of poor people from ,england had emigrated2 people who had been cruelly treated in prison1 and on being released had no work to do and nowhere to go4 ,some kind ,christian gentlemen collected money to help them to get to ,georgia1 where they could have plenty of work and plenty of food4 ,a number of poor ,germans1 too1 who had been persecuted in their own country because of their religion1 also went out to this place where they could worship ,god as they chose1 without fear of cruel treatment4 ,when people are driven out of their own country like this1 they are called exiles1 and though this little band of exiles found work and food1 and freedom to worship ,god in the new land1 they had no minister4 ,so the gentlemen who had raised the money1 and who knew what brave1 good men ,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley were1 asked them if they would go out and minister to these poor people in ,georgia4 ,you are just the men to comfort and teach them1 they said4 ,then1 too1 a number of ,indians lived in ,georgia1 and they wanted to be friends with the white strangers1 and ,general ,oglethorpe and ,dr4 ,burton1 the gentlemen ,i mentioned1 thought it would be a good opportunity to preach the gospel to them4 ,when ,mr4 ,john ,wesley was first asked1 he said3 ,no1 ,i cannot go1 ,i cannot leave my mother4 ,then they said3 ,will you go if your mother gives her consent8 ,yes1 said ,john1 feeling quite sure she would never give it4 ,so he went to ,epworth and told his mother all about the matter4 ,then he waited for her reply4 ,mrs4 ,wesley loved her boy ,john very1 very dearly1 and if he went to ,america she might never see him again1 and yet her answer came3 ,if ,i had twenty sons1 ,i would give them all up for such a work4 ,even after obtaining this unexpected consent1 ,john did not decide to go until he had asked the advice of his brother ,samuel and his friend ,mr4 ,law1 both of whom advised him to undertake the work4 ,then both he and his brother sent in their decision to ,general ,oglethorpe1 and began making preparations for their long journey across the ,atlantic ,ocean4 ,now ,i want us to imagine ourselves at ,gravesend1 a place on the river ,thames near ,london4 ,look at all those ships in the docks6 ,see1 there is one that looks just ready to sail6 ,can you read the name of it8 ,s-i-m-m-o-n-d-s--,simmonds4 ,yes1 that is its name4 ,let us button up our coats1 as it is a sharp ,october day1 and watch the passengers go on board4 ,look at that little man with the nice face1 and a lot of colour in his cheeks6 ,what long hair he has6 and how smooth it is6 ,it looks as if he brushed it a great deal4 ,see1 he is looking this way1 and we can notice his beautiful forehead and his bright eyes4 ,why that must be ,mr4 ,john ,wesley6 ,and1 of course1 that is his brother ,charles talking to some gentlemen on the deck4 ,see1 he is holding a book close to his eyes--he must be short-sighted4 ,listen1 how the others are laughing6 ,i expect he is making a joke4 ,now he is walking off arm in arm with one of his companions4 ,he seems to be still loving-hearted and full of fun1 the same ,charlie he was at ,westminster ,school only grown big4 ,a number of ,germans were also on board the ,simmonds1 all bound for ,georgia4 ,before they had been many days at sea1 ,john ,wesley found out that they were earnest ,christians1 and he began at once to learn ,german in order that he might talk to them4 ,the brothers had not taken their father's advice about fasting2 they and some other ,methodists who were their fellow-passengers still thought they ought to do with as little food as possible1 and with as few comforts4 ,they ate nothing but rice1 biscuits1 and bread1 and ,john ,wesley slept on the floor4 ,he was obliged to do it one night1 because the waves got into the ship and wet his bed1 and because he slept so well that night1 he thought the floor was good enough for him1 and continued to sleep on it4 ,i expect you wonder how they spent their time during the long1 long voyage to ,georgia4 ,i will tell you4 ,they made the same strict rules for themselves that they did at ,oxford4 ,they got up every morning at four o'clock1 and spent the time in private prayer until five o'clock4 ,then they all read the ,bible together until seven4 ,after that they had breakfast1 and then public prayers for everybody on the ship who would come4 ,then from nine to twelve--just your school-time1 little readers1 is it not8--,mr4 ,john studied his ,german2 somebody else studied ,greek1 another taught the children on board1 and ,mr4 ,charles wrote sermons4 ,then at twelve o'clock they all met and told each other how they had been getting along1 and what they had been doing4 ,at one o'clock they had dinner1 and after that they read or preached to those on board until four o'clock4 ,then they studied and preached and prayed again until nine1 when they went to bed4 ,were not these strict rules8 ,i wonder if they ever had the headache8 ,i am afraid we should1 if we studied so hard and so long4 ,have you ever been to ,liverpool1 and seen one of those beautiful vessels that go to ,america8 ,they are as nice and as comfortable as the best of your own homes1 and you can get to the other side of the ,atlantic in about ten days4 ,but at the time of which ,i write1 more than one hundred and fifty years ago1 travelling was very different4 ,the ships were much smaller1 and tossed about a great deal more1 and the passengers had to put up with a great many discomforts4 ,then again1 it took weeks1 instead of days1 to get across to ,america4 ,the passengers on board the ,simmonds met with some terrible storms2 often the great waves would dash over their little ship1 until it seemed as if it must sink and never rise again4 ,one of these storms began on a ,sunday1 about twelve o'clock in the middle of the day4 ,the wind roared round them1 and the waves1 rising like mountains1 kept washing over and over the decks4 ,every ten minutes came a shock against the side of the boat1 that seemed as if it would dash the planks in pieces4 ,during this storm as ,mr4 ,wesley was coming out of the cabin-door1 a big wave knocked him down4 ,there he lay stunned and bruised1 until some one came to his help4 ,when he felt better1 he went and comforted the poor ,english passengers1 who were dreadfully afraid1 and were screaming and crying in their fear4 ,then he went among the ,germans1 but they needed no comfort from him4 ,he heard them singing as he got near1 and found them calm and quiet1 not the least bit frightened4 ,were you not afraid8 ,mr4 ,wesley asked them when the storm was over4 ,no1 they answered1 we are not afraid to die4 ,but were not the children frightened8 he said4 ,no1 they said again1 our children are not afraid to die either4 ,during that terrible storm they had remembered how ,jesus stilled the tempest on the ,lake of ,galilee1 and ,his voice seemed to say to them now3 ,peace1 be still4 ,this reminds me of a piece of poetry1 which ,i dare say some of you have read4 ,it is about a little girl whose father was a captain1 and once when there was an awful storm1 and even the captain himself was frightened3 ----his little daughter ,took her father by the hand1 ,and said3 ',is not ,god upon the water ,just the same as on the land8' ,the ,lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters1 yea1 than the mighty waves of the sea3 ,psa4 xciii4 #d4 ,he maketh the storm a calm1 so that the waves thereof are still3 ,psa4 cvii4 #bi4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,in the ,savannah river4--,landed4--,a prayer meeting on the top of a hill4--,german ,christians4--,the ,indians4--,tomo ,chachi and his squaw4--,their welcome to ,mr4 ,wesley4--,a jar of milk and a jar of honey4 ,,at last storms and dangers were over1 and the good ship ,simmonds floated safely in the smooth waters of the ,savannah river4 ,you can find this on your map4 ,they cast anchor near a little island called ,tybee ,island1 where beautiful pine trees grew all along the shore4 ,the first thing they did on landing was to go to the top of a hill1 kneel down together1 and thank ,god for bringing them safely across the ocean4 ,you remember ,noah's first act after leaving the ship that ,god put him into when the world was drowned1 was to offer a sacrifice of thankfulness for ,god's care over him4 ,and when ,abraham got safely into the strange land to which ,god sent him1 the first thing he did was to offer sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving4 ,in the same way the little missionary band from ,england showed their reverence and gratitude to the ,god who rules earth1 sky1 and sea4 ,when they got to the town of ,savannah they found it a very small place4 ,there were only about forty houses1 besides a church1 a prison built of logs of wood1 and a mill where everybody took their corn to be ground4 ,i told you1 if you remember1 that besides the poor ,english exiles there were a number of ,german ,christians4 ,these were called ,moravians1 and they were so glad to have a minister that they came to meet ,mr4 ,wesley1 and told him how pleased they were to see him4 ,mr4 ,wesley and one of his friends lived with them in ,savannah for a long time1 and they soon found what earnest real ,christians they were1 true followers of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,you know it is the people you live with that know you the best1 and this is what ,mr4 ,wesley wrote about these ,moravians4 ,we were in the same room with them from morning till night1 except when we went out for a walk4 ,they were never idle1 were always happy1 and always kind to one another4 ,they were true copies in all things of their ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,was not that a splendid character to have1 and would it not be nice if those whom we live with could say the same of us8 ,there was something near ,savannah that you would have liked to see1 especially the boys1 and that was an ,indian town4 ,if there was one thing more than another that drew ,mr4 ,wesley to ,georgia it was the ,indians4 ,i expect1 like you1 he had loved to read and hear about them2 now he had a chance to see them4 ,but what he longed for most of all was to tell them about ,jesus1 and to get them to become ,christians4 ,the ,indians lived in tents or tepees as they are called1 and a number of these tepees all put up close together was called a town2 one of these towns was only about twenty minutes' walk from ,savannah4 ,after ,mr4 ,wesley had been a week or two in ,america1 who should come to see him but the ,indian chief4 ,think how excited ,mr4 ,wesley would be6 ,the chief's name was ,tomo ,chachi1 and he came looking so grand in all his war paint1 with his great feather head-dress1 and moccasins made of buffalo skin1 ornamented with pretty coloured beads1 just as you have seen them in pictures4 ,mr4 ,wesley thought he must dress up too1 to receive his distinguished visitor1 so he put on his gown and cassock1 and down he went to see ,tomo ,chachi4 ,of course ,mr4 ,wesley did not understand the ,indian language1 but there was a woman who did1 and she acted as interpreter4 ,i am glad you are come1 said ,tomo ,chachi4 ,i will go up and speak to the wise men of our nation1 and ,i hope they will come and hear you preach4 ,then ,tomo ,chachi's wife1 or squaw as she is called1 who had come with her husband1 presented the missionaries with a jar of milk4 ,she meant by this that she wanted them to make the story of ,jesus ,christ very plain and simple so that they could understand it1 for she said we are only like children4 ,then she gave them a jar of honey1 and by this she meant that she hoped the missionaries would be very sweet and nice to them4 ,then ,tomo ,chachi and his squaw went back to their tepee4 ,a few months after1 ,mr4 ,wesley had a long talk with another tribe of ,indians1 a very wicked tribe called the ,chicasaws2 but they would not allow him to preach to them4 ,they said3 ,we don't want to be ,christians1 and we won't hear about ,christ4 ,so ,mr4 ,wesley had to leave them and go back disappointed to ,savannah4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,proud children4--,edie4--,boys in ,georgia4--,john and ,charles ,wesley in the wrong4--,signal failure4--,disappointment4--,return to ,england4--,mr4 ,wesley finds out something on the voyage home4--,an acrostic4 ,i ,,wonder if my readers know any boys or girls who sneer and look down upon their school companions because they are not so well dressed as themselves8 ,it is a cruel1 unkind1 un-,christ-like thing to do4 ,i remember seeing a little girl1 and it was in a ,sunday ,school too1 who had on a new summer frock and a new summer hat2 and oh6 ,edie did think she looked nice4 ,she kept smoothing her frock down and looking at it1 and then tossing her head4 ,by her side sat a sweet-faced little girl about a year younger than ,edie4 ,annie's dress was of print and quite plainly made1 but very clean and tidy4 ,after admiring herself a little while1 ,edie turned to ,annie and thinking1 ,i suppose1 that she might be wearing a pinafore1 and have a frock underneath1 she rudely lifted it up1 and finding it really was her dress1 she turned away with a very ugly1 disgusted look on her face1 and said1 scornfully ,what a frock6 ,proud1 thoughtless boys and girls never know the hurts they give1 and the harm they do4 ,the boys in ,georgia were no better than some boys in ,england4 ,at a school where one of the ,methodists taught there were some poor boys who wore neither shoes nor stockings1 and their companions who were better off taunted them and made their lives miserable4 ,their teacher did not know what to do1 and asked ,mr4 ,wesley for advice4 ,i'll tell you what we'll do1 he said2 we'll change schools--,mr4 ,wesley taught a school too--and ,i'll see if ,i can cure them4 ,so the two gentlemen changed schools1 and when the boys came the next morning they found they had a new teacher1 and this new teacher1 to their astonishment1 wore neither shoes nor stockings4 ,you can imagine how the boys stared2 but ,mr4 ,wesley said nothing1 just kept them to their lessons4 ,this went on for a week1 and at the end of that time the boys were cured of their pride and vanity4 ,though ,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley were so good1 they were not perfect4 ,they said and did many unwise things1 and only saw their mistake when it was too late4 ,one thing was they expected the people to lead the same strict lives they did1 and to believe everything they believed4 ,this1 of course1 the people of ,georgia would not do1 they thought their ways were just as good as ,mr4 ,wesley's1 and ,i dare say in some things they were4 ,instead of trying to persuade them and explaining why one way was better than another1 ,mr4 ,wesley told them they must do this1 and they mustn't do that1 until at last they got to dislike him very much4 ,one woman got so angry that she knocked him down4 ,i am sure you will all feel very sorry when you read this1 for ,mr4 ,wesley was working very hard amongst them1 and thought he was doing what was right4 ,mr4 ,charles did not get on any better at ,frederica1 where he had gone to work and preach4 ,like his brother1 he was very strict and expected too much from the people4 ,he tried and tried1 not seeing where he was to blame1 and at last wearied and disappointed he returned to ,england4 ,after he had gone1 ,mr4 ,john took his place at ,frederica1 hoping to get on better than he had done at ,savannah4 ,it was of no use2 he stayed for twelve weeks1 but things only seemed to get worse and worse4 ,at last he had to give up and go back to ,savannah4 ,things1 however1 were no better there1 and before long he too began to see that his mission had been a failure1 and he returned to ,england a sadder and a wiser man4 ,in spite of all their mistakes ,mr4 ,john and his brother must have done some good in ,georgia1 for the missionary who went after them wrote and said3 ,mr4 ,wesley has done much good here1 his name is very dear to many of the people4 ,it must have made the brothers glad to read this1 for it is hard when you have been doing what you thought was right1 and then find it was all wrong4 ,on his return voyage to ,england ,mr4 ,wesley had time to think about all the things that happened in ,georgia4 ,he was feeling dreadfully disappointed and discouraged2 he had given up everything at home on purpose to do good to the people out there4 ,he had meant to convert the ,indians and comfort and help the ,christian exiles1 and he was coming back not having done either4 ,poor ,mr4 ,wesley6 ,and the worst of it was1 the more he thought about it all1 the more he began to see that the fault was his own4 ,there was another thing he discovered about himself on that voyage home4 ,they encountered a fearful storm1 when every one expected to be drowned4 ,during those awful hours ,mr4 ,wesley found out1 almost to his own surprise1 that the very thought of death was a terror to him4 ,he knew then that there was something wrong1 for no ,christian ought to fear to die4 ,so ,mr4 ,wesley went down on his knees and told ,god how wrong he had been1 that he had thought too much of his own opinions and trusted too much in himself4 ,he asked ,god to give him more faith1 more peace1 more love4 ,he was always glad afterwards that he had gone to ,georgia1 and thanked ,god for taking him into that strange land1 for his failure there had humbled him and shown him his weakness and his failings4 ,it is a grand thing when we get to know ourselves4 ,let us be always on the look-out for our own faults1 and when we see them1 fight them4 ,i would like to close this chapter with an acrostic ,i once heard on the word ,faith4 ,it is a thing little folks1 yes1 and big folks often find hard to understand1 perhaps this may help you4 ,what is ,faith8 ,f ull ,a ssurance 7confidence1 having no doubt7 ,i n ,t rusting ,h im 7,jesus74 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,george ,whitefield1 the boy parson4--,the ,wesleys back in ,england4--,long walks4--,preaching by the way-side4--,a talk in a stable4--,sermon in ,manchester4--,mr4 ,charles in ,london4--,wants something he has not got4--,gets it4--,mr4 ,john wants it too4--,a top place in the class4 ,,you remember the ,holy ,club which the ,methodists started at ,oxford8 ,well1 one of the youngest members was named ,george ,whitefield2 he was a pupil of ,mr4 ,john ,wesley's1 and when he left ,oxford he became a preacher4 ,while the two ,wesleys were in ,georgia1 he carried on their work in ,england4 ,he had learnt to love ,jesus very dearly1 had felt how wicked and sinful he was1 and had gone to the ,saviour and told ,him all1 asking ,him to ,create in him a clean heart1 and to renew within him a right spirit4 ,then he was so happy in knowing he was forgiven1 that he wanted every one else to be happy and forgiven too4 ,he was so young when he commenced to preach that every one called him the boy parson2 but he talked so earnestly and kindly to the people that crowds everywhere flocked to hear him4 ,when he heard that the two ,wesleys were leaving ,georgia he determined to go and take their place1 and see what he could do for the poor exiles4 ,before he left ,england he preached a good-bye sermon1 and told the people that he was going this long and dangerous voyage1 and perhaps they might never see his face again4 ,when they heard this1 the children and the grown-up people1 rich and poor1 burst into tears1 they loved him so much4 ,but as this book is to be about ,mr4 ,john ,wesley1 we must not follow ,mr4 ,whitefield across the ,atlantic4 ,try to remember his name though1 for he and the ,wesleys were life-long friends1 and you will hear about him again further on4 ,when ,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles got back to ,england they took up ,george ,whitefield's work1 going from town to town telling the people about ,jesus ,christ4 ,as there were no railways they had to walk a great deal1 and they used to speak to the people they met on the roads and in the villages through which they passed4 ,once1 when ,mr4 ,wesley and a friend were on their way to ,manchester1 they stayed one night in an inn at ,stafford4 ,before they went to bed1 ,mr4 ,wesley asked the mistress of the house if they might have family prayer4 ,she was quite willing1 and so all the servants were called in4 ,next morning1 after breakfast1 ,mr4 ,wesley had a talk with them all again1 and even went into the stables and spoke to the men there about their sins and about the love of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he preached in ,manchester the next ,sunday1 and this was his text3 ,if any man be in ,christ1 he is a new creature 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ag74 ,he explained to them that when any one begins to love ,jesus1 and tries to copy ,his life1 they grow more and more like what ,he was4 ,then everything becomes different2 the things they loved to do before cease to be a pleasure to them1 and the places they liked to go to they no longer care to visit2 they are new creatures in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the next morning 7,monday7 ,mr4 ,wesley1 and the friend who was with him1 left ,manchester and went on to ,knutsford4 ,here1 too1 the people listened attentively1 while they preached the gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they visited other towns1 and then ,mr4 ,wesley returned to ,oxford4 ,he had not been long there when he heard that his brother ,charles was very ill in ,london1 and went at once to see him4 ,charles ,wesley had been living and working there with some ,german ,christians1 or ,moravians1 as they were called1 and before long he found that these people had something in their lives that he did not possess4 ,like the ,germans he met in ,georgia1 their religion gave them peace and joy on week-days as well as on ,sundays4 ,when he was ill1 one of these ,moravians1 named ,peter ,bhler1 came to see him4 ,during the little talk they had1 the visitor said3 ,what makes you hope you are saved8 ,because ,i have done my best to serve ,god1 answered ,mr4 ,charles4 ,you see1 he was trusting in all the good deeds he had done1 and not on ,jesus ,christ's suffering and death for him4 ,mr4 ,bhler shook his head1 and did not say any more then4 ,but he left ,charles ,wesley longing for the something he had not got4 ,when he was a little better1 he was carried to the house of a poor working-man named ,bray4 ,he was not clever1 indeed1 he hardly knew how to read1 but he was a happy believer in ,jesus2 and he explained to ,mr4 ,charles that doing was not enough1 that we must believe that ,jesus ,christ died on the cross for us1 and that it is only through ,him that we can pray to ,god1 and only by ,his death that we can hope to go to heaven4 ,then a poor woman came in1 and she made him understand better than any one2 and at last ,mr4 ,charles saw where he had been in the wrong1 and instead of trusting in his own goodness and in all the kind things he had done1 he just gave up his faith in these1 and trusted alone in the dying love of his ,saviour1 and ours4 ,i expect all my readers have classes in the schools they go to4 ,some of you are at the top of your class1 some of you are in the middle1 and some of you are--well--near the bottom4 ,i think this is very much the way in ,christ's school1 the only difference is that in your class at school there can only be one at the top4 ,in ,christ's school there can be any number at the top4 ,there are a great number of ,christians who are only half-way up in the class1 and ,i am afraid there are a still greater number at the bottom4 ,that is a place none of us like to be in at school2 then don't let us be content to keep that place in ,christ's school2 let us all seek and obtain top places4 ,when ,mr4 ,john ,wesley visited his brother1 he found he had got above him in ,christ's school2 he had taken a top place in the class1 and ,john could not rest until he had got a top place too4 ,so he prayed very earnestly1 and got the people that had helped his brother to talk to him1 but still he did not seem to understand4 ,four days after he went to a little service1 and while the preacher was explaining the change that comes in us1 when we trust in ,jesus alone1 ,john ,wesley saw it all1 took a top place in ,christ's school1 and joyfully went and told his brother4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,methodist rules4--,pulpits closed against ,mr4 ,wesley4--,a visit to ,germany4--,a walk in ,holland4--,christian ,david1 the ,german carpenter4--,the ,fellow of ,lincoln ,college takes lessons in a cottage4 ,i ,,dare say many of my readers go to ,wesleyan ,chapels1 and understand some of the ,methodist rules4 ,most of these rules were made by the two ,mr4 ,wesleys and their friends more than one hundred and fifty years ago1 and they have been kept by their followers ever since4 ,i want to tell you about a few of them4 ,the people who attended the ,methodist meetings were divided into little bands or companies1 no band to have fewer than five persons in it1 and none more than ten4 ,they were to meet every week1 and each one in turn was to tell the rest what troubles and temptations they had had1 and how ,god1 through ,jesus ,christ1 had helped them since the last meeting4 ,every ,wednesday evening1 at eight o'clock1 all the bands joined together in one large meeting1 which began and ended with hymns and prayer4 ,there were many other rules1 some of which ,i will tell you later on1 others you can read about when you are older4 ,all this time you must remember that ,mr4 ,wesley was a church clergyman4 ,he loved the ,church of ,england very dearly1 though there were a great many things in it with which he did not agree4 ,wherever he preached he told the people just what he believed1 and as very few clergymen thought as he did1 they did not like him speaking his opinions so freely4 ,at last1 first one and then another said he should never preach in their churches again4 ,yet the message ,mr4 ,wesley gave to the people1 was the very same message that ,christ spoke long before on the shores of ,galilee4 ,mr4 ,wesley still longed to understand his ,bible better1 and to learn more of ,jesus ,christ1 so he determined to go and visit the ,moravians at a place called ,herrnhuth in ,germany1 and see if he could get some help from them4 ,so one ,june day1 he said good-bye to his mother1 and with eight of his friends set off4 ,one of these friends was an old member of the ,holy ,club at ,oxford4 ,on their way to ,herrnhuth1 they had to pass through ,holland4 ,this is what ,mr4 ,wesley says about a walk they had in that country3 ,i never saw such a beautiful road4 ,walnut trees grow in rows on each side1 so that it is like walking in a gentleman's garden4 ,we were surprised to find that in this country the people at the inns will not always take in travellers who ask for food and bed4 ,they refused to receive us at several inns4 ,at one of the towns we were asked to go and see their church1 and when we went in we took off our hats in reverence1 as we do in ,england1 but the people were not pleased1 they said3 ,you must not do so1 it is not the custom in this country4 ,after a long1 long journey through ,germany1 the little party at last reached ,herrnhuth4 ,mr4 ,wesley had only been a few days there1 when he wrote to his brother ,samuel3 ,god has given me my wish1 ,i am with those who follow ,christ in all things1 and who walk as ,he walked4 ,i must just tell you about one of these ,moravians1 because he helped ,mr4 ,wesley more than any of the others4 ,his name was ,christian ,david4 ,he was only an ignorant working-man1 and when not preaching was always to be found working at his carpenter's bench4 ,but ,david was ,christian in life as well as in name2 he walked with ,god1 and whether he preached and prayed1 or worked with chisel and plane1 he did all in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,he was never tired of telling people about the ,saviour he loved1 and trying to get them to love ,him too4 ,he was a man who often made mistakes1 but as some one has said1 the man who never makes mistakes never makes anything2 and ,christian ,david was always ready to own his faults when they were pointed out to him4 ,you remember to what a high position ,mr4 ,wesley had risen at ,oxford1 and how clever he was8 ,yet ,christian ,david knew more than he did about ,jesus ,christ and ,his love2 and the ,fellow of ,lincoln ,college was not too proud to go and sit in a cottage and be taught by this humble carpenter1 who so closely followed the ,holy ,carpenter of ,nazareth4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,fetter ,lane4--,popular preachers4--,old friends meet again4--,love-feasts4--#agci--,small beginning of a great gathering4--,a crowded church4--,a lightning thought4--,but a shocking thing4--,george ,whitefield's welcome at ,bristol4--,you shall not preach in my pulpit4--,nor mine4--,nor mine4--,poor ,mr4 ,whitefield4 ,,while ,mr4 ,wesley was in ,germany1 his brother ,charles had been preaching and working in ,london1 and when ,mr4 ,john returned he found about thirty-two people had joined the society there4 ,they had hired a room in ,fetter ,lane1 and here they held their meetings4 ,mr4 ,wesley had come back so full of love to ,jesus ,christ1 and therefore so full of love to everybody1 and so eager for all to be as happy as he was1 that he soon got many others to join them4 ,when he wrote to his ,german friends1 he said3 ,we are trying here1 by ,god's help1 to copy you as you copy ,christ4 ,he and his brother still preached in any church where they were allowed1 and wherever they went crowds of poor people followed to hear them4 ,they used to go1 too1 to the prisons1 and the hospitals1 and preach to the sinful and the suffering4 ,they told them how ,jesus forgave sins1 and how ,he used to heal the sick2 and the sinful were made sorry1 and the suffering ones were comforted1 and many believed in ,jesus and prayed for forgiveness4 ,mr4 ,wesley had returned from ,germany in ,september2 a few months later ,mr4 ,george ,whitefield came back from ,georgia4 ,he had got on very well with the people there1 because he did not try to alter the ways they had been accustomed to1 unless it was really necessary4 ,mr4 ,wesley went to meet his old friend1 and1 oh6 how pleased they were to see each other again4 ,mr4 ,whitefield joined the little society in ,fetter ,lane1 and they all worked together most happily4 ,i dare say most of my ,methodist readers will have been to a love-feast2 those of you who have not1 will at any rate have heard of them4 ,well1 it was just about this time that love-feasts were first started4 ,the little bands or companies that ,i told you about used to join together1 and have a special prayer meeting once a month on a ,saturday2 and the following day1 which1 of course1 was ,sunday1 they all used to meet again between seven o'clock and ten in the evening for a love-feast--a meal of bread and water eaten altogether and with prayer4 ,it was a custom of the ,moravians1 and it was from them ,mr4 ,wesley copied it4 ,i have also heard that the love-feast was provided for the people1 who had walked a great many miles to hear ,mr4 ,wesley preach1 and were tired and hungry4 ,if this was the idea of the love-feast1 they would have to give the people a great deal more bread than they do now1 or they would still be hungry when they had done4 ,the year after ,mr4 ,whitefield returned from ,georgia1 #agci1 was a wonderful year for the ,methodists4 ,it started with a love-feast and prayer meeting1 which lasted half through the night4 ,then a few days later1 on ,january #eth1 the two ,mr4 ,wesleys and ,mr4 ,whitefield1 with four other ministers1 met together to talk about all they hoped to do during the year1 and make rules and plans for their helpers and members4 ,i told you1 if you remember1 that first one pulpit and then another was closed against these clergymen4 ,at last there were only two or three churches where they were allowed to preach4 ,one day when ,mr4 ,whitefield was preaching in one of these1 the people came in such crowds to hear him1 that hundreds could not get into the church4 ,some of them went away1 but a great number stood outside4 ,all at once there flashed across ,mr4 ,whitefield's mind this thought3 ,jesus preached in the open air to the people1 why can't ,i8 ,numbers had often before been turned away when he preached1 but he had never thought of having a service outside a church1 it seemed a most shocking thing4 ,however1 the message seemed to come straight from ,god4 ,he dared not act on it at once1 for you see he was a clergyman1 and had always been brought up to believe that inside the church was the only place where people can properly worship ,god4 ,when he mentioned the matter to his friends1 some of them were very much shocked1 and thought to preach in the open air would be a very wrong thing4 ,but some said3 ,we will pray about it1 and ask ,god to show us what we ought to do4 ,so they knelt down and prayed to be guided to do the right thing4 ,soon after this ,mr4 ,whitefield went to ,bristol1 where he had been liked so much before he went to ,america4 ,when he got there he was invited to preach first in one church and then in another1 all were open to him4 ,but before very long the clergymen in the place showed that they disapproved of the plain way in which he spoke to the people1 and they told him they would not allow him to preach in their pulpits again4 ,by and by all the churches were closed against him1 and there was nowhere but the prison where he was allowed to preach4 ,soon the mayor of ,bristol closed that door also4 ,poor ,mr4 ,whitefield6 what could he do now8 ,i think ,i know one thing he would do4 ,he would turn to his ,bible1 and there he would read3 ,in all thy ways acknowledge ,him1 and ,he shall direct thy paths4 ,in the next chapter you shall hear how ,god fulfilled ,his promise to ,george ,whitefield4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,kingswood4--,grimy colliers4--,the shocking thing is done4--,a beautiful church4--,from #bjj to #bj1jjj4--;,john ,wesley shocked4--,drawing lots4--,to be or not to be4--,to be4--,mr4 ,wesley gets over the shock4--,george ,whitefield's good-bye to the colliers4 ,,long1 long ago1 before all this happened that ,i have been telling you1 there was a forest near ,bristol where the kings of ,england used to hunt1 ,kingswood it was called4 ,but at the time of which ,i write1 most of the trees had been cut down2 a great many coal mines had been dug1 and the people who lived round about and worked in the mines were a wild and wicked lot4 ,they had no churches1 and those in ,bristol were three or four miles away4 ,surely1 ,mr4 ,whitefield thought1 these people ought to have the gospel of ,jesus ,christ preached to them2 they have no church1 it cannot be wrong to preach to them in the open air4 ,so1 one ,saturday in this year1 #agci1 ,mr4 ,whitefield set off to ,kingswood4 ,it was a cold winter's day1 but his heart was warm inside with love for these poor neglected colliers1 and he soon got warm outside with his long walk4 ,when he reached ,kingswood he found an open space called ,rose ,green1 which he thought was just the place for a service4 ,standing on a little mound which did for a pulpit1 he commenced to preach2 and surely that was the grandest church in which a ,methodist minister ever held a service4 ,the blue sky of heaven was his roof1 the green grass beneath him the floor2 and as ,mr4 ,whitefield stood in his ,,first ,,field ,,pulpit1 his thoughts went back1 down the ages1 to the dear ,master whose steps he was seeking to follow--the ,preacher of ,nazareth1 whose pulpit was the mountain-side1 and whose hearers were the publicans and sinners4 ,two hundred grimy colliers stood and listened to that earnest young preacher4 ,mr4 ,whitefield continued his visits to ,kingswood2 the second time1 instead of two hundred there were #b1jjj eager listeners4 ,the next time over #d1jjj came to hear2 and so the numbers went on increasing until he had a congregation of #bj1jjj4 ,once1 after he had been preaching1 he wrote this3 ,the trees and the hedges were all in full leaf1 and the sun was shining brightly4 ,all the people were silent and still1 and ,god helped me to speak in such a loud voice that everybody could hear me4 ,all in the surrounding fields were thousands and thousands of people1 some in coaches and some on horseback1 while many had climbed up into the trees to see and hear4 ,as ,mr4 ,whitefield preached1 nearly all were in tears4 ,many of the men had come straight from the coal-pits1 and the tears that trickled down their cheeks made little white gutters on their grimy faces4 ,then1 in the gathering twilight1 they sang the closing hymn1 and when the last echoes died away in the deepening shadows1 ,mr4 ,whitefield felt how solemn it all was1 and he1 too1 could hardly keep back the tears4 ,mr4 ,whitefield soon found there was more work at ,kingswood than he could do alone1 so he wrote and asked ,mr4 ,john ,wesley to come and help him4 ,being very proper sort of clergymen1 ,john and ,charles ,wesley could not help thinking it a dreadful1 and almost a wrong thing to preach anywhere but in a church1 or1 at any rate1 in a room2 and for some time they could not decide what to do4 ,they asked the other members at ,fetter ,lane what they thought about it2 some said ,mr4 ,john ought to go1 and some said he ought not4 ,so at last they decided to draw lots4 ,you know what that is1 don't you8 ,if you look in your ,bible1 in ,acts i4 #bf1 you will see that the disciples drew lots when they wanted to make up their number to twelve1 after wicked ,judas had killed himself4 ,and in ,john xix4 #bd1 you can read how the soldiers cast lots for the coat that had belonged to ,jesus1 which they took away after they had crucified ,him4 ,and in many other places in the ,bible we read about people casting lots4 ,so the society at ,fetter ,lane cast lots1 and it came out that ,mr4 ,john ,wesley should go4 ,everybody was satisfied after this1 and even ,mr4 ,charles1 who more than any of the others had objected1 now felt that it was right4 ,so ,mr4 ,john set off for ,bristol and joined his friend4 ,the first ,sunday he was there he heard ,mr4 ,whitefield preach in the open air1 and this is what he wrote about it3 ,it seemed such a strange thing to preach in the fields1 when all my life ,i had believed in everything being done properly and according to the rules of the ,church4 ,indeed1 ,i should have thought it almost a sin to preach anywhere else4 ,however1 because of the lots1 he felt it was all right2 and he was still more sure of this when he saw the crowds1 who would never have gone into a church1 listening so intently to ,god's ,word4 ,he very soon got used to open-air preaching1 and by and by ,mr4 ,whitefield left the work at ,kingswood to him4 ,when the people heard that ,mr4 ,whitefield was going to leave them1 they were very1 very sorry2 and the day he rode out of ,bristol1 a number of them1 about twenty1 rode on horseback with him1 they could not bear to say good-bye4 ,as he passed through ,kingswood1 the poor colliers1 who were so grateful for all he had done for them1 came out to meet him1 and told him they had a great surprise for him4 ,they had been very busy collecting money for a school for poor children1 and now they wanted their dear friend1 ,mr4 ,whitefield1 to lay the corner-stone of their new building4 ,he was surprised and delighted2 and when the ceremony was over1 he knelt down and prayed that the school might soon be completed1 and that ,god's blessing might ever rest upon it2 and all those rough colliers bowed their heads1 and uttered a fervent ,amen4 ,at last good-bye was said to the dear minister who had brought them the glad tidings of salvation1 and leaving them in charge of ,mr4 ,wesley1 ,george ,whitefield rode away4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,john ,wesley's moral courage4--,what some carriage people thought of him4--,and why4--,the fashionable ,beau in the big1 white hat4--,interrupts ,mr4 ,wesley4--,gets as good as he gives4--,and better4--,the ,king of ,bath slinks away4 ,,do you know what moral courage is1 young readers8 ,how shall ,i explain it8 ,i think you will understand it best if ,i say it is courage to do what is right4 ,a boy may have courage to fight a bigger boy than himself1 but he may not have the moral courage to own to a fault before his school-fellows1 or to side with the right when that side is unpopular4 ,now1 ,i think ,john ,wesley showed a great deal of moral courage when he started to preach in the open air4 ,remember1 he was born a gentleman1 he was educated as a gentleman1 and as ,fellow of an ,oxford ,college had always mixed with distinguished gentlemen4 ,then he was brought up a strict ,churchman1 and had always believed that the ways and rules of the ,church were the only right and proper ways4 ,fancy this most particular ,church clergyman1 wearing his gown and bands1 just as you have seen him in the pictures1 and getting upon a table in the open air1 or on the stump of a tree1 or climbing into a cart and preaching to a lot of dirty1 ignorant men and women4 ,this was1 indeed1 moral courage2 he did it because he felt it was the right thing to do1 and that ,god wanted him to do it4 ,mr4 ,wesley was quite as much liked by the people as ,mr4 ,whitefield had been1 and the sight of him preaching was such a wonderful one1 that ladies and gentlemen came in their carriages to see and to hear4 ,in his sermons1 ,mr4 ,wesley spoke as plainly to the rich as he did to the poor4 ,he told them how ,god hated sin1 and that it was impossible for a sinner to get to heaven4 ,some of the ladies and gentlemen did not like this at all1 and called ,mr4 ,wesley rude and ill-mannered1 but it made them feel uncomfortable all the same4 ,you have heard of a place called ,bath1 and that it is noted for its mineral waters4 ,it is a fashionable place now1 but it was a great deal more fashionable in ,mr4 ,wesley's time4 ,not being far from ,bristol1 ,mr4 ,wesley used sometimes to go and preach there4 ,once when he went1 some of his friends said3 ,don't preach to-day1 for ,beau ,nash means to come and oppose you4 ,beau ,nash was a gambler1 and in other ways1 too1 a very bad man4 ,but1 somehow1 he always managed to get enough money to make a great show1 and many of the people looked up to him as a leader of fashion4 ,indeed1 he was quite popular among most of the visitors to ,bath4 ,of course when ,mr4 ,wesley heard that this man was coming to oppose him1 instead of being frightened1 he was all the more determined to preach4 ,a great number of people had assembled1 many of them ,nash's friends1 who had come to see the fun4 ,by and by ,beau ,nash himself came1 looking very grand in a big white hat1 and riding in a coach drawn by six grey horses1 with footmen and coachmen all complete4 ,soon after ,mr4 ,wesley had commenced his sermon1 ,beau ,nash interrupted him by asking3 ,who gave you leave to do what you are doing8 ,jesus ,christ1 said ,mr4 ,wesley1 through the ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 when he laid his hands upon my head1 and said3 ',take thou authority to preach the gospel4' ,this answer rather settled ,beau ,nash4 ,then he accused ,mr4 ,wesley of frightening the people out of their wits4 ,did you ever hear me preach8 said ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,no1 was the reply4 ,then how do you know ,i frighten people8 ,by what ,i have heard4 ,oh6 said ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,then is not your name ,nash8 ,it is1 said the ,beau4 ,well1 sir1 ,i suppose1 then1 ,i must judge you by what ,i have heard of you4 ,this reply so confounded the young man that he could not say a word1 and when an old woman in the congregation stood up and told the ,beau what she thought about him1 the ,king of ,bath1 as he was called1 slunk away1 and took himself off4 ,this affair made a great stir in ,bath1 and when ,mr4 ,wesley went through the town the streets were full of people1 hurrying up and down1 wanting to see him4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,good out of evil4--,what ,mr4 ,wesley preached4--,hurrah6--,in the prison4--,how the wicked ,methodists spoiled the woollen trade4--,emilia ,wesley says strong things4--,in the sunlight4 ,i ,,know you will have thought it very unkind of the clergymen not allowing such a good man as ,mr4 ,wesley to preach in their churches2 and so it was1 very unkind1 and very wrong4 ,these clergymen thought so themselves after a time2 but ,god often uses the wrong doings of people to bring about a great good1 and ,he did so in this case4 ,perhaps if the churches had not been closed against ,mr4 ,wesley and ,mr4 ,whitefield they would never have preached in the open air1 and thousands of people1 who would not go to a church1 might never have heard the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,you boys and girls love father and mother and home1 do you not8 ,and when you have been away at day-school or boarding-school1 oh6 how glad you always are to get to them again4 ,well1 in the same way we all come from ,god2 ,he is our ,father1 and heaven is our home1 and all of us1 deep down inside of us1 have a longing to go home again some day4 ,but ,adam and ,eve had to be punished for their disobedience2 and the punishment was that they and all that were born after them should die1 and never go back to home and to ,god4 ,this was a terrible punishment1 was it not8 ,but you know how ,jesus ,christ1 ,god's ,son1 in ,his great love and pity for us said ,he would come down from heaven1 and be a man on earth2 that ,he would go through life just as we have to do1 and at last die4 ,then ,god said if ,his dear ,son did this1 and lived on earth a life that should be a beautiful copy for men and women and boys and girls to follow2 and if the people would believe on ,him and follow ,his example1 ,god would forgive them1 and they should go back to ,him1 their ,father1 and to heaven their home4 ,all this ,mr4 ,wesley explained to the people1 and told them if they believed this and loved and followed the ,saviour that died for them1 they would always be happy1 and ,god would give them ,his own peace1 the peace ,he has promised to those that love ,him4 ,one wonders how the clergymen could disapprove of such preaching1 and why they should shut ,mr4 ,wesley out of their pulpit1 for if they did not preach this same ,gospel they certainly ought to have done4 ,however1 ,mr4 ,wesley got much larger congregations outside the churches than they ever got inside1 and wherever he went hundreds of people believed the wonderful story he told them1 and became true followers of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,strange things happened at his services2 some of the people were so overjoyed at what they heard they could not help shouting ,hurrah6 and ,hallelujah6 and they poked each other in the ribs1 as much as to say3 ,isn't that good8 ,then1 when ,mr4 ,wesley told them how ,jesus ,christ suffered1 and how cruelly ,judas betrayed ,him1 and that ,he allowed all this in order that we might be saved1 the people would burst into tears1 and you could hear their sobs all over the great congregation4 ,all sorts of people came to the services1 thieves and gamblers1 poor people and rich people1 and all heard the same glad tidings of salvation4 ,mr4 ,wesley did not remain at ,bristol2 several times he went up to ,london1 and wherever he went crowds came to hear him4 ,one day when he was preaching at ,newgate1 a prison in ,london1 and was telling the people what would become of them if they did not give up their wicked ways1 a woman whom he had known for many years as a very bad character1 burst into tears and begged ,mr4 ,wesley to pray for her4 ,many of the other prisoners did the same1 and numbers believed in ,jesus ,christ as their ,saviour1 and became ,christian men and we men4 ,it was just wonderful2 but it is sad to think that if these people had only heard the ,gospel before1 they might never have been the wicked men and women they were4 ,as soon as ever they heard1 they believed4 ,all the magazines and newspapers that were published were full of the doings of the ,methodists4 ,they were still called all sorts of names and abused dreadfully4 ,but the good people had got so used to this that they did not mind1 indeed1 they hardly expected any other treatment4 ,in those days very few of the poor people could read1 and one newspaper complained that nearly every one who went to hear the ,methodists wanted to learn to read the ,bible1 and as soon as ever he could spell out a chapter he would go and read it to some one who could not read1 and then they would talk about it together4 ,this1 the paper said1 wasted a great deal of time1 for the men were so busy talking and reading their ,bibles that they could not get on with their work1 and the woollen trade in ,yorkshire would soon be ruined4 ,of course this last was not true1 and was only said to stop the ,methodists from preaching4 ,it showed1 however1 how sincere and how much in earnest the people were4 ,but amidst all the persecutions of mobs of ignorant and brutal men and women who knew no better1 and of abuse and slander by the rich and the educated1 who ought to have known better1 nothing pained ,mr4 ,wesley so much as the unkind words of his sister ,emilia4 ,she was his favourite sister1 and he thought a great deal about her opinion4 ,in an angry letter she wrote him1 she said the ,methodists were a lot of bad people4 ,however1 ,john ,wesley and his friends calmly went on doing the work they felt ,god had called them to do4 ,the peace of ,god was in their hearts1 and the sunlight of ,his love brightened their faces1 and made them tender and forgiving to all their enemies4 ,as ,jesus ,christ prayed for the cruel men who crucified ,him1 so they prayed3 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,don't believe all you hear4--,mrs4 ,wesley finds her dear ,jack true to his colours4--,she joins the ,methodists4--,and thus dreadfully shocks her eldest son4--,death of ,mr4 ,samuel ,wesley4--,a loving mother's letter to her boy4 ,i ,,think ,mr4 ,wesley's greatest trouble at this time was1 that even his dear mother1 whom he had not seen for a long1 long time1 believed many of the things that people were saying about him1 and felt sure he had wandered away from the true religion of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it does not do for us to believe all we hear1 and when at last ,mrs4 ,wesley went to ,london1 and saw and talked with her sons1 she found all the tales had been untrue1 and that her dear ,jack was the same loyal soldier and servant of ,jesus ,christ that he had ever been4 ,instead of going back to where she had been living1 ,mrs4 ,wesley1 freed from her fears1 remained in ,london with her boys1 a proud and happy mother4 ,she joined the ,society in ,fetter ,lane1 went every ,sunday to hear her sons preach1 and helped them in every way she could4 ,once she stood by ,mr4 ,wesley's side when he preached on ,kennington ,common to a congregation of about #bj1jjj people1 and ,i don't know which was the prouder1 mother or son4 ,you remember ,mr4 ,samuel ,wesley1 the eldest brother8 ,he was one who strongly disapproved of open-air preaching1 and thought ,john and ,charles were very much in the wrong for not behaving like other clergymen4 ,when he heard that even his mother had joined the ,methodists he was more indignant than ever1 and wrote her what ,i think was a very rude letter4 ,i was very much surprised and grieved1 he said1 when ,i heard that you had joined the ,methodists1 and1 indeed1 become one of ,jack's congregation4 ,my brothers are brothers to me no longer1 and now1 must my mother follow too8 ,it is sad to think that two weeks after ,mr4 ,samuel wrote this he was taken ill and died in a few hours4 ,he was a clever and a sensible man1 but he did not understand1 or even try to understand1 the work his brothers were doing1 and1 therefore1 disapproved of it4 ,when ,mr4 ,wesley heard the news of his brother's death he set off at once to ,bristol to ,mr4 ,charles1 and together they went to ,tiverton to comfort and help their sister-in-law4 ,they forgot all the unkind things their brother had said against them1 and only thought how they could best show their love and sympathy to those that were left4 ,poor ,mrs4 ,wesley was very ill when she heard the sad news4 ,she had always dearly-loved her eldest child1 and his death was a great sorrow4 ,but she said3 ,it is ,god's will1 therefore it is all right4 ,you can tell what a real comfort ,mr4 ,john was to her at this time1 by the letter she wrote to ,charles at ,bristol about a month after ,mr4 ,samuel's death4 ,this is what she said3 ,,dear ,,charles1 ,you cannot want to see me more than ,i want to see you4 ,your brother ,jack1 whom ,i shall call son ,wesley1 now that my dear ,sam is gone home1 has just been in to see me1 and has cheered me up ever so much4 ,indeed1 he never comes but he does me good2 his visits are all too seldom and too short4 ,for this ,i cannot blame him1 for ,i know he is about his ,heavenly ,father's business4 ,but1 dear ,charles1 ,i do so want one of you1 for ,i feel weak as a little child4 ,i do pray that ,god will bless you both in your work1 and keep you from harm2 and that ,he will give you strength and courage to preach the true ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is the hearty prayer of1 dear ,charles1 ,your loving mother1 ,,susanna ,,wesley4 ,is not that a loving letter8 ,no wonder ,mr4 ,charles prized it very much4 ,little folks generally take care of all the letters they get4 ,i know ,i did when ,i was a little girl1 indeed ,i have some of them now4 ,grown-up people usually tear theirs up1 they get so many4 ,but this letter that ,mr4 ,charles had from his dear old mother was too precious to be so treated2 he took great care of it1 and after his death it was found among his papers4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,a very old school4--,the first ,methodist ,chapel4--,well done1 ,bristol6--,empty purses4--,how they were filled4--,the penny-a-week rule4 ,,you remember the school at ,kingswood1 that the colliers collected the money for and started8 ,although it is one hundred and fifty years ago since it was opened1 there has been a school at ,kingswood ever since1 and it is the very oldest thing we have in connection with ,methodism4 ,if you will listen at chapel some time--in ,october ,i think it generally is--you will hear the minister say3 ,collections will be taken to-day1 morning and evening1 on behalf of the ,kingswood ,schools4 ,when you hear this will you just think1 that the money you give is for the same school that was started by those good-hearted colliers near ,bristol1 more than one hundred and fifty years ago4 ,now ,i must tell you of the very first ,methodist ,chapel that was ever built2 for this1 too1 we have to thank the ,bristol people4 ,having heard about ,jesus ,christ themselves1 they were eager for their friends and neighbours to hear about ,him too4 ,they worked very hard1 and were so much in earnest inviting people to come to the services1 that at last the room where they held their meeting got far too small for all the people who wanted to come4 ,it was only a tumble-down sort of place1 and they were afraid the floor might give way or the roof fall in1 and somebody be hurt4 ,at last they secured a piece of ground in what was called the ,horse ,fair in ,bristol1 and one bright ,may morning1 in #agci1 the first stone of the ,,first ,,methodist ,,chapel was laid1 amidst great shouting of praise and thanksgiving4 ,i have called it a ,chapel1 but the ,methodists called it a ,preaching ,house4 ,you may think what a great deal of money it took to carry on all the work that the ,methodists were doing2 sometimes their purses were very empty1 and they wondered however they should get them filled again4 ,but it was ,god's work they were doing1 and of course the money always came4 ,like most ,methodist ,chapels nowadays1 the money to pay for the ,bristol ,preaching ,house was not got all at once2 but a plan was adopted which1 ,i think1 was a very good one4 ,every ,methodist in ,bristol promised to pay a penny a week until all the money was raised2 and as there were some hundreds of ,methodists1 the debt was soon paid off4 ,some of the people1 however1 were too poor to pay even this small amount1 so it was arranged that the richer men should each call upon eleven poorer ones every week1 and collect their pennies1 and when they could not give them1 the rich man was to make it up4 ,this was the beginning of the weekly class money which your fathers and mothers1 if they are ,methodists1 pay in their class-meetings to-day4 ,when ,mr4 ,wesley told the society in ,fetter ,lane1 ,london1 of the good plan the ,bristol people had made1 they adopted it too1 and always after that wherever the ,methodists commenced a society1 the penny-a-week rule was followed4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,an explosion4--,a new business at the old ,foundry4--,mr4 ,wesley and his mother at home4--,grand helpers4--,poor little ,tom4--,the worst man in ,bristol4--,and one of the best4 ,,how old would ,john ,wesley be in #agaf1 if he was born in #agjc8 ,thirteen1 would he not8 a school-boy at the ,charterhouse ,school4 ,in that year there was a terrible explosion at a cannon foundry1 where the guns were made for war4 ,the roof of the building was blown off1 and a great many workmen were injured and killed4 ,after this explosion1 the machinery and iron were removed to ,woolwich1 which1 as you will learn in your geography is still the great place for making cannon and other weapons of war4 ,all the years from #agaf to #agci the old foundry had never been touched1 there it was1 still in ruins4 ,one day in this year1 #agci1 while ,mr4 ,wesley was in ,london1 two gentlemen came and asked him if he would preach in this old tumble-down place4 ,he consented1 and one dreary ,november morning at eight o'clock1 before the grey clouds of night had fled1 he preached to about six thousand people in the old ,king's ,foundry4 ,the following week many of those who had listened to him1 came and begged him to buy the old place for a meeting-house4 ,after thinking and praying about the matter he consented1 and before very long the roof was mended1 galleries were made1 and the first ,methodist preaching-place in ,london was ready for use4 ,class-rooms and a school-room were afterwards built1 and a house fitted up where ,mr4 ,wesley and his mother could live4 ,at the end of the chapel was another house for his servants and some of his helpers4 ,there was also a coach-house and stable where the travelling preachers could put up4 ,though ,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley were so clever and worked so hard1 they could never have got on without their earnest1 loving helpers4 ,there was ,thomas ,maxfield1 one of those devoted1 go-a-head men of ,bristol2 then there was ,john ,nelson1 a stone-mason1 in ,yorkshire1 who1 when his master wanted him to work on ,sunday1 refused2 and1 like other ,methodists1 having become a ,christian himself he sought to win others for ,christ4 ,thomas ,olivers was another4 ,poor ,thomas1 when he was a wee boy1 only four years old1 both his father and his mother died1 and little ,tom was left to grow up a wicked boy4 ,he used to swear and gamble and drink1 and when he became a man was one of the worst characters in ,bristol4 ,but he heard ,mr4 ,whitefield preach1 and from that time a change came over him4 ,he felt he was too great a sinner ever to be forgiven1 and would kneel down and pray for hours and hours4 ,god saw how sorry he was for all his wickedness1 and how much he longed to be different1 so ,he just whispered ,his forgiveness1 bidding him1 ,go and sin no more1 and ,thomas ,olivers rose up a converted man1 and became as brave a ,christian as he had been bold a sinner4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,billy and ,polly4--,a little sunbeam visits ,sandgate4--,what happened at seven o'clock in the morning4--,and at five o'clock in the evening4--,the ,old1 ,old ,story4--,newcastle wants to know more4--,but ,newcastle has to wait4--,john ,wesley goes back to ,bristol4--,the ,kingswood of the ,north4 ,,who',s yon man8 ,which man8 ,yon4 ,him with the long hair1 and dressed like a parson4 ,i dunno4 ,why there's two on 'em4 ,i say1 ,polly1 let's go and hear 'em1 they're singing4 ,come on1 ,bob4 ,bob and ,billy and ,polly were very ragged and very dirty children1 and they lived in ,newcastle4 ,the boys were almost naked1 and ,polly1 though nearly fifteen had no clothes on at all1 only a dirty bit of blanket wrapped round her4 ,their fathers and mothers worked in the coal mines1 and because they had never been taught different1 they were drunken1 swearing1 wicked people2 even the children cursed and swore4 ,but ,bob and ,billy and ,polly have got to the top of ,sandgate1 the street where their miserable home is2 let us follow4 ,some of their companions are with them1 children as ragged and dirty as themselves4 ,the women1 too1 have come to their doors to listen4 ,what is it these men are singing8 ,hark6 ,illustration3 ,music ,all people that on earth do dwell ,sing to the ,lord with cheerful voice2 ,him serve with fear1 ,his praise forth tell3 ,come ye before ,him and rejoice4 ,it was a lovely ,may morning1 and a kind little sunbeam had left the green fields and the chirping birdlets to peep into ,sandgate4 ,i think it must have heard the singing1 and wanted to shine its gladness1 that ,god's praises were at last being sung to those poor people4 ,it was quite early1 about seven o'clock in the morning1 and some of the men and women were still in bed2 but little sunbeam went first to one and then to another and kissed them awake1 and when they had rubbed their eyes and opened their ears1 they heard a strange sound4 ,what could it be8 ,they had never heard anything like it before4 ,illustration3 ,if you come to yon hill at five o'clock to-night1 ,i'll tell you what ,i mean4--,page #ie4 ,they sat up in bed and listened1 then they got dressed1 and then they went out4 ,the music acted like a magic spell1 and drew them to it4 ,one man1 two men1 three men1 four men1 five men2 oh1 dear6 there are too many to count4 ,such a number of women too1 why1 there must be five hundred people all together1 and still they keep coming4 ,one of the gentlemen is now talking4 ,listen what he is saying6 ,he is preaching a sermon1 and this is his text3 ,he was wounded for our transgressions1 ,he was bruised for our iniquities3 the chastisement of our peace was upon ,him1 and by ,his stripes we are healed4 ,he is telling those poor men and women that it was ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 who suffered this for them1 because ,he loved them4 ,the people1 who numbered about twelve hundred1 stood gaping and staring1 they had never heard anything like this before4 ,who are you8 shouted one man4 ,what do you mean8 called out another4 ,the gentleman with the long hair and beautiful face answered them3 ,if you want to know who ,i am1 my name is ,john ,wesley1 and if you come to yon hill at five o'clock to-night1 ,i'll tell you what ,i mean4 ,at five o'clock the hill was covered with people from the top to the bottom1 and as ,mr4 ,wesley stood with that great crowd round him1 all eager to learn about the wonderful ,saviour who had died for them1 and of whom they had never heard1 tears of pity filled his eyes1 and a big love for them filled his heart4 ,oh1 so sweetly and tenderly did he read to them ,god's own words3 ,i will heal their back-sliding1 ,i will love them freely2 and then he told them the ,old1 ,old ,story4 ,he told it very slowly3 ',that they might take it in1 ,that wonderful redemption1 ,god's remedy for sin4' ,he told them the story simply3 ',as to a little child1 ,for they were weak and weary1 ,and helpless and defi'ed4' ,he told them the story softly3 ',with earnest tones and grave1 ,for were they not the sinners ,whom ,jesus came to save8' ,when the preacher finished1 the people stood as if spell-bound1 then they all crowded and pressed round him1 full of love and kindness towards the man who had brought them such good news4 ,they nearly trampled him down in their eagerness to speak to him1 and he had to slip round a back way in order to escape4 ,when he got to the inn where he was staying1 he found some of the people had got there before him2 they had come to beg and pray him to stay among them4 ,no1 he could not4 ,stay a few days1 said one4 ,no1 he could not do that4 ,just one day more1 they begged4 ,poor ,mr4 ,wesley was very loth to leave these eager hearers1 but he had promised to be in ,bristol on the ,tuesday1 and this was ,sunday night1 and it would take him all the time to get to his appointment1 and he was a man that could not break his word4 ,so he was sadly obliged to refuse4 ,before very long1 however1 ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley went to ,newcastle1 and after a time1 ,mr4 ,wesley himself paid a second visit4 ,it was a plan of the ,methodists always to go to the poorest and most uncared-for people4 ,these they generally found among the colliers4 ,wherever there were coal mines1 the district round them was sure to be the abode of dirt1 ignorance1 and sin4 ,you remember what a dreadful place ,kingswood was when the ,methodists first went8 ,because they found ,newcastle just as bad1 they called it ,the ,kingswood of the ,north4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,a magic mirror4--,and the picture it shows us4--,billy and ,polly again4--,hurrah for ,newcastle6--,john and ,charles ,wesley put their heads together4--,the result4--,strict ,rules4--,circuits in ,methodism4 ,,have you ever heard of the ,magic ,mirror8 ,it is a mirror ,i would like to have4 ,you just think of something you would very much like to see2 something either in the past1 the present1 or the future1 peep into the mirror and there it is4 ,let us imagine that we have this mirror1 and that we want to look at a particular part of ,newcastle in the year #agdb4 ,what do we see8 ,a big unfinished building with all the walls standing1 but no roof1 no doors1 and no windows4 ,it is a cold winter's day2 but in spite of the biting wind and the frosty air there are hundreds of people crowding inside and outside the walls4 ,right in the middle stands the gentleman with the long hair and the beautiful face4 ,it is ,mr4 ,wesley opening the first meeting-house in ,newcastle4 ,oh1 how hard those poor colliers and their wives1 yes1 and the children too1 worked to get money to build their chapel4 ,on this opening day they were so proud and happy they could not keep still4 ,they kept shouting ,hallelujah6 all the time ,mr4 ,wesley was preaching4 ,three or four times he had to stop in the middle of his sermon on purpose to let them praise ,god4 ,bob1 and ,billy1 and ,polly were at that opening2 they loved ,mr4 ,wesley1 and always tried to get as near to him as they could4 ,they were not ragged now1 for their fathers and mothers were converted1 and their money was no longer spent in drink4 ,the children1 too1 had learnt to love ,jesus1 and were trying to be like ,him1 and no cursing or swearing was ever heard4 ,scores of men and women in ,newcastle that day1 thanked ,god they had got out of bed that ,sunday morning in ,may1 and heard ,mr4 ,wesley sing at the top of ,sandgate4 ,the ,methodists had now chapels or meeting-houses in ,bristol1 ,london1 ,kingswood1 and ,newcastle1 and societies were being formed in a great many other places4 ,when ,mr4 ,wesley found the work was spreading so fast1 he saw it was necessary to draw up some general rules for all the members to follow4 ,his brother ,charles helped him in this difficult task4 ,these are some of the rules which together they drew up1 and which all who joined the ,methodists had to promise to obey4 ,members of society must not swear4 ,must keep the ,sabbath ,day holy4 ,must not buy or sell intoxicating liquor4 ,must not drink intoxicating liquor1 except as medicine4 ,must not fight4 ,must not quarrel4 ,must return good for evil4 ,must not speak evil of any one4 ,must do to others as we would have them do to us4 ,must not wear a great deal of jewellery or expensive clothes4 ,must not go to any place of amusement where they would not like to meet ,jesus4 ,must not sing songs or read books that will not help them to love ,god more4 ,must not buy anything unless they are quite sure they will be able to pay for it4 ,must be kind to everybody1 and give help to all1 as far as they are able2 ,by feeding the hungry2 ,clothing the naked2 ,visiting the sick and those in prison2 ,by running with patience the race that is set before them2 ,by denying themselves and taking up their cross daily4 ,they must go to chapel regularly4 ,must take the ,sacrament4 ,and1 lastly1 have family and private prayer every day4 ,were not these strict rules8 ,but the people were so much in earnest1 and had such trust in their leader1 ,mr4 ,wesley1 that they were quite willing to agree to them4 ,the next thing ,mr4 ,wesley did was to send out his helpers1 generally two together1 to certain districts where they usually remained for a year4 ,they had to preach in all the places round about1 and each particular district or tract of country was called a circuit4 ,this was the beginning of the circuits which we have in ,methodism to-day4 ,i dare say you have often heard father or mother say1 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,so and ,so has gone to another circuit2 or1 ,mr4 ,so and ,so is in our circuit now4 ,london and ,bristol always remained the chief circuits2 but before very long ,newcastle became the next in importance4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,another peep into the ,magic ,mirror4--,a pretty picture4--,at ,epworth4--,mr4 ,wesley is very unkindly treated4--,all for the best4--,the curate is done4--,a happy ending to a bad beginning4--,good-bye1 ,epworth4 ,,shall we have another peep into the ,magic ,mirror8 ,see that pretty country church1 with the square tower4 ,there are some big trees near1 looking as if they were tall giants keeping guard2 they have no leaves on them yet1 and their bare arms stretch out a long way as if they were trying to reach the church4 ,if you look carefully you will see buds coming out on the trees1 baby buds they are1 waiting for the sun's kisses4 ,then they will burst out and grow into great leaves that will cover up the naked old trees4 ,ivy climbs up the church wall4 ,i see its dark glossy leaves1 for the ivy is evergreen4 ,there are many graves in the churchyard1 but you can hardly see them because people are sitting on them2 such a number of people1 hundreds more than could ever have got into the church4 ,they are all looking one way1 and seem to be listening very attentively4 ,what are they looking at8 ,they are looking at a gentleman who is standing all alone on a big flat tombstone near the church wall4 ,he wears a gown and white bands like a clergyman1 and he has long hair brushed very smoothly1 and a beautiful1 happy face4 ,dear me6 did ,i hear a crash then8 ,and did ,i hear a hundred young voices shouting3 ,i know who it is1 it's ,mr4 ,john ,wesley8 ,why1 you must have broken the mirror with your shouts4 ,you are right1 dears1 but you shouted rather too soon4 ,i wanted to read what it said on the tombstone on which ,mr4 ,wesley was standing4 ,but1 never mind1 ,i think ,i saw some of the words3 ,,sacred ,,to ,,the ,,memory ,,of ,,samuel ,,wesley1 ,,for ,,thirty-,,eight ,,years ,,rector ,,of ,,epworth4 ,yes1 it was his father's grave on which ,john ,wesley was standing4 ,on his way back from one of his visits to ,newcastle he thought he would like to see his dear old home once more4 ,it was a long1 long time since he had been there1 and he was not quite sure whether the people would have anything to do with him now1 for1 as leader of the ,methodists1 he had many enemies4 ,it was ,saturday evening in early spring1 when he got to the little inn1 in the long straggling street that was called ,epworth village4 ,he had not been there very long before three or four poor women found him out1 one of them an old servant of his mother's4 ,next morning1 which was ,sunday1 he went to the curate of the church and politely offered to help him with the service4 ,the curate1 ,i am sorry to say1 was very rude1 and refused to let ,mr4 ,wesley take any part in the service or to preach in the church at all4 ,this was a great disappointment1 for ,mr4 ,wesley loved the people of ,epworth1 and every stone in the old church was dear to him4 ,his father had preached from that pulpit for nearly forty years1 and he himself had stood there more times than he could count1 and it was very hard that he was forbidden to take his place there now4 ,the people were longing to hear him1 and when the afternoon service was over1 and all the folks were leaving the church1 one of his friends stood in the churchyard and gave out this notice3 ,,mr4 ,,wesley1 ,,not ,,being ,,allowed ,,to ,,preach ,,in ,,the ,,church1 ,,intends ,,to ,,preach ,,here ,,at ,,six ,o',,clock ,,this ,,evening4 ,it was this picture of ,mr4 ,wesley preaching that the ,magic ,mirror showed us4 ,i expect the curate was very angry at being so done2 but he could not stop ,mr4 ,wesley preaching outside the church4 ,for a whole week ,john ,wesley preached every evening from his father's tombstone4 ,crowds came to hear him1 and hundreds were converted and turned from their evil ways4 ,they saw how sinful they had been and prayed aloud for forgiveness4 ,drunkards became sober men1 and those who cursed and swore were turned into peace-makers4 ,so dear old ,mr4 ,wesley's prayers were answered1 and the people who had treated him so unkindly1 and whom he had forgiven and loved1 now took his ,saviour to be their ,saviour1 and his ,god to be their ,god4 ,indeed ,mr4 ,wesley's visit to his old home1 that began so unpleasantly1 ended very happily1 and when his last evening came1 both he and his dear people found it hard to say ,good-bye4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,no one like mother4--,sad days at the ,foundry4--,mrs4 ,wesley goes ,home through the ,beautiful ,gate4--,a sorrowing son4--,preaching at the open grave4--,at work again4--,satan in opposition4--,fireworks1 cows1 stones1 blood1 and broken windows4 ,a ,,good mother is a boy's or a girl's best earthly friend4 ,john ,wesley knew this1 and thought there was no mother like his mother4 ,you remember how1 as a little boy1 he always went to her for advice2 and when he was quite a young man he used to hope that he would die before her1 for he felt he could not live without his mother4 ,you may think1 then1 how sad he was when1 at last1 the message came to him that she was dying4 ,he was at ,bristol when he received the news1 and at once set off for ,london4 ,arrived at his home at the ,foundry1 he found his five sisters watching round the bed of the dear old mother4 ,though she was too ill to speak to them1 they could see she was quite happy and peaceful1 just waiting to be taken ,home4 ,before long the call came3 ,come up higher4 ,a great number of people came to the funeral2 and as ,mr4 ,wesley stood at the graveside1 he preached one of his most wonderful sermons4 ,his heart was full2 he had lost the friend of his life4 ,but he knew it was not for ever1 one day he would meet her again2 and as he looked on those hundreds of people gathered there by the open grave1 he longed that they should1 as surely1 some day pass ,home through the ,beautiful ,gate4 ,work is the best cure for sorrow2 and after his dear mother's death1 ,mr4 ,wesley began his preaching again4 ,wherever he went people were converted1 and became followers of ,jesus ,christ2 and also wherever he went wicked men and women tried to stop him preaching1 and sometimes even wanted to kill him4 ,but he was doing ,god's work1 and ,god took care of him4 ,once he was preaching to hundreds of people in an open space somewhere in ,london4 ,in the middle of his sermon1 several men tried to drive a herd of cows among the listeners4 ,they wanted to frighten them1 and force them to go away4 ,but the cows were wiser than their masters1 and would not go among the people4 ,then these bad men started throwing stones1 and one of them hit ,mr4 ,wesley just between his eyes4 ,what do you think he did8 ,give up preaching and go home8 ,indeed he did not2 he just wiped the blood off his face1 and went on telling the people to repent of their sins and believe on the ,son of ,god4 ,brave ,john ,wesley6 ,bristol1 you remember1 was the first place where ,mr4 ,wesley preached out of doors1 and it was at ,bristol where there was the first great disturbance4 ,i don't quite know how it was1 but just about this time1 wherever the ,methodists went1 they were abused and ill-treated4 ,i think ,satan was beginning to find out how much good the ,methodists were doing1 and thought it was about time he did something to stop it4 ,so1 in all the towns where the preachers went1 he stirred up the worst men and women to make rows and disturb the services4 ,at ,chelsea1 the rioters threw fireworks into the room2 at another place they broke in the roof1 and some of the people were nearly killed4 ,at ,bristol1 the mob filled the streets1 shouting1 and cursing1 and swearing4 ,when the constables caught the ring-leaders and took them before the mayor1 they began to speak against ,mr4 ,wesley1 but the mayor stopped them4 ,whatever ,mr4 ,wesley is1 is nothing to you1 he said4 ,i won't allow any rioting in this city1 and you must go to prison4 ,this was the first and last disturbance at ,bristol4 ,but the worst of it was1 at most of the places1 neither the constables nor the mayor would interfere1 and so the people did just as they liked4 ,at ,wednesbury1 in ,staffordshire1 the ,methodists were most cruelly treated4 ,one of the rioters used to blow a horn1 and then all the mob gathered together4 ,they went to every house where there was a ,methodist1 smashed the windows1 dragged the furniture out and broke it up1 and burnt the beds4 ,if the men or women interfered1 they just knocked them down2 even the little children they used to beat4 ,but ,i think ,i will leave the exciting scenes at ,wednesbury for another chapter4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,brave as a lion4--,a protecting angel4--,god's magic4--,foes become friends4--,an unpleasant walk in rain and darkness4--,what the mayor said4--,a free fight4--,knock the parson down6 ,kill him at once6--,magic again4--,a butcher to the rescue4--,safe back in ,wednesbury4 ,,when ,mr4 ,wesley heard how his followers were being treated in ,wednesbury1 he went off at once to their help4 ,though he was only a little man1 he was as brave as a lion2 he knew he had ,god at his back1 and like ,david before ,goliath1 like ,daniel before ,darius1 and like ,shadrach1 ,meshach1 and ,abednego before ,nebuchadnezzar1 he did not fear what man could do unto him4 ,god sent ,his angel to close the lions' mouths so they would not harm ,daniel2 and the same messenger walked in the fiery furnace with the three ,hebrew youths4 ,so1 when ,mr4 ,wesley went straight into the market-place in ,wednesbury1 and fearlessly preached to the hundreds assembled there1 ,god's protecting angel breathed silence and calm2 not a sound of disturbance was heard4 ,in the evening the mob surrounded the house where ,mr4 ,wesley was staying1 shouting out fiercely3 ,bring out the minister6 ,we will have the minister6 ,mr4 ,wesley1 neither frightened nor excited1 quietly asked one of his friends to bring in the ringleader of the mob4 ,the man came in1 anger and fierceness in his eyes4 ,but1 somehow1 as soon as he stood in the presence of that calm1 ,christ-like man1 all his passion went out of him4 ,mr4 ,wesley then asked him to bring in two or three of his roughest companions4 ,the angry men came in4 ,they had wanted to get at the minister1 now they had the chance4 ,but once inside that room1 they found they could not touch him4 ,they felt the presence of ,god's protecting angel1 and peace took the place of passion1 and friendliness the place of hatred4 ,getting ,mr4 ,wesley between them1 these strange1 new friends made a way for him through the mob outside the house4 ,then1 standing on a chair1 ,mr4 ,wesley spoke to the crowd4 ,you wanted me1 he said4 ,here ,i am4 ,now what do you want me for8 ,we want you to go with us to the magistrate1 they cried4 ,i will go with you with all my heart1 he replied4 ,so away went the brave ambassador for ,christ1 accompanied by hundreds of the roughest men and women in ,wednesbury4 ,it was two miles to the magistrate's house1 and before they had got half-way the night came on1 and it began to rain very heavily4 ,this made most of the people turn back and hurry home1 but two hundred or more kept together round ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,some of the men ran on first to tell the magistrate they'd got the ,methodist preacher4 ,instead of seeming pleased1 the magistrate said3 ,what have ,i to do with ,mr4 ,wesley8 ,take him back again4 ,so he sent them off1 and went to bed4 ,by and by the crowd came up to the house1 and knocked at the door4 ,when the magistrate's son went to them and asked what was the matter1 they said3 ,why1 please1 sir1 these ,methodists sing psalms all day1 and make folks get up at five o'clock in the morning1 and what would your worship advise us to do8 ,to go home and be quiet1 replied the gentleman4 ,finding they could get no help from this magistrate1 they hurried poor ,mr4 ,wesley off to another4 ,this gentleman1 too1 had gone to bed1 and so the mob could do nothing else but go home4 ,however1 before they had got very far they were joined by another rough mob from a neighbouring town2 and then1 in the rain and the darkness1 the two mobs started fighting and knocking each other down4 ,it was no use ,mr4 ,wesley trying to speak1 for the shouting and noise was like the roaring of the sea4 ,they dragged him along with them until they reached the town1 and then1 seeing the door of a large house open1 ,mr4 ,wesley tried to get in4 ,but one of the cruel men got him by the hair and pulled him back into the middle of the mob2 and then they dragged him from one end of the town to the other4 ,i talked all the time to those that were within hearing1 said ,mr4 ,wesley1 afterwards1 and ,i never felt the least pain or weariness4 ,at last he saw a shop door half open1 and tried to get in1 but the gentleman to whom the shop belonged would not let him4 ,why1 the people would pull my house down1 he said1 if ,i let you in4 ,however1 ,mr4 ,wesley stood at the door and shouted to the people3 ,are you willing to hear me speak8 ,no1 no2 knock him down6 ,kill him at once6 cried hundreds of voices4 ,nay1 let's hear him first1 shouted others4 ,what harm have ,i done any of you8 exclaimed the fearless preacher4 ,which of you have ,i wronged in word or deed8 ,for a quarter of an hour he talked to them1 then his voice suddenly gave way1 the strain had been too great4 ,then the cruel mob cried out again3 ,bring him away6 ,bring him away6 ,but ,mr4 ,wesley's strength had come back1 and he began to pray aloud4 ,that prayer acted like magic2 the man who had just before been the leader of that brutal crowd1 turning to ,mr4 ,wesley1 said3 ,sir1 ,i will spend my life for you2 follow me1 and no one here shall touch a hair of your head4 ,two or three of his companions said almost the same1 and surrounded ,mr4 ,wesley to protect him4 ,then four or five rough men set upon them1 and tried to drag ,mr4 ,wesley away2 but a butcher1 who was a little further off1 shouted1 ,shame6 shame6 and pulled them back one after another4 ,some one else shouted1 ,for shame6 ,for shame6 let the good man go6 ,then1 just as if they had been struck by magic1 all the people drew back right and left1 and ,mr4 ,wesley was carried safely through4 ,illustration3 ',knock him down6 ,kill him at once6' cried hundreds of voices4--,page #aad4 ,but the danger was not quite over even yet4 ,on the bridge which they had to cross1 the mob assembled again2 but ,mr4 ,wesley's protectors took him across a mill-dam and then through some fields1 and at last brought him safe into ,wednesbury1 with no other damage than a torn coat and a little skin scraped off one of his hands4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,mr4 ,wesley's story of the ,wednesbury riot4--,how he felt4--,the right pocket4--,beautiful hair4--,the prize-fighter a good protector4--,a brick1 a stone1 and two hard blows4--,daniel vi4 #bb4 ,,after reading the last exciting chapter1 you will all exclaim1 ,well1 ,mr4 ,wesley was a brave man6 and ,i am sure you will like to hear what he himself said about his adventures4 ,these are the very words he wrote after the ,wednesbury riots3 ,from the beginning to the end1 ,i felt as calm as if ,i had been sitting in my study at home4 ,once it did come into my mind1 that if they threw me into the river1 it would spoil the papers ,i had in my pocket4 ,i was not afraid for myself1 for ,i did not doubt but ,i could swim across to the opposite bank4 ,thinking about it all now1 ,i notice some remarkable circumstances4 ,one was1 that though several tried to get hold of me1 it seemed as if they could not1 and when at last one did get hold of my coat and tore the pocket off1 it was the right pocket for him to get1 for it contained nothing of importance2 whereas if he had torn off the other he would have got a bank-note with it4 ,another was1 a big strong fellow just behind struck at me several times with a large oak stick4 ,one blow had it hit me would have killed me1 but somehow every time he struck1 the blow was turned aside4 ,i don't know how1 for ,i could not move either to the right hand or to the left4 ,another man came rushing through the crowd and raised his arm to strike me4 ,suddenly he let his arm drop1 and only stroked my hair1 saying3 ',what beautiful hair he has6' ,it was strange too1 that the very first men whose hearts were softened were always the leaders of the mob--one of them had been a prize-fighter4 ,so that when they took my part ,i was well protected4 ,again1 from first to last ,i heard no one give me a reviling word1 or call me by any insolent or disgraceful name whatever4 ,the cry of one and all was3 ',the ,preacher6 ,the ,preacher6 ,the ,parson6 ,the ,minister6' ,again ,mr4 ,wesley wrote3 ,by what gentle and gradual steps does ,god prepare us for ,his will6 ,two years ago a brick that was thrown at me grazed my shoulders4 ,then a year after that1 the stone struck me between the eyes when ,i was preaching in ,london4 ,this evening ,i have received two blows2 one man struck me on the chest with all his might1 and another on the mouth with such force that the blood gushed out immediately4 ,but both were as nothing1 ,i felt no more pain from either of the blows1 than if the men had touched me with a straw4 ,boys and girls1 is not this a wonderful story8 ,get your ,bibles1 and look in the sixth chapter of the book of ,daniel and the twenty-second verse4 ,wicked men had laid a trap for ,king ,darius1 and because they were envious of ,daniel1 they caused the king to order ,daniel to be thrown into the lions' den4 ,this made ,king ,darius very unhappy1 for he loved ,daniel4 ,but though he was a heathen king1 he had such faith in ,daniel's ,god1 that he felt sure the lions would not be allowed to hurt him4 ,king ,darius could not sleep all night1 for thinking of ,daniel all alone in the den of those wild beasts2 so he got up very early in the morning1 and went to the den and called to ,daniel to know if he were alive4 ,and from inside that dismal den with hungry beasts prowling round and round1 came the bright1 cheering voice of the ,god-protected man3 ,my ,god hath sent ,his angel1 and hath shut the lions' mouths1 that they have not hurt me4 ,john ,wesley was as much among wild beasts at ,wednesbury1 as ever ,daniel was in the den of lions1 for when men's passions are roused they are no better than the beasts4 ,but the arm that was raised to strike1 gently stroked his hair2 the blow that was meant to kill1 fell upon an invisible head2 the leaders of all that was cruel and wicked1 were struck tender and quiet1 and became personal protectors4 ,truly ,mr4 ,wesley could have said with ,daniel3 ,my ,god hath sent ,his angel1 and hath shut the lions' mouths1 that they have not hurt me4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,the lion-hearted ,wesleys4--,and their brave1 long-suffering followers4--,what ,munchin thought of ,john ,wesley4--,hymn #bgf and how it came to be written4--,the mischievous schoolboy becomes the sweet singer of ,methodism4--,the wall that sat down4--,and the people who sat down with it4 ,,the troubles in ,wednesbury were not yet ended4 ,the very magistrates who had refused to see ,mr4 ,wesley that night when the mob dragged him to the door1 a few days later gave orders for the police to search everywhere for those ,methodist preachers who go about raising riots4 ,even this failed to frighten the brave-hearted ,wesleys1 for when ,john left ,wednesbury his brother ,charles took his place4 ,he found the poor ,methodists still suffering terrible persecutions1 but patient and forgiving to their enemies4 ,christ's own words were their help and comfort3 ,blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake3 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 7,matt4 v4 #aj74 ,munchin1 the man who had been one of the leaders of the mob and afterwards protected ,mr4 ,wesley1 had joined the ,methodists and become a member of society4 ,one day ,mr4 ,charles said to him3 ,what did you think of my brother8 ,think of him8 said ,munchin2 ,i think he is a man of ,god2 and ,god was surely by his side when so many of us could not kill one man4 ,the persecutions of the ,methodists in ,wednesbury continued for a long time4 ,the windows of their houses were broken1 their tables1 chairs1 and other furniture were smashed to pieces1 and their feather-beds were torn into shreds4 ,no craven-hearted man would have dared to go into such a place of danger1 and preach to such fiends in human form2 but the ,wesleys knew no fear when duty called1 and again and again they visited their poor1 persecuted followers4 ,christ-like men1 indeed1 they were1 for1 like their ,holy ,leader1 when they were reviled they reviled not again2 when they suffered they threatened not4 ,mr4 ,charles composed a hymn after one of the dreadful rows1 which shows how entirely they trusted in ,jesus1 and how sure they were that no harm could come to them except what ,he allowed4 ,look at number #bgf in your ,wesley's ,hymn-,book1 and you will find this very hymn4 ,this is the first verse3-- ,worship and thanks and blessing1 ,and strength ascribe to ,jesus6 ,jesus alone defends ,his own1 ,when earth and hell oppress us4 ,jesus with joy we witness ,almighty to deliver1 ,our seals set to1 that ,god is true1 ,and reigns a ,king for ever4 ,that reminds me that ,i must not forget to tell you1 by far the greater number of the hymns we sing every ,sunday in chapel were written by ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley4 ,yes1 the little mischievous ,westminster schoolboy became the sweet singer of ,methodism4 ,not only among ,methodists are his beautiful hymns sung to-day1 but in almost every ,christian hymn-book in the world some of his verses will be found4 ,you must not think all places were like ,wednesbury4 ,mr4 ,wesley had often very attentive congregations1 and the people listened to him gladly4 ,indeed1 at an open-air service he once held1 the people behaved better than ,i fear we should have done4 ,part of the congregation sat on a low wall built of loose stones2 all at once1 in the middle of the sermon1 down came the wall and all the people with it4 ,i think we should have burst out laughing1 it must have looked so funny4 ,instead of which1 there was no laughing and no screaming2 the people just kept their places1 only instead of sitting on the top of the wall they sat at the bottom4 ,there was no interruption of the service at all2 ,mr4 ,wesley went on with his sermon1 and the people continued reverent and attentive4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,the ,magic ,mirror again4--,sycamore ,farm4--,annie's good news4--,a chorister up in a tree4--,a long1 long journey4--,sixty miles a day on horseback4--,a ,chapel out of doors4--,a hard bed and a funny pillow4--,thanksgiving ,street4--,ripe ,blackberries4 ,,why1 ,i do believe that ,magic ,mirror has mended itself1 for here it is1 showing us such a lovely picture--nay1 two1 ,i declare4 ,look at that dear old farmhouse2 it must surely be called ,sycamore ,farm1 for there are great sycamore trees all round the front and the side4 ,at the back1 and only one field away from the house1 are the green slopes of the mountain1 with a little waterfall tumbling merrily down a crack in its side4 ,in front of the farm1 shimmering through the leaves of the trees1 you can see the sunlit waters of a calm lake4 ,the farm is a low whitewashed building1 and we can see the cows in the distant meadows coming home to be milked4 ,no one is with them2 but there is a little group of people standing at the farmyard gate4 ,the farmer and his wife and all the family and servants seem to be there4 ,whatever is the matter8 ,oh1 see6 there is a little girl in the middle of the group1 and they are all listening to what she is saying4 ,let us listen too4 ,yes1 it is quite true2 ,mr4 ,wesley is coming4 ,i went to the village for mother1 and old ,downs the cobbler told me1 and so did ,mrs4 ,wilson at the shop4 ,everybody is talking about it4 ,ay1 but that's good news1 lassie6 the old farmer says4 ,i wonder now if he'd come and preach at ,sycamore ,farm4 ,the picture has gone4 ,oh1 but here's the other one4 ,why1 it is the same old farmhouse1 and the sun is shining on the whitewashed walls and funny little windows4 ,there is a great crowd gathered under the shade of the leafy sycamores4 ,see1 there is the kind-looking farmer1 with his sunburnt face1 and sitting on his knee is ,annie1 the little girl that brought the good news from the village4 ,right in the midst of the crowd is ,mr4 ,wesley1 telling these country-people the story of the ,cross4 ,now that picture has gone too4 ,should we not have liked to have been at that service8 ,i will tell you what ,mr4 ,wesley said about it4 ,illustration3 ,in the midst of the crowd is ,mr4 ,wesley1 telling these country-people the story of the ,cross4--,page #abd4 ,it was a hot summer day1 and we could see the blue1 blue sky through the leaves of the old sycamores1 which shaded us from the heat4 ,just as ,i began to preach1 a little bird perched on a branch close by and began to sing4 ,i went on preaching1 but its song did not end1 it sang on and on1 and not until the service was quite over did it cease4 ,it was the best music for such a church and such a congregation1 no harp or organ ever sounded half so sweet4 ,from ,westmoreland1 where this happened1 to ,cornwall is a long way1 but not too far for ,mr4 ,wesley and his horse4 ,he used often to ride sixty miles a day2 and most of his reading1 and the composing of his sermons was done while he was on horseback4 ,he travelled in this way for more than forty years1 and must have gone over #ajj1jjj miles4 ,in ,gwennap1 a place in ,cornwall1 ,mr4 ,wesley found a lovely out-of-doors sort of chapel4 ,some of my readers will have seen the ,happy ,valley at ,llandudno2 ,i think the ,gwennap chapel must have been something like that1 only a great deal bigger4 ,this is what ,mr4 ,wesley wrote about his first service there3 ,i stood on a wall1 in the calm1 still evening1 with the setting sun behind1 and a great1 great multitude before1 behind1 and on either hand1 sitting on the hills all round4 ,all could hear quite distinctly1 when ,i read to them ,christ's own words3 ',the disciple is not above his ,master1' and ',he that taketh not his cross and followeth after ,me is not worthy of ,me4' ,must it not have been a wonderful sight8 ,like other places1 ,cornwall did not always give a kind welcome to the ,methodists2 indeed1 they had sometimes to put up with very rough treatment4 ,often they had to go without food1 and the hard floor was their only bed4 ,once1 at a place called ,st4 ,ives1 ,mr4 ,wesley and his helper1 ,mr4 ,nelson1 slept on the floor for a whole fortnight4 ,one of them had an overcoat rolled up for a pillow1 and the other a big book4 ,they used to get very sore1 and sometimes could not sleep for the pain in their poor aching bones4 ,but these ,methodists had never heard of ,grumble ,corner1--they only knew ,thanksgiving ,street2 and so1 instead of murmuring and complaining1 one night1 when the floor seemed harder than ever1 ,mr4 ,wesley called out3 ,let us cheer up1 ,brother ,nelson1 for the skin is only off one side yet4 ,another time1 when no one had asked them to dinner or tea1 and they were riding through a country lane1 feeling very hungry1 ,mr4 ,wesley stopped his horse to gather some blackberries1 saying to his friend3 ,brother ,nelson1 we ought to be thankful that there are plenty of blackberries1 for this is the best country ,i ever saw for getting an appetite1 but the worst for getting food4 ,on the whole1 however1 the ,cornish people were not unkind to ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,at ,st4 ,ives they once gave him a very noisy welcome1 shouting1 ,hurrah6 hurrah6 and then going under his bedroom window and singing3 ,john ,wesley is come to town1 ,to try if he can pull the churches down4 ,all this happened during his first visit to ,cornwall2 and only once during the three weeks he was there did he get really abused1 and that was at ,st4 ,ives1 when the mob burst into his room1 and a rough1 cruel man struck him on the head4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,a fight with the sea4--,poor ,peter6--,a sail in a fisherman's boat4--,the song that the waves accompanied4--,a climb on ,land's ,end4--,manchester disgraces itself4--,hull still worse4--,matt4 v4 #ci4--;,a brave servant girl4--,john ,wesley declines to hide4 ,i ,,told you in the last chapter what a wonderful traveller ,mr4 ,wesley was2 he could walk twenty-four miles a day easily1 in either hot or cold weather1 and his adventures on the roads would almost fill a book4 ,on one of his later visits to ,cornwall1 he had a terrible fight with the sea2 this time he was riding in a coach4 ,he had promised to preach in ,st4 ,ives at a certain time1 and the only way to get there was by crossing the sands when the tide was out4 ,his own driver being a stranger in the country1 he engaged a man named ,peter ,martin to drive him4 ,when they reached the sea-shore they found1 to their dismay1 that the tide was coming in1 and the sands they had to cross were already partly covered with water4 ,peter1 the old coachman1 stopped the horses1 and told ,mr4 ,wesley that it was not safe to go4 ,then an old sea-captain tried to prevent them1 begging them to go back1 or they would surely be drowned4 ,no1 said ,mr4 ,wesley1 ,i've promised to preach at ,st4 ,ives1 and ,i must keep my promise4 ,take the sea6 ,take the sea6 he shouted1 putting his head out of the carriage window4 ,in a moment1 ,peter whipped the horses1 and dashed into the waves4 ,the wheels of the carriage kept sinking in the deep pits and hollows in the sand1 while the horses1 swimming in the water1 snorted and reared with fright1 and every moment poor ,peter expected to be drowned4 ,just at this terrible moment1 ,mr4 ,wesley put his head out of the carriage window2 his long white hair--for he was an old man when this happened--was dripping with the salt water1 which ran down his venerable face4 ,he was calm and fearless1 unmoved by the roaring of the waves or the danger of the situation4 ,what is your name1 driver8 he shouted4 ,peter1 sir1 shouted back the man4 ,peter1 ,mr4 ,wesley called out again1 fear not2 thou shalt not sink4 ,with spurring and whipping1 the poor frightened1 tired horses at last brought them safely over4 ,when they reached ,st4 ,ives1 ,mr4 ,wesley's first care was to see to the comfort of his horses and driver4 ,he got warm clothing1 and refreshments at the inn for ,peter1 and comfortable stabling for his weary horses2 then1 quite forgetting himself1 wet through with the dashing waves1 he went off to the chapel to preach4 ,while ,mr4 ,wesley was in ,cornwall he paid a flying visit to the ,scilly ,isles4 ,he went over in a fisherman's boat1 and sang to the rising and falling of the waves3 ,when passing through the watery deep1 ,i ask in faith ,his promised aid2 ,the waves an awful distance keep1 ,and shrink from my devoted head4 ,fearless1 their violence ,i dare2 ,they cannot harm1--for ,god is there4 ,if you look in your ,wesley's ,hymn-,book1 at hymn #bgb1 you will find this verse4 ,you have all learnt1 in your geographies1 that ,land's ,end is the most southern point in ,england2 look at the very south of ,cornwall1 and you will find it4 ,mr4 ,wesley was very fond of this wild1 rocky point1 with oceans rolling on either side1--the ,english ,channel on the one1 the mighty ,atlantic on the other4 ,he paid a last visit to it when he was an old1 old man1 eighty years or more4 ,with furrowed cheeks1 white hair streaming in the wind1 and infirm limbs1 he climbed over the steep rocks to get a long1 last look at his favourite spot1 the meeting of the waters4 ,i believe hymn #ei was composed by ,mr4 ,wesley as he stood on ,land's ,end2 this is one of the verses3 ,lo6 on a narrow neck of land1 ',twixt two unbounded seas ,i stand1 ,secure1 insensible2 ,a point of time1 a moment's space1 ,removes me to that heavenly place1 ,or shuts me up in hell4 ,but we are getting on too fast1 and must go back to the days when ,mr4 ,wesley was not an old man4 ,all his time was spent in preaching up and down the country1 starting fresh societies1 and encouraging old ones2 and almost everywhere he and his helpers met with abuse and rough treatment4 ,in ,manchester1 which was even then a large and important town1 ,mr4 ,wesley preached to several thousands of people in the open air4 ,at this meeting1 his hearers either got tired of listening or they took offence at what he said1 for1 before he had finished1 they threatened to bring out the fire-engine and squirt water upon him if he did not stop4 ,at ,hull1 on his first visit in #ageb1 lumps of earth and stones were thrown at him while he was preaching2 and when the service was over1 the mob followed him1 shouting1 hooting1 and throwing stones until he reached his lodging4 ,though ,mr4 ,wesley could be as brave as a lion when it was necessary1 he could also be as gentle as a lamb4 ,once1 when he was preaching at ,dewsbury1 a man rushed up to him in a terrible rage1 and struck him with all his might on the side of his face4 ,it was such a hard blow that poor ,mr4 ,wesley could not keep the tears from coming into his eyes4 ,instead of striking the man back or using angry words1 he just did what ,christ said we should do1 he turned his other cheek 7,matt4 v4 #ci74 ,the enraged man was so surprised at such unexpected gentleness1 that he turned away and hid his face with shame1 and was ever after one of the ,methodists' greatest friends4 ,once he even risked his life to save one of their chapels from being destroyed4 ,another time1 when ,mr4 ,wesley was at ,falmouth in ,cornwall1 he called to see an invalid lady4 ,the mob heard where he was1 and surrounded the house1 shrieking out3 ,bring out the ,canorum6 ,where is the ,canorum8 ,this was a nickname which the ,cornishmen had given the ,methodists4 ,with sticks and stones the mob tried to break open the front door of the poor sick lady's house2 and while they were doing this1 all the people in the house escaped by the backway1 except ,mr4 ,wesley and a servant girl4 ,the girl did not like to leave ,mr4 ,wesley alone in this great danger1 and begged him to get away and hide himself4 ,but ,john ,wesley was not one of the hiding sort4 ,instead of that1 as soon as they had succeeded in bursting the door open1 he just walked straight among the mob1 exclaiming3 ,here ,i am6 ,what have you got to say to me8 ,to which of you have ,i done any wrong8 ,he made his way out into the street bare-headed1 talking all the time2 and before he had finished1 the ringleader of the mob declared no one should touch him1 he would be his protector4 ,so he reached his lodgings in safety4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,back in ,london4--,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles go visiting4--,too much for one4--,talking matters over4--,the first ,methodist ,conference4--,no time to be in a hurry4--,what early rising can do4--,first tract distributors4--,a big district4--,boarding schools #aej years ago4--,dreadful rules4 ,,we have been travelling all over ,england with ,mr4 ,wesley1 now ,i think we must go back to ,london with him4 ,the society there was still the largest in the country3 in the year ,i am writing about 7#agdd71 they had one thousand nine hundred and fifty members4 ,mr4 ,wesley very much wished to visit every one of these members1 and asked his brother ,charles to go with him4 ,they started their visiting at six o'clock every morning1 and did not leave off till six o'clock at night4 ,six o'clock a4m4 seems a funny time to call and see any one1 does it not8 ,but you see people used to get up at four or five in the morning in those days1 and used to go to bed at eight1 so it was not really such a funny time as it seems4 ,though ,mr4 ,john and ,mr4 ,charles started so early and worked so late1 it took them a long1 long time to visit all those #aiej members1 and when they had finished1 ,mr4 ,wesley realised for the first time how his work had grown4 ,he saw it was impossible1 even with his brother's help1 to manage all the preachers and all the members scattered over the country1 when even the work in ,london was more than he could undertake alone4 ,he thought about this a great deal1 and then he asked four clergymen and four of his helpers1 or what we should call local preachers1 to meet him and his brother at the ,foundry1 to talk things over and decide what ought to be done4 ,these gentlemen accepted his invitation1 and there1 on that eventful ,monday in ,june1 #agdd1 the first ,methodist ,conference met2 and from that time up to the present1 no year has passed but ,methodist preachers and helpers have gathered together to make plans and talk business4 ,i am sure you must all have heard of the ,wesleyan ,methodist ,conference1 which is now held every ,july or ,august in some one or other of the large towns of ,england4 ,this first conference was opened with solemn prayer and a sermon by ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley2 then all the difficulties of the work were talked over1 and arrangements made for the future4 ,mr4 ,john ,wesley presided1 and for forty-six years after1 at every conference1 their beloved leader and head took the chair at this annual gathering4 ,you will think that what with travelling and preaching1 and looking after his helpers1 and visiting the members1 ,mr4 ,wesley could not find time for much else4 ,but it is always the busiest people who have the most time4 ,as ,i told you before1 ,mr4 ,wesley began his days very early1 getting up at four o'clock2 and by doing this every morning for sixty years1 he managed not only to preach1 and read1 and visit1 but also to write a great many books1 and thousands of tracts--one of his books was called ,lessons for ,children4 ,many of the tracts were about swearing and ,sabbath-breaking1 and printed on the outside were the words1 ,not to be sold1 but given away2 and he and his preachers used to carry them in their pockets and give them to the people they passed on the roads4 ,another reason why ,mr4 ,wesley had more time than most people was1 because he ,,never ,,wasted ,a ,,minute1 and though he did so much work1 he was never in a hurry4 ,he used to say1 ,i have no time to be in a hurry4 ,hurry you know does not always mean speed2 when things are done in a hurry they are often only half done1 and have to be done all over again4 ,you remember how the miners at ,kingswood collected money and built a school for their children4 ,well1 about ten years afterwards1 another school was built at ,kingswood for the children of the travelling preachers4 ,these preachers had not much time to look after their families themselves1 being so much away from home1 and they wanted their boys and girls to be taught to read their ,bibles and to learn to love ,jesus4 ,they had some dreadfully strict rules at this boarding school1 which my readers would not have liked at all1 and which ,i am afraid the children there did not like either1 for ,i have heard that some of the boys ran away4 ,they had to go to bed every night at eight o'clock1 and what was worse1 get up every morning at four4 ,then every little boy and girl1 unless they were poorly1 had to fast every ,friday1 that is1 they were not allowed to have anything to eat all day until three o'clock4 ,but ,i had better not tell you any more of these dreadful rules1 only you may be very thankful that you are living in these days1 when you have much better times than the boys and girls who lived #aej years ago4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,a visit to ,ireland4--,the sack that did not contain potatoes4--,the bogie man4--,what the sack did contain4--,the prayer-meeting in the barn4--,mr4 ,charles ,wesley gets married4--,and so does ,mr4 ,john4--,two niggers who became missionaries4 ,,in #agdi ,mr4 ,wesley paid a visit to ,ireland1 where already he had many followers4 ,his brother ,charles had visited there two years before1 and was a great favourite1 for the ,irish people love music1 and would always go to hear his hymns4 ,in many places in ,ireland the ,methodists were treated quite as badly as they were in our own country2 but the same angel of the ,lord that protected them in ,england followed them across the ,irish sea4 ,there is a funny story told of how they were once saved from a band of rough men4 ,the ,roman ,catholics persecuted them so much at ,wexford that they were obliged to hold their meeting secretly in a barn4 ,once1 one of their persecutors got to know the night they were having a meeting1 and told his companions he would hide himself in the barn before the service began1 and then when it commenced he would open the door to them4 ,they thought this was a splendid idea4 ,so the man went to the barn1 and there found an old sack or bag1 big enough for him to get into4 ,into this he crept1 and by and by the people began to come1 and the service commenced4 ,first1 they sang a hymn2 and somehow the man in the bag enjoyed it so much1 he quite forgot what he had come into the barn for4 ,he listened until the hymn was finished1 and then he listened to the prayer that followed1 and after that he could not listen any more4 ,he couldn't get out of the bag1 and he couldn't do anything but groan and cry4 ,god1 through the hymn and the prayer1 had touched his heart1 and he felt himself to be the greatest sinner in ,ireland4 ,so he groaned and groaned1 and at last some of the congregation heard him4 ,they looked towards the place where the mysterious sound came from1 but could see nothing except what looked like a sack of potatoes4 ,still the groaning went on1 and some of the people got frightened1 and were quite sure there was a bogie in the barn4 ,at last one or two ventured to go nearer to the sack1 then some one peeped in1 and the poor trembling ,irishman was discovered4 ,he confessed to his purpose in hiding himself1 told them ,god had stopped him in his evil plan1 and begged them to pray for him4 ,so the service was turned into a prayer-meeting1 the man was converted1 and became one of the best ,methodists in ,wexford4 ,some of my readers will be wondering if ,mr4 ,john or ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley were ever married1 and if they had any boys and girls of their own4 ,just before ,mr4 ,wesley went to ,ireland in #agdi1 he married his brother ,charles to the daughter of a ,welsh gentleman1 and ,mr4 ,wesley1 himself1 was married two years later to a lady who was a widow4 ,you will be sorry to hear that this lady was not at all nice2 she treated her husband most unkindly1 and made him very unhappy4 ,though ,mr4 ,wesley was so fond of children1 he never had any of his own4 ,mr4 ,charles had eight1 but only three lived to grow up4 ,his wife was a good1 kind lady1 and they were very happy4 ,he did not travel about so much after he was married1 but spent a great deal of his time writing his beautiful hymns4 ,these two brothers always remained the best of friends4 ,in one of his letters1 ,charles wrote to ,john3 ,i wish we could be oftener together2 it might be better for us both4 ,let us be useful in our lives1 and at our death not divided4 ,before ,i close this chapter ,i want to tell you of the first two black men who were converted through the preaching of a ,methodist4 ,living at ,wandsworth1 a little place near ,london where ,mr4 ,wesley had gone to preach1 was a gentleman named ,nathaniel ,gilbert4 ,he had come from the ,west ,indies1 where he employed a great many negroes4 ,two of these negroes he had brought over to ,england with him1 and when ,mr4 ,wesley paid a visit to ,mr4 ,gilbert1 and preached in his house1 these two black men were converted4 ,when they returned to the ,west ,indies1 they1 along with ,mr4 ,gilbert1 preached the gospel of ,jesus ,christ to the dark people in those far-away islands4 ,shall we1 whose souls are lighted ,with wisdom from on high1 ,shall we to men benighted ,the lamp of life deny8 ,salvation1 oh1 salvation1 ,the joyful sound proclaim1 ,till earth's remotest nation ,has learnt ,messiah's name4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,runaway horses4--,two frightened little girls4--,a terrible moment4--,safe4--,psalm xci4 #aa1 #ab4--,mr4 ,wesley has a birthday4--,a funny receipt for keeping young4 ,,one more story of how the angel that shut the lions' mouths for ,daniel took care of ,god's dear servant1 ,john ,wesley4 ,he was staying at ,newcastle with a ,methodist named ,mr4 ,smith1 who had married his step-daughter4 ,one day a party of them drove to a village a few miles off4 ,in the carriage there was ,mr4 ,wesley and a friend1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,smith and their two little girls4 ,when they had driven about two miles and were just at the top of a hill1 suddenly the horses took fright1 and dashed down the steep road4 ,the poor coachman was thrown off the box1 and the horses tore away at full speed1 sometimes swerving to the edge of a ditch on one side of the road1 then back again to a ditch on the other1 but never once going over4 ,when a cart came along1 instead of running into it1 the carriage passed as if the driver had been on the box4 ,at the bottom of the hill was a narrow bridge1 which it seemed impossible the panting horses could cross safely4 ,but exactly down the middle they went1 swerving neither to the right or left4 ,then up the hill on the other side they dashed1 passing many people on the road1 but every one afraid to stop their mad career4 ,near the top of this hill was a gate1 which led into a farmer's yard4 ,the gate stood open1 and turning sharp1 the horses ran through without even touching gate or post4 ,the gate on the other side of the yard was shut1 and the terrified people in the carriage thought the horses would now be checked4 ,instead of that1 they rushed through1 breaking it up as if it had only been a spider's web1 and galloped on through the corn-field4 ,the two little girls had been almost too frightened to speak1 now they clung to ,mr4 ,wesley1 crying out3 ,oh grandpapa1 save us6 save us6 ,mr4 ,wesley1 who says he felt no more afraid than if he had been sitting in his study1 just calmly said to them3 ,nothing will hurt you1 dears2 don't be afraid4 ,the horses galloped madly on1 till they came to the edge of a steep precipice4 ,would they go over8 ,what would they do8 ,oh1 what a terrible moment of suspense4 ,a gentleman on horseback seeing their danger1 just galloped across the track of the frightened animals4 ,this acted like magic2 they stood still at once1 and every one was safe4 ,a few minutes more and they would have been dashed to pieces4 ,when they turned back into the road they found the coachman coming to meet them1 and no worse for his fall4 ,did not ,god keep ,his promise to the man who had set his love upon ,him8 ,he shall give ,his angels charge over thee1 to keep thee in all thy ways3 they shall bear thee up in their hands1 lest thou dash thy foot against a stone4--,psalm xci4 #aa1 #ab4 ,mr4 ,wesley was an old man when this happened1 just seventy-two2 it was in ,june1 and his birthday was on the #agth4 ,but he was so strong and well1 not at all like an old man4 ,listen to what he says of himself3 ,this is my birthday1 the first day of my seventy-second year1 and ,i am wondering how it is that ,i am just as strong as ,i was thirty years ago4 ,indeed1 ,i am better than ,i was then2 ,i can see better1 and my nerves are firmer4 ,the grand cause is 'the good pleasure of ,god4' ,but three special things have helped to keep me young3 ,first--,getting up at #d o'clock every morning for fifty years4 ,second--,preaching every morning at five o'clock4 ,third--,travelling by sea or land #d1ejj miles in every year4 ,these are funny things to keep any one young1 are they not8 ,i am afraid if to follow these rules is the only way to keep young1 most of my readers will be content to grow old4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,little ,mary and what she did with her money4--,caught on the stairs4--,cheered by the children4--,boys and girls converted4 ,,in the year #aggj the ,methodists had grown so numerous that they counted forty-nine different circuits or societies in ,england1 ,scotland1 ,ireland and ,wales4 ,they had one hundred and twenty-two travelling preachers1 and twice as many local preachers1 who did not travel1 and at the covenant service which ,mr4 ,wesley held at the beginning of this year in ,london1 there were eighteen hundred members present4 ,mr4 ,wesley1 like our ministers nowadays1 was often wanting money for different purposes1 and1 like our ministers too1 he was always glad of the children's help4 ,once1 when the ,foundry wanted repairing1 he specially asked for help at an evening service4 ,a little girl named ,mary heard him1 and thought how much she would like to do something4 ,and this is how she managed it4 ,mr4 ,wesley loved children1 and used to keep a number of bright new coins in his pocket to give to the little folks he met at his friends' houses4 ,mary had always been a great favourite with ,mr4 ,wesley1 and a proud little girl she was when he took her on his knee and gave her a silver penny4 ,he had often done this1 and she had treasured up his gifts in a little box4 ,other friends1 too1 had sometimes given her money1 which1 instead of spending she had saved up4 ,well1 when she got home after that evening service1 she counted up her money1 and found she had #c4 ,so she went to her mother and asked if she might give it all to ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,her mother was quite willing2 so the next morning little ,mary carried her savings to ,mr4 ,wesley's room4 ,tears came into his eyes as he thanked his little favourite4 ,taking her in his arms1 he kissed her very tenderly1 and prayed that ,god's blessing might always rest upon her4 ,and it did1 for ,mary grew up to be an earnest1 happy ,christian4 ,here is another story that shows how much ,mr4 ,wesley loved the young folks4 ,he was once staying in a house in ,bristol where a little boy and girl were visiting4 ,the little girl had long1 beautiful hair hanging in curls down her back4 ,she and her brother were running hand in hand down the stairs one day1 when ,mr4 ,wesley ran down after them and caught them on the landing4 ,he jumped the little girl in his arms and kissed her2 then putting his hand on the boy's head1 he blessed him4 ,little ,robert did not think much about this at the time1 ,i dare say1 but when he grew up1 he felt all his life that the blessing of a good man rested upon him1 and his eyes glistened with tears when he told the story4 ,that little boy was the poet ,southey1 of whom you will read when you are older4 ,when ,mr4 ,wesley wanted recreation or a kind of holiday1 he used to go off to ,kingswood4 ,a few days among the young folks there always cheered him1 and did him good4 ,he loved to hear their lessons and praise their work1 and arranged easy grammars and history books for them4 ,a great many people used to think then1 as a few do now1 that children could not be converted1 and that they ought not to be members of society4 ,mr4 ,wesley never thought so4 ,at ,weardale he allowed thirty children to become members4 ,at another place quite a number of boys and girls came to him after the preaching1 wanting him to show them how they could belong to ,jesus4 ,mr4 ,wesley had both then and always the words of ,jesus ,himself1 before him1 ,suffer the little children to come unto ,me1 and forbid them not2 and so he knelt down with those boys and girls and led them to the ,good ,shepherd1 who had laid down ,his life for them4 ,the children of ,judea loved ,jesus1 and were glad to be with ,him2 and ,mr4 ,wesley was so like ,jesus1 so loving and so kind1 that the children of ,england could not help loving him1 and were glad to be with him4 ,a whole crowd once waited in the street a long time for him1 and when at last he came1 they all followed him like so many little lambs after their shepherd1 as many as could clinging to him4 ,they went to the meeting-house with him1 and after the service was over would not leave until they had all shaken hands with him4 ,in ,cornwall1 ,manchester1 and ,epworth1 ,mr4 ,wesley says1 numbers of children were converted4 ,these verses apply to all my readers3 ,god wants the boys1 the merry1 merry boys1 ,the noisy boys1 the funny boys1 ,the thoughtless boys4 ,god wants the boys with all their joys1 ,that ,he1 as gold1 may make them pure1 ,and teach them trials to endure2 ,his heroes brave ,he'd have them be1 ,fighting for truth and purity1 ,god wants the boys4 ,god wants the girls1 the happy-hearted girls1 ,the loving girls1 the best of girls1 ,the worst of girls4 ,god wants to make the girls ,his pearls1 ,and so reflect ,his holy face1 ,and bring to mind ,his wondrous grace1 ,that beautiful the world may be1 ,and filled with love and purity4 ,god wants the girls4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,how ,mr4 ,wesley settled a school-boys' quarrel4--,dr4 ,watts and little birds4--,mr4 ,wesley1 loved and honoured4--,a holiday for the children4 ,,here is a story of how ,mr4 ,wesley settled a dispute between two quarrelsome school-boys4 ,when he was an old man1 seventy-three1 he was staying with one of his local preachers1 a ,mr4 ,bush1 who had a boarding-school4 ,one day ,mrs4 ,bush brought to him two boys who had been fighting4 ,boys6 boys6 said ,mr4 ,wesley3 ',birds in their little nests agree1 ,and 'tis a shameful sight1 ,when children of one family ,fall out1 and chide1 and fight6' ,you must make it up4 ,come now1 shake hands with each other4 ,mr4 ,wesley1 with his long white hair and beautiful face1 looked and spoke so lovingly1 that the boys did at once what he asked them4 ,now1 he said1 put your arms round each other's necks1 and kiss each other4 ,and the little boys did this too4 ,he was just having his tea when ,mrs4 ,bush brought in the culprits1 and now taking two pieces of bread and butter1 he folded them together and told each boy to break a piece off4 ,then he gave each of them a drink of tea out of his own cup4 ,now1 he added1 you have broken bread together1 and you have drunk out of the same cup1 now you must be friends4 ,then he put his hands on the boys' heads and blessed them4 ,the next morning at family prayer he sought out the boys and blessed them again4 ,the two lads never forgot this meeting with ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,one of them became a magistrate1 and when he had children of his own he used to tell them this story of his school-days4 ,i remember that little verse of ,dr4 ,watts' being recited to my brothers and me when we were in the nursery1 and as ,i wrote it down ,i wondered if the same thoughts came into the heads of those school-boys that came into mine4 ,my dear mother used to look very serious when she said it1 and it sounded very solemn4 ,but ,i had often seen little birds quarrelling1 and ,i knew that hymn did not tell the truth1 and so ,i felt little birds were hardly a proper example to follow4 ,now1 though ,dr4 ,watts was not quite correct1 still little birds do agree very much better than many children2 and if they sometimes quarrel1 remember they are only guided by instinct1 while you have sense1 and know the difference between right and wrong4 ,you will all be glad to know that before ,mr4 ,wesley died1 all the ill-will and hatred of the people had changed to love and reverence4 ,the very towns where he had been treated most unkindly were now the ones to give him the heartiest welcome4 ,instead of mobs waiting to abuse him1 crowds gathered to do him honour4 ,in many places the children had a holiday from school1 the tradespeople closed their shops1 and everybody tried who could best show their love and respect for the man whom before they had treated so unkindly4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,more peeps into the ,magic ,mirror4--,a special picture for ,sheffield readers4--,another for young folks in ,oldham4--,little ,daniel on the pulpit stairs4--,special for ,hull4 ,i ,,think we must have some more peeps into that ,magic ,mirror8 ,will my little ,sheffield readers take a good look8 ,what do we see8 ,a street in a big town1 and oh6 such crowds and crowds of people on both sides of the road4 ,the windows of the houses1 too1 are all crowded with people4 ,what can it all mean8 ,see6 there are two men coming along1 everybody is turning to look at them1 and we can hear more than one voice saying3 ,god bless him6 ,god bless him6 ,several of the women are wiping their eyes with the corner of their aprons2 there are tears in many eyes4 ,look at the two men as they come nearer4 ,one is a middle-aged man2 the other1 who is leaning on his arm1 wears a black gown and white bands4 ,he is an old man1 but how beautiful he looks4 ,he has a splendid face1 a clear skin and rosy cheeks4 ,his eyes are quick and keen1 and he has long1 shiny hair1 white and bright like silver4 ,see now how the children are crowding round him6 ,he is smiling down upon them and putting his hands upon their heads as he passes4 ,now he is stretching his hands out towards heaven1 and blessing all the people1 many of whom are weeping aloud4 ,he has passed down the street1 and the picture has gone4 ,sheffield readers1 that was how your town welcomed and honoured dear ,john ,wesley a short time before his death4 ,now peep again into the ,magic ,mirror4 ,and this time ,i would like my ,oldham readers to step to the front4 ,see1 there is a little boy about six years old playing at the door of a house4 ,an old clergyman is passing1 and stops to speak to the child4 ,where is your father1 ,daniel8 he says4 ,gone to chapel4 ,and your mother8 ,she's gone too1 answers ,daniel4 ,and you shall go too1 my boy4 ,you must not miss seeing this great man1 ,john ,wesley1 says the clergyman1 as he takes the child's hand and fades away from our picture4 ,but see1 there is another coming6 ,it is the inside of a chapel1 and people are everywhere2 in the galleries1 in the aisles1 in the communion rails1 everywhere4 ,on the pulpit-stairs some one has found room for a little child4 ,why1 it is ,daniel1 and there is the kind clergyman standing near4 ,see1 the preacher has finished1 and is coming down from the pulpit1 he is lifting up the little child and is kissing him4 ,now1 he has passed into the vestry1 and the picture has gone4 ,that1 my young ,oldham readers1 was the opening of ,manchester ,st4 ,chapel on ,good ,friday1 #agij1 when ,mr4 ,wesley was nearly ninety years old4 ,at ,hull1 ,birmingham1 ,wednesbury1 ,chester1 ,manchester1 ,liverpool1 all places where the ,methodists had been most cruelly treated1 ,mr4 ,wesley and his followers were now most kindly welcomed4 ,you remember how ,mr4 ,wesley and his brother had been shut out of the churches1 very few clergymen allowing them to preach in their pulpits4 ,this1 too1 was all changed4 ,those of you who live in ,hull will like to know that ,john ,wesley1 when he was eighty-three1 was invited by the vicar to preach in your beautiful ,high ,church4 ,if any of you have not been inside--but surely all my ,hull readers have--pay it a visit1 and just fancy you see that bright-eyed1 silver-haired old man1 with a voice that had lost little of the strength of youth1 preaching to the crowds that thronged the hallowed place4 ,if those old grey walls could speak1 we might know ,john ,wesley's very words4 ,he preached again at night1 and though so old1 was unwearied with his work4 ,he went on to ,beverley that same evening1 and the next day travelled seventy-six miles1 preached at ,malton1 ,pocklington1 and ,swinefleet1 and went to bed without feeling the least bit tired4 ,wonderful ,john ,wesley6 ,god-blest ,john ,wesley6 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,beverley friends4--,copy of a letter ,john ,wesley wrote to them4--,mr4 ,wesley's last visit to ,beverley4--,what took place in the red-roofed inn4--,a race4--,a lost ten minutes4 ,,you1 who live in ,beverley1 will be glad to hear that ,mr4 ,wesley did not pass by your dear little town4 ,indeed1 there is a house in ,norwood where he most probably stayed1 and certainly visited2 the home of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,barton4 ,you shall see an exact copy of a letter he wrote to these friends4 ,it has never been printed before1 so you are the first of the public to see it4 ,it is addressed thus3 ,,mrs4 ,,jane ,,barton1 ,,in ,,norwood1 ,,beverley1 ,,yorkshire4 ,and this is the letter3 ,illustration3 ,letter ,london ,nov4 #ac1 #aggh ,my ,dear ,sister ,i am glad ,sister ,crosby has been at ,beverly1 that you had an ,opportunity of hearing her4 ,she is useful wheresoever she goes1 particularly in exciting ,believers to go on to perfection4 ,there is frequently something very mysterious in ye ways of ,divine ,providence ,a little of them we may understand2 but much more1 is beyond our comprehension ,and we must be content to say1 ,what thou dost ,i know not now4 ,but ,i shall know hereafter4 ,at present1 it is sufficient for us to know1 ,that all his ways are many truth to those that love him4 ,even in these troublous times1 there is a very considerable ,increase of the ,work of ,god4 ,cleave to ,him with your whole heart1 you will have more more reason to praise him4 ,i am1 ,my ,dear ,jenny1 ,yr affectionate ,brother ,j,wesley ,you must not make a mistake and think that ,mr4 ,wesley was ,mrs4 ,jenny ,barton's brother really2 but it was the custom among the ,methodists for the members of society to address each other as ,brother ,so-and-,so and ,sister ,so-and-,so1 meaning that they were brothers and sisters in having the same heavenly ,father1 and loving the same ,saviour4 ,john ,wesley preached in a meeting-house in ,wood ,lane1 which you can still see1 though it is now turned into cottages2 and we may be quite sure that the boys and girls who lived in ,beverley then1 heard his loving words1 and received his blessing4 ,he once spent two days of his birthday month in your quaint old town4 ,the ,june sun stole through the stained windows of the beautiful ,minster1 and looked into the jackdaws' nests on ,st4 ,mary's ,tower4 ,there is a funny story told of this last visit1 which he paid only a few months before his death4 ,he was going to preach in ,hull again1 and forty friends from that town had come over to see him4 ,they were all to have dinner together in the red-roofed inn where he was staying1 and then drive back with him to ,hull4 ,everybody was very merry1 and they laughed and talked so much that they quite forgot all about the time4 ,suddenly1 ,mr4 ,wesley looked at his watch1 then jumped up from the dinner table1 shouted good-bye to his friends1 stepped into his carriage1 which had been waiting some time for him at the door1 and was off before his astonished friends could say a word4 ,their horses and carriages were got ready with all speed1 but it was only by driving very fast that they managed to overtake ,mr4 ,wesley before he rode into ,hull4 ,punctuality was one of ,mr4 ,wesley's strongest points4 ,he could never bear to be a minute behind time4 ,once1 when his carriage did not come punctually1 he was heard to say3 ,i have lost ten minutes for ever4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,going to sleep4--,how ,john ,wesley missed his brother4--,a good man's tears4--,getting old4--,mr4 ,wesley's text for the children4--,last words in ,manchester4--,in ,colchester4--,a dinner-hour meeting4--,the old ash tree4 ,,now ,i must come to what seems to the young a very sad time4 ,when we are strong and healthy1 and can enjoy all the things ,god has given us to enjoy in this beautiful world1 death does seem very sad and sorrowful4 ,but think1 dear young readers1 how you feel when you have been playing hard all day1 or working at school1 and perhaps gone to a party in the evening and have not got to bed until #aj o'clock4 ,is it not very nice and very comforting to lay your head on your soft pillow and go to sleep8 ,now this is just how ,god's people feel when they are tired of life's work1 they just close their eyes and fall asleep1 asleep in ,jesus4 ,this is how ,mr4 ,charles ,wesley passed away when he was eighty years old4 ,though four years younger than ,mr4 ,john1 he seemed the older man1 for he had been weak and infirm for a long time4 ,the two brothers had loved each other dearly1 and ,mr4 ,wesley felt very lonely when ,charlie died4 ,three weeks afterwards1 ,mr4 ,wesley1 preaching at ,bolton1 gave out for his second hymn ,no4 #adj1 a hymn composed by ,mr4 ,charles4 ,he tried to read the first verse1 but when he came to the words ,my company before is gone1 ,and ,i am left alone with ,thee1 he could get no further1 but just burst into tears1 and sat down in the pulpit1 burying his face in his hands4 ,the singing ceased1 and numbers of the congregation wept in sympathy at sight of their dear leader's sorrow4 ,at last ,mr4 ,wesley recovered himself1 and went on with the service1 which was never forgotten by any of those who were present4 ,very soon after this1 ,mr4 ,wesley began to feel weak and feeble4 ,again his birthday month came round1 the sunny month of ,june1 and on the #agth he wrote3 ,i am eighty-six to-day1 and ,i find ,i grow old4 ,my eyes are so dim that no spectacles will help me1 and ,i cannot read small print except in a very strong light4 ,my strength fails me so that ,i walk much slower than ,i used to do4 ,he was now1 for the first time for forty years1 obliged to give up his five o'clock morning sermons1 and was only able to preach twice a day4 ,as the months went by1 he grew weaker and more infirm4 ,once1 as the old man tottered up the pulpit stairs1 the whole congregation burst into tears4 ,on ,valentine's ,day1 in #agij1 he preached one of his last sermons to his little followers4 ,he chose for his text3 ,come1 ye children1 hearken unto ,me3 ,i will teach you the fear of the ,lord4 ,the boys and girls flocked from everywhere to hear him1 and many who had never loved ,jesus before1 heard ,him speaking to them through ,his dear servant2 and answering the loving call1 came1 and from that day became ,christ's faithful little soldiers4 ,in the same year1 when he was eighty-seven years old1 he spent a week-end in ,manchester1 and spoke his last words to his followers there4 ,he preached in the old chapel in ,oldham ,street on the ,saturday night1 and the next day1 which was ,easter ,sunday 7,april #dth71 he assisted in giving the ,sacrament to sixteen hundred members1 and preached both night and morning without feeling tired4 ,a few months later he preached at ,colchester2 but he was so infirm that a minister had to stand on each side of him1 and hold him up4 ,his voice was feeble and low1 and many of the congregation could not hear him2 but his calm1 beautiful face1 and long white hair formed a picture that the children and grown-up people in ,colchester never forgot4 ,it was in this same year1 #agij1 that he preached for the last time in the open air4 ,it was in ,winchelsea1 and the time was ,october1 the month when nuts and apples are asking to be gathered1 and when the leaves put on their loveliest dress4 ,as ,mr4 ,wesley felt his time on earth was drawing to a close1 he was all the more eager to tell to all around1 what a dear ,saviour he had found1 and how they might find ,him too4 ,so he preached at twelve o'clock noon1 the dinner hour of the workmen1 in order that they too might have a chance of hearing the good news4 ,a large oak dining-table was brought into the churchyard1 and there1 under the shade of an old ash tree1 ,john ,wesley gave his last message to those working men4 ,the kingdom of ,heaven is at hand2 repent ye1 and believe the ,gospel1 was his text1 and as he preached1 the tears of the people flowed down their cheeks4 ,long1 long afterwards the old ash tree was known as ,wesley's ,tree1 and the vicar of ,winchelsea had hard work to keep it from being cut to pieces2 for ,methodists use to come from all parts to cut a twig in remembrance of that last scene in the life of the venerable field-preacher4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,about his ,father's business4--,last advice4--,singing and dying4--,the best of all is1 ,god is with us4--,john ,wesley passes through the ,golden ,gates4 ,,most people think it is time to stop working long before they are eighty1 but ,john ,wesley at eighty-seven still went about his ,father's business4 ,his constant prayer was1 ,lord1 let me not live to be useless4 ,every meeting he knew might be his last1 and when he visited the different societies1 he used to ask the members to take as his last advice3 ,to love as brothers1 to fear ,god1 and to honour the ,king4 ,he closed nearly all these meetings with his brother's hymn3 ,o that without a lingering groan1 ,i may the welcome ,word receive2 ,my body with my charge lay down1 ,and cease at once to work and live4 ,john ,wesley's last sermon was preached in a gentleman's dining-room1 at ,leatherhead1 a small place about eighteen miles from ,london4 ,it was on ,february #bcrd1 #agia1 and his text was1 ,seek ye the ,lord while ,he may be found1 call upon ,him while ,he is near4--,isa4 lv4 #f4 ,this was on a ,wednesday1 and the day but one after1 ,friday1 he felt very poorly1 and said he would like to lie down4 ,at the end of half an hour1 some one went to his bedroom1 and found him so ill that they sent for the doctor4 ,on ,sunday he seemed better1 and got up4 ,he was so cheerful and happy2 and while sitting in his chair in his bedroom1 he repeated a verse from one of his brother's hymns3 ,till glad ,i lay this body down1 ,thy servant1 ,lord1 attend2 ,and oh6 my life of mercy crown ,with a triumphant end6 ,on ,monday night he couldn't sleep1 and the next day1 some one asked him if he had any pain4 ,no1 he answered4 ,and then he began singing3 ,all glory to ,god in the sky1 ,and peace upon earth be restored2 ,o1 ,jesus exalted on high1 ,appear our omnipotent ,lord4 ,who meanly in ,bethlehem born1 ,didst stoop to redeem a lost race2 ,once more to ,thy people return1 ,and reign in ,thy kingdom of grace4 ,when he had sung two verses1 he lay still4 ,after awhile he said1 ,i want to write4 ,so they brought him ink and paper1 and put the pen in his hand2 but ,john ,wesley's writing days were over4 ,i cannot1 he said4 ,let me write for you1 said one of his friends1 tell me what you want to say4 ,nothing1 replied the dying ,christian1 but that ,god is with us4 ,in the morning he wanted to get up1 and while his friends were bringing him his clothes1 he started to sing3 ,i'll praise my ,maker while ,i've breath1 ,and1 when my voice is lost in death1 ,praise shall employ my nobler powers2 ,my days of praise shall ne'er be past1 ,while life1 and thought1 and being last1 ,or immortality endures4 ,happy the man1 whose hopes rely ,on ,israel's ,god3 ,he made the sky1 ,and earth and sea1 with all their train2 ,his truth for ever stands secure2 ,he saves the opprest1 ,he feeds the poor1 ,and none shall find ,his promise vain4 ,hymn #bbd4 ,when he was dressed and seated in his chair1 he prayed in a very weak voice3 ,lord1 ,thou givest strength to those who can speak1 and to those who cannot2 speak1 ,lord1 to all our hearts4 ,then he tried to sing again1 but his voice failed him4 ,he was soon tired of sitting up1 and went back to bed4 ,he could not talk very much2 but twice he lifted his hand in triumph1 and said so gladly3 ,the best of all is1 ,god is with us4 ,a great many friends were standing round his bed2 he took each one by the hand1 and lovingly bade them farewell4 ,all through ,tuesday night1 he kept trying to repeat the hymn he had sung1 but could only say3 ,i'll praise1 ,i'll praise4 ,next morning1 about ten o'clock1 the ,rev4 ,joseph ,bradford1 who had been his faithful companion and nurse1 knelt down at the bedside and prayed4 ,eleven of ,mr4 ,wesley's friends were in the room2 they wanted to go with their dear leader1 right up to the gates that divide our life here from our life yonder4 ,farewell1 said the dying patriarch4 ,and then1 as some one repeated1 ,lift up your heads1 ,o ye gates2 and be ye lift up1 ye everlasting doors2 and this ,heir of glory shall come in1 the ,golden ,gates opened1 and the soul of ,john ,wesley passed through4 ,those who were left outside the gates1 still stood round the bed and sang to the departing spirit3 ,waiting to receive thy spirit1 ,lo1 the ,saviour stands above2 ,shows the purchase of ,his merit1 ,reaches out the crown of love4 ,so died happy ,john ,wesley4 ,happy in life1 happy in death4 ,and the secret of his happiness was the secret he proclaimed to thousands of boys and girls1 as well as men and women1 all over this ,england of ours4 ,o boys1 be strong in ,jesus2 ,let those around you see ,how manly1 pure1 and generous1 ,a ,christian boy can be4 ,o maidens1 live for ,jesus1 ,like ,him1 be kind and true2 ,and let the love from ,god above ,rule all you say and do4 ,then all the boys and maidens1 ,when life and work are o'er1 ,will hear from ,one1 the words ',well done1' ,and rest for evermore4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if ever you go to ,london1 you must visit ,city ,road ,chapel1 for there ,john ,wesley was interred1 on the #ith of ,march1 #agia1 aged nearly eighty-eight years4 ,a great deal was put on his tombstone which you could not understand1 but it tells how this servant of ,god laboured to bring men and women to know ,jesus ,christ1 and how the lives and hearts of many thousands were changed by his preaching4 ,in ,westminster ,abbey1 too1 you will see a marble tablet erected to his memory1 and that of his brother ,charles4 ,though churches shut their doors to him in life1 his memory is now so lovingly respected1 that the finest ,cathedral in ,england has sought to do him honour4 ,in one of the topmost rooms in the tower at ,kingswood ,school1 ,john ,wesley's bedstead has recently been discovered4 ,merely a collection of poles and a piece of old sacking1 it lay there many a long year1 only seen by the man who went up the tower to wind the clock4 ,now it is put together1 and set in a place of honour2 and any of us may see the bed on which ,john ,wesley slept1 when he visited the boys and girls at ,kingswood4 ,here1 too1 we may see his chairs and books1 and a gown1 now torn1 which he used to wear4 ,the ,governor of ,new ,kingswood still sits in the high-backed oak chair in which ,john ,wesley sat2 and grafted on several of the trees in the orchard1 are shoots from the very pear tree which was planted in the garden of ,old ,kingswood by the ,founder of ,methodism4 ,illustration ,,fletcher ,,and ,,son1 ,,printers1 ,,norwich4 ,,catalogue ,,of 444 ,prize and ,gift ,books4 ,illustration ,,robert ,,culley1 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4 #e_/- ,sunday ,school ,record1 ,annual ,volume4 ,published ,weekly1 #a_/b;d4 ,expounds ,international ,lessons4 #d_/- ,by ,doctor's ,orders4 ,by ,a4 ,f4 ,,perram4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,churchwarden's ,daughter3 ,a present-day ,methodist ,story4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,nathan ,plaintalk4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,golden ,shoemaker3 or1 ,cobbler ,horn4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,willie's ,secret4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 #c_/f ,among the ,roses3 and other ,sermons to ,children4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,samuel ,,gregory4 ,by ,doctor's ,orders3 ,a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,a4 ,f4 ,,perram4 ,churchwarden's ,daughter3 ,a present-day ,methodist ,story4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,dr4 ,blandford's ,conscience4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,mother ,freeman4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,nathan ,plaintalk4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,the ,golden ,shoemaker3 or1 ,cobbler ,horn4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,two ,saxon ,maidens4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,wild ,lottie and ,wee ,winnie3 or1 ,led by a ,little ,child4 ,by ,,ashton ,,neill4 ,gilt ,edges4 #c_/- ,from under the ,shadow4 ,by ,,annie ,,broughton ,,foskett4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,melissa's ,victory4 ,by ,,ashton ,,neill4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,mother ,freeman4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,two ,saxon ,maidens4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,sunday ,school ,magazine1 ,annual ,volume4 ,the ,morrison ,family3 or1 ,the ,way of ,duty is the ,way of ,safety4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,wild ,lottie and ,wee ,winnie3 or1 ,led by a ,little ,child4 ,by ,,ashton ,,neill4 ,willie's ,secret4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 #b_/f ,a ,methodist ,doctor of ,ye ,olden ,time3 a ,true ,story for ,boys4 ,by ,,arthur ,,lincoln4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,bernard's ,holiday in ,london1 ,paris1 and ,rome4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,many ,illustrations4 ,daddy's ,darlings4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,duchess ,renee3 or1 ,an ,episode in the ,history of the ,reformation4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,fighting against ,fate3 or1 ,brent ,brompton's ,delusions4 ,by ,,helen ,,briston4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,from under the ,shadow4 ,by ,,annie ,,broughton ,,foskett4 ,general ,betty1 ,maid-of-all-,work4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,love the ,conqueror4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,loyalty ,rewarded4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,maggie's ,life ,work3 a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,melissa's ,victory4 ,by ,,ashton ,,neill4 ,the ,morrison ,family3 or1 the ,way of ,duty is the ,way of ,safety4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,touching the ,kettle3 with ,other ,stories and ,parables4 ,by ,,john ,,telford1 ,b4,a4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,words of the ,wise3 ,daily ,reading4 ,by ,,dr4 ,t4 ,,bowman ,,stephenson4 #b- ,a ,methodist ,doctor of ,ye ,olden ,time3 a ,true ,story for ,boys4 ,by ,,arthur ,,lincoln4 ,a ,noble ,revenge3 or1 ,thomas ,gladwin's ,example4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,arrows for ,temperance ,bows 7,dialogues74 ,by ,,oliver ,,pacis4 ,a ,victory and its ,cost3 a ,tale of the ,war of #ahab4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,,withrow1 ,m4,a4 ,a ,woman's ,dilemma4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,banners and ,battlefields4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,bernard's ,holiday in ,london1 ,paris1 and ,rome4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,many ,illustrations4 ,bertha ,wynchester4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,bessie's ,ministry4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,beyond the ,boundary4 ,by ,,jennie ,,perrett4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,bird ,minstrels3 ,their ,ways and ,wanderings4 ,by ,r4 ,,corlett ,,cowell4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,conquering3 or1 ,bernard's ,burden4 ,a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,daddy's ,darlings4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,doe no ,yll3 or1 ,the ,brandon ,family ,motto4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,fairy3 a ,little ,cornish ,maid4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,fettered or ,free4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,fifine's ,charge3 or1 ,the ,little ,mother4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,fighting against ,fate3 or1 ,brent ,brompton's ,delusion4 ,by ,,helen ,,briston4 ,for ,john's ,sake4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,general ,betty1 ,maid-of-all-,work4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,gold and ,glitter3 a ,temperance ,tale4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,hagar's ,reparation4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,hazel ,haldene4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,her ,heart's ,desire4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,how ,mrs4 ,hewitt's ,house was turned out of ,window4 ,by ,,caroline ,,rigg4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,in ,pawn3 a ,story of a ,pledge4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,ivy ,chimneys4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,jackalent3 ,an ,epic of the ,streets4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,kavanagh ,major4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,kilkee4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,leighton ,family4 ,by ,,edith ,e4 ,,rhodes4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,leonard's ,temptation3 a ,story of ,gambling4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,life in ,malin's ,lea4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,lottie1 ,servant and ,heroine4 ,by ,,helen ,,briston4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,love the ,conqueror3 or1 ,the ,rival ,cousins4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,loyalty ,rewarded4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,maggie's ,life ,work4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,margaret ,wattford3 a ,story of the #agth ,century4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,marjory ,flint's ,latchkey3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,,booth1 ,f4,r4,g4,s4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,millie's ,experiences3 or ,chequered ,ways4 ,by ,,nellie ,l4 ,,royle4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,mighty ,men and their ,daring ,deeds4 ,by ,j4 ,j4 ,,ellis4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,mystery of ,grange ,drayton4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,patsy ,o',hara1 the ,child of the ,ocean4 ,by ,,ruth ,b4 ,,yates4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,rescued3 or1 ,kenneth ,cresswell's ,transformation4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,roger's ,quest3 a ,story of the ,days of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,runnelbrook ,valley3 a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,,mrs4 ,,haycraft4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,scaramouch3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,secret of ,ashton ,manor ,house4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,sire and ,son3 ,a ,startling ,contrast4 ,by ,,amos ,,white4 ,soul ,echoes3 or1 ,reflected ,influence4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,stories without ,names3 for ,young ,bible ,searchers1 with ,answers4 ,by ,,elsie4 ,story of ,john ,wesley3 for ,boys and ,girls4 ,by ,,marianne ,,kirlew4 ,story ,weavers3 ,writers for the ,young4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,illustration3 7,from ,general ,betty1 ,maid-of-all-,work47 ,sunrise ,corner3 ,illustrating ,psalm #ajc4 ,by ,,mrs4 ,,haycraft4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,talks on the ,catechism3 ,easy ,lessons for ,young ,scholars4 ,by ,,anna ,m4 ,,hellier4 ,tents of ,kedar3 ,bible ,talks with ,children4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,that ,boy ,mick4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,price ,she ,paid3 a ,temperance ,tale4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,fortunes of ,sir ,richard de ,thorn1 ,knight of ,kent4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,knights of the ,tempest3 a ,tale of the ,lifeboat4 ,by ,h4 ,,prater4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,scotch ,girl's ,exile3 a ,story of ,olden ,times4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,touching the ,kettle3 with ,other ,stories and ,parables4 ,by ,,john ,,telford1 ,b4,a4 ,twelve ,famous ,girls4 ,by ,,marianne ,,kirlew4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,two ,little ,sisters and ,humphrey4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,winsome ,winnie4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,yuppie4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,,conquering ,,series4 #a_/f ,a ,noble ,revenge3 or1 ,thomas ,gladwin's ,example4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,a ,woman's ,dilemma4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,banners and ,battlefields4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,bertha ,wynchester4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,bessie's ,ministry4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,beyond the ,boundary4 ,by ,,jennie ,,perrett4 ,bird ,minstrels3 ,their ,ways and ,wanderings4 ,by ,r4 ,,corlett ,,cowell4 ,broken ,purposes3 or1 ,the ,good ,time ,coming4 ,by ,,lillie ,,montfort4 ,blind ,olive3 or1 ,dr4 ,greyville's ,infatuation4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,chips from a ,temperance ,workshop 7,recitation1 c474 ,by ,,oliver ,,pacis4 ,conquering3 or1 ,bernard's ,burden4 ,a ,temperance ,tale4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,doe no ,yll3 or1 ,the ,brandon ,family ,motto4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,eleanor's ,ambition4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,fairy3 a ,little ,cornish ,maid4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,fifine's ,charge3 or1 ,the ,little ,mother4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,fettered or ,free4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,for ,john's ,sake4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,frank ,heaton's ,dilemma3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,gold and ,glitter3 a ,temperance ,tale4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,harold and his ,sisters in ,norway4 ,by ,,henry ,h4 ,m',,cullagh1 ,b4,a4 ,her ,heart's ,desire4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,how ,mrs4 ,hewitt's ,house was turned out of ,window3 ,temperance ,stories4 ,by ,,caroline ,,rigg4 ,how to ,steer a ,ship3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,samuel ,,gregory4 ,in ,pawn3 a ,story of a ,pledge4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,ivy ,chimneys4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,jackalent3 an ,epic of the ,streets4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,kavanagh ,major4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,leigh on ,family4 ,by ,,edith ,e4 ,,rhodes4 ,leonard's ,temptation3 a ,story of ,gambling4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,life in ,malin's ,lea4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,lottie1 ,servant and ,heroine4 ,by ,,helen ,,briston4 ,margaret ,wattford3 a ,story of the #agth ,century4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,marjory ,flint's ,latchkey3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,,booth1 ,f4,r4,g4,s4 ,mighty ,men and their ,daring ,deeds4 ,by ,j4 ,j4 ,,ellis4 ,mystery of ,grange ,drayton4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,our ,martha3 or1 ,careful ,without ,care4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,patsy ,o',hara1 the ,child of the ,ocean4 ,by ,,ruth ,b4 ,,yates4 ,rescued3 or1 ,kenneth ,cresswell's ,transformation4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,roger's ,quest3 a ,story of the ,days of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,runnelbrook ,valley3 a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,,mrs4 ,,haycraft4 ,scaramouch3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,secret of ,ashton ,manor ,house4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,story of ,christian3 ,life ,pictures from ,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,by ,,samuel ,,gregory4 ,story of ,john ,wesley3 for ,boys and ,girls4 ,by ,,marianne ,,kirlew4 ,story ,weavers3 ,writers for the ,young4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,sunrise ,corner3 ,illustrating ,psalm #ajc4 ,by ,,mrs4 ,,haycraft4 ,tatters and ,jennie's ,schooldays4 ,by ,,lillie ,,pethybridge4 ,that ,boy ,mick4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,the ,fortunes of ,sir ,richard de ,thorn1 ,knight of ,kent4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,the ,knights of the ,tempest3 a ,tale of the ,lifeboat4 ,by ,h4 ,,prater4 ,the ,price ,she ,paid3 a ,temperance ,tale4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,the ,scotch ,girl's ,exile3 a ,story of ,olden ,times4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,twelve ,famous ,girls4 ,by ,,marianne ,,kirlew4 ,two ,little ,sisters and ,humphrey4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,two ,snowy ,christmas ,eves4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,winsome ,winnie4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,yuppie4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,,sunday ,,afternoon ,,series4 #a_/f ,a ,comet for a ,night4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,a ,terrible ,fix3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,dr4 ,brown's ,bill3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,eelin's ,new ,home4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,florrie's ,telegram3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,frank ,heaton's ,dilemma3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,gerald's ,adventure3 or1 ,only a ,drummer ,boy4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,ida ,graham3 and ,how ,she ,overcame ,her ,difficulties4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,in ,solomon's ,porch3 ,bible ,talks with ,children4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,isabelle's ,story4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,it's ,my ,nature4 ,by ,,helen ,,briston4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,john ,fletcher1 ,farmer4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,leslie's ,revenge4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,mabel's ,three ,keys4 ,by ,r4 ,,sinclair4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,master ,piers4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,millie's ,experiences3 or ,chequered ,ways4 ,by ,,nellie ,l4 ,,royle4 ,minnie's ,curiosity3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,nora's ,queer ,lesson ,book4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,notes on the ,new ,brief ,catechism3 with ,introduction by ,rev4 ,r4 ,culley4 ,by ,,elsie4 ,our ,chris4 ,,by ,,old ,,cornish4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,our ,silver ,collection4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,raymond's ,magpie4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,reggie's ,dream3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,shad and ,shady4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,sir ,godfrey's ,bride4 ,by ,,ruth ,b4 ,,yates4 ,tell-,tale-,tit4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,that ,dreadful ,boy4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,fun o' the ,fair4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,old ,house at ,rungate4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,the ,owner of ,rushcote4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,those ,queer ,neighbours3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,three ,little ,vagrants4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,through ,deep ,waters3 a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,s4 ,,spenser4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,tom and ,his ,chum3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,gilt ,edges4 ,twelve ,famous ,boys4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,illustration3 7,from ,millie's ,experiences47 ,,books ,,for ,,young ,,readers4 #a_/f ,animals in ,council4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,a ,royal ,letter3 ,bible ,talks4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,our ,boys and ,girls1 ,yearly ,volume4 ,pictures and ,stories for ,little ,folks4 ,bevelled ,boards1 ,gilt ,edges4 ,carlo's ,visitors4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,bevelled ,boards1 ,gilt ,edges4 ,,books ,,for ,,teachers ,,and ,,workers4 #a_/f ,a ,string of ,pearls3 ,suggestions for ,bible ,work4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,samuel ,,gregory4 ,how to ,steer a ,ship3 and ,other ,sermons4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,samuel ,,gregory4 ,notes on the ,new ,brief ,catechism3 with ,introduction by ,rev4 ,r4 ,culley4 ,by ,,elsie4 ,sunday ,school ,teaching3 ,a ,manual of ,method in ,class ,instruction1 ,management1 and ,discipline1 for ,sunday ,school ,teachers4 ,by ,,james ,,bailey4 ,sunday ,school ,infant ,class ,teaching3 ,a ,first ,year's ,course of ,lessons for the ,infant ,class of the ,sunday ,school4 ,by ,,james ,,bailey4 ,the ,story of the ,sunday ,school3 ,genesis and ,evolution4 ,by ,j4 ,,henry ,,harris4 ,the ,tents of ,kedar3 and ,other ,bible ,talks4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,the ,wonderful ,book3 ,twelve ,reasons why the ,bible is the most ,wonderful ,book in the ,world4 ,by ,g4 ,t4 ,,seymour4 ,,double ,,volume ,,series4 #a_/d ,uncle ,jock's ,little ,girl ,the ,tempest ,cousins ,two ,books in ,one ,volume4 ,weazel ,tim ,a ,royal ,mandate ,two ,books in ,one ,volume4 ,the ,children's ,king ,into the ,king's ,palace ,two ,books in ,one ,volume4 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,,ludgate ,,series4 #a_/- ,a ,comet for a ,night4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,a ,royal ,mandate4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,a ,terrible ,fix3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,chrissie's ,faults3 or1 ,fettered by ,custom4 ,by ,,jeanie ,,ferry4 ,cousin ,jack's ,umbrella3 and ,other ,tales4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,donald's ,ambition4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,dr4 ,brown's ,bill3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,eelin's ,new ,home4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,elise ,fontaine3 a ,story of ,life in ,belgium4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,eric's ,hymn3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,esther's ,craze3 and ,other ,life ,sketches4 ,by ,a4 ,f4 ,,perram4 ,florrie's ,telegram3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,frank ,heaton's ,dilemma3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,gerald's ,adventure3 or1 ,only a ,drummer ,boy4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,grannie's ,darling4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,ida ,graham3 and ,how ,she ,overcame ,her ,difficulties4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,isabelle's ,story4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,it's ,my ,nature4 ,by ,,helen ,,briston4 ,john ,fletcher1 ,farmer4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,leslie's ,revenge4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,little ,folks at ,kelverton ,grange4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,little ,jim's ,rescue4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,lots of ,time3 or1 ,pictures and ,stories for ,boys and ,girls4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,love and ,victory3 ,dialogues for ,temperance ,gatherings4 ,lucy's ,temptation3 a ,temperance ,story for ,young ,men and ,women4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,luther ,miller's ,ambition3 and ,how it was ,gratified4 ,by ,,lillie ,,montfort4 ,mabel's ,three ,keys3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,r4 ,,sinclair4 ,master ,piers4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,mignon's ,message4 ,by ,,eliza ,,kerr4 ,minnie's ,curiosity3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,nora's ,queer ,lesson ,books4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,our ,chris3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,old ,,cornish4 ,our ,silver ,collection4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,raymond's ,magpie4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,recitations for ,missionary ,meetings1 c4 ,by ,f4 ,m4 ,l4 ,reggie's ,dream3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,ruby ,necklet3 ,rosie's ,temptation4 ,by ,,beth ,,richardson4 ,sir ,godfrey's ,bride4 ,by ,,ruth ,b4 ,,yates4 ,songs of ,living ,things3 for ,boys and ,girls4 ,by ,a4 ,h4 ,,vine4 ,stephen ,blakemore's ,problem4 ,by ,,edith ,,cornforth4 ,shad and ,shady4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,keyworth4 ,tell-,tale-,tit4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,that ,dreadful ,boy4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,the ,fun o' the ,fair4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,the ,old ,house at ,rungate4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,the ,owner of ,rushcote4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,the ,tempest ,cousins4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,those ,queer ,neighbours3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,three ,little ,vagrants4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,three ,school-,girls3 or1 ,brenda's ,purpose4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,through ,deep ,waters3 a ,temperance ,story4 ,by ,f4 ,,spenser4 ,tom and ,his ,chum3 and ,other ,tales4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,twelve ,famous ,boys4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,twentieth ,century ,book of ,dialogues4 ,compiled by ,j4 ,k4 ,,tomalin4 ,twentieth ,century ,reciter4 ,compiled by ,j4 ,k4 ,,tomalin4 ,second ,edition4 ,uncle ,jock's ,little ,girl4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,weasel ,tim4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,wonderful ,half-crown3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,,books ,,with ,,pictures ,,for ,,infants4 #a_/- ,a ,royal ,letter3 ,bible ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,carlo's ,visitors3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,our ,boys and ,girls4 ,pictures and ,stories for ,little ,folks4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,illustration3 7,from ,the ,owner of ,rushcote47 ,,books ,,for ,,teachers ,,and ,,workers4 #a_/- ,in ,solomon's ,porch3 ,bible ,talks with ,children4 ,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,forster4 ,in the ,sunday ,school4 ,thoughts and ,suggestions for ,young ,teachers4 ,by ,,anna ,m4 ,,hellier4 ,into the ,king's ,palace4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,junior ,society ,class ,prize ,essays4 ,by ,,revs4 ,w4 ,b4 ,,fitzgerald1 ,w4 ,h4 ,,chamings1 ,j4 ,,surman ,,cooke4 ,our ,sunday ,schools3 ,a ,series of ,papers4 ,by ,,rev4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,kelly1 c4 ,papers ,read at ,london ,sunday ,school ,convention4 ,take ,fast ,hold3 ,addresses to ,children4 ,by ,j4 ,j4 ,,ellis4 ,the ,children's ,king3 ,bible ,talks4 ,by ,,edith ,m4 ,,edwards4 ,the ,firm ,foundation of the ,christian ,faith3 ,a ,handbook of ,christian ,evidences4 ,by ,,professor ,j4 ,a4 ,,beet1 ,d4,d4 ,unframed ,pictures3 ,addresses to ,children4 ,by ,j4 ,j4 ,,ellis4 ,,golden ,,deeds ,,series ,,of ,,ninepenny ,,books4 ,a ,heroine in the ,strife4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,aunt ,chrissie4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,bertram and ,gerald3 or1 ,the ,gold and the ,glitter4 ,by ,,kate ,,mccullagh4 ,chappie's ,charge ,angel3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,m4 ,,young4 ,effie's ,bargain4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,fabian and ,phil3 a ,story of ,two ,little ,boys4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,fritz3 the ,young ,swiss ,guide4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,golden ,deeds ,told ,anew4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,little ,barbara's ,dream4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,little ,black ,rover3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,caroline ,,rigg4 ,little ,miss ,pry3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,f4 ,,perram4 ,little ,parables for ,little ,folk4 ,by ,,edith ,e4 ,,rhodes4 ,marjorie's ,stranger4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,mattie's ,rescue4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,ned's ,victory and ,dick's ,enemy4 ,by ,,alice ,j4 ,,briggs4 ,nuttie3 or1 ,the ,silver ,thread of ,love4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,our ,cousin ,noel3 and ,other ,stories4 ,by ,,annie ,,craig4 ,out of the ,dark3 a ,tale for ,girls4 ,by ,,emily ,,spratling4 ,pranks and ,prattles4 ,by ,,edith ,,greeves4 ,tony the ,cripple3 or1 ,the ,child of a ,king4 ,by ,,ruth ,b4 ,,yates4 ,that ,odd ,little ,pair3 or1 ,the ,sayings and ,doings of ,molly and ,larry4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,theodora3 or1 ,golden ,opportunities4 ,by ,,isabel ,s4 ,,robson4 ,alice3 or1 ,the ,early ,crown4 ,archer's ,chance ,shot4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,junior ,society ,class ,prize ,essays4 ,by ,,revs4 ,w4 ,b4 ,,fitzgerald1 ,w4 ,h4 ,,chamings1 ,j4 ,,surman ,,cooke4 ,in the ,sunday ,school3 ,thoughts and ,suggestions for ,young ,teachers4 ,by ,,anna ,m4 ,,hellier4 ,meadow ,daisy4 ,by ,,lillie ,,montfort4 ,waiting3 ,an ,allegorical ,story4 ,by ,,sarson ,c4 ,j4 ,,ingham4 ,,gilt ,,sunshine ,,series ,,of ,,eightpenny ,,books4 ,alice3 or1 ,the ,early ,crown4 ,broughton ,manor4 ,carrie's ,self ,denial4 ,christmas at ,rexby ,hall4 ,crossing the ,rainbow ,bridge4 ,dash and ,his ,master4 ,david ,watson3 or1 ,the ,good ,pays4 ,elsa's ,holiday4 ,favourite ,recitations for ,boys and ,girls4 ,fine ,herbs4 ,for ,love's ,sweet ,sake4 ,jim and ,his ,charges4 ,ladyboy's ,story4 ,little ,mother and ,her ,christmas4 ,mop and ,meg4 ,ned's ,helper4 ,nellie's ,promise4 ,oscar's ,rebellion4 ,ruth1 the ,little ,hop-picker4 ,sam1 the ,african ,boy4 ,schoolroom ,stories for ,boys4 ,schoolroom ,stories for ,girls4 ,something to ,do1 ,please4 ,stanley's ,pony4 ,sunshine ,after ,rain4 ,tarbarrel ,tim4 ,the ,auto-,biography of ,chow4 ,the ,bite of the ,serpent4 ,the ,seven ,edwards4 ,tom ,burton's ,mistake4 ,wanted a ,boy4 ,william ,tyndale4 ,,uncle ,,forster',s ,,eightpenny ,,books4 ,a ,knotty ,point4 ,ella's ,christmas ,letter4 ,harry's ,rescue4 ,lucky ,carlo4 ,nelson ,farm4 ,pitch and ,toss4 ,the ,old ,plate's ,story4 ,the ,white ,mouse4 ,the ,young ,conspirators4 ,twelve ,bible ,children4 ,voices from a ,money ,box4 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,,sunshine ,,series ,,of ,,sixpenny ,,books4 ,broughton ,manor4 ,carrie's ,self ,denial4 ,christmas at ,rexby ,hall4 ,crossing the ,rainbow ,bridge4 ,dash and ,his ,master4 ,david ,watson3 or1 ,the ,good ,pays4 ,elsa's ,holiday4 ,favourite ,recitations for ,boys and ,girls4 ,fine ,herbs4 ,first ,readings3 ,scripture for ,children4 ,for ,love's ,sweet ,sake4 ,frank ,armstrong4 ,jim and ,his ,charges4 ,ladyboy's ,story4 ,little ,mother and ,her ,christmas4 ,mop and ,meg4 ,ned's ,helper4 ,nellie's ,promise4 ,oscar's ,rebellion4 ,ruth1 the ,little ,hop-picker4 ,sam1 the ,african ,boy4 ,schoolroom ,stories for ,boys4 ,schoolroom ,stories for ,girls4 ,something to ,do1 ,please4 ,stanley's ,pony4 ,sunshine after ,rain4 ,william ,tyndale4 ,wanted a ,boy4 ,tom ,burton's ,mistake4 ,the ,seven ,edwards4 ,the ,bite of the ,serpent4 ,the ,auto-,biography of ,chow4 ,tarbarrel ,tim4 #f;d4 ,self ,improvement4 ,a ,book for ,young ,men4 ,philip ,phillips1 the ,singing ,evangelist4 ,paper ,covers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,also ,,sunday ,,school ,,buildings3 ,a ,book of ,plans of ,s4 ,s4 ,buildings1 #f;d4 ,,sunday ,,school ,,reform3 ,two ,prize ,essays1 #as4 net4 #b #c ,ludgate ,circus ,buildings1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,the transcription of the letter was done as well as possible4 ,all spelling and punctuation anamolies have been retained for the letter only4 ,an image is available in the ,,html version of this text4 ,obvious punctuation errors in the rest of the text repaired4 ,page #dj1 hyphens were added to ,s-i-m-m-o-n-d-s to keep the spaces between letters4 ,advertising page #f1 ,winnnie changed to ,winnie 7,winsome ,winnie7