DEATH OF JOHN WESLEY

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1927, Page 3

DEATH OF JOHN WESLEY

One hundred and thirty-six ago on ihe 2ml. Alarcli 1791. John Wesley .Ire founder of the -Methodist Church. died at the age oi 88. lie was born at. Lie Rectory in the English village of Kpwoi'th <"i Lie f 7 11,. June. 1703. and was the fifteenth child of a family of nineteen. Lis father was a Church of England < lergvinavi. w hile hi> mol iVr was the daughter of Dr Anneslcy, .one of Lie most prominent ol the dissenting Ministers who left the EnglßTi Church in the reign of ( iiarle- 11. rather than su’:scribe to the Act of Uniformity. Wesley was educated at the ( harlerhnuse s-dmol. and at the age of 1., ii" cmered Oxford UnnvrLty. wliei-e fir' was ordained a deacon in 1725. and elected a Fellow of Lincoln College a few months later. While at Oxford he became the leader of a few studeiiiS who met daily in each other’s rooms for the purpose ol religious study, and wl; i 'Became known as Afothodists. They did a large amount or evangelical work, notably in visiting prisoners in Lie local gaol and ministering to the sick in ihe di't vie!. In 1735 Wesley was sent to Georgia

a- a missionary by Lie Society for the Propagation of ihe Gospel, and there bis introduction of unauthorised hymns iii his otherwise strictly orthodox Church of England services caused considerable trouble and led to his return to England. In Georgia he formed a small society of the more serious members of his flock, and he himself described their meetings as the second rise of Afcthodism. the first being at Oxford in his student days. On his return to England he formed several similar societies in London. and the foundation of the Afethodi<t Church dales from the first mooting of a society which lie established in a building at Aloorfields. known as the Four dory, in 1739, It tvo.s on

the 2nd. April of that year that TVcsi loy first preached in the open air and realised that he had found the only I way of reaching the multitudes living in almost heathen darkness. Thenceforward he regarded the whole world as hi.s parish, and the major portion of his life was devoted to tra- : veiling in all parts of the British Isles, preaching the gospel of the •ally Chi • stians wherever he could find listeners and founding societies to take care of the converts. The rapid development of the .Methodist Church in all parts of Britain necessitated his travelling j on horseback, and delivering at least 15 sermons a week, mostly in the open air.* A vivid account of Wesley's wonderful life’s work in spreading holiness throughout the land is to he found in his famous Journal, which is' one of the most amazing records of human exertion over penned by man. In {Tie early days of his mission he encountered considerable opposition, which lie invariably conquered by his tact and courage, and his long life enabled him to perfect the organisation of Afcthodism and to inspire his followers with his own ideals He passed to his rest in. the house attached to tho City Road Chapel, which he had founded in 1777. and which is now known as the Cathedral of -Methodism. and he was buried in Ihe little graveyard in the rear of tho Chapel.