In age and feebleness extreme Who shall a sinful worm redeem? Jesus, my only hope thou art; Strength of my failing flesh and heart: Oh could I catch a smile from thee, We shall see more of the fluency and versatility of his genius as we go on. It will also appear how much more truth there is than most non-Methodists would be apt to suppose in Mr. Jackson's strong assertion: "In the compo sition of hymns adapted to Christian worship, he certainly has no equal in the English language, and is perhaps superior to every other uninspired man that ever lived. It does not appear that any person besides himself, in any section of the universal church, has either written so many hymns, or hymns of such surpassing excellence." Charles Wesley was born at Epworth in Lincolnshire, Dec. 18, 1708; being five years younger than his brother John. But little has been told concerning his early days. His father was an excellent clergyman, of some name in literature, author of a versified scripture history, and of the hymn, "Behold the Saviour of mankind." Talent, and a certain energy and weight of moral character, seem to have been hereditary among the Wesleys. In 1716, Charles was put at Westminster school, under the care of his brother Samuel, another poet, some of whose verses are still in the hymn books. In 1726 the embryo psalmist entered Christ Church, Oxford, where he remained nine years. At the age of twenty he "became serious," and with a few others of like mind formed the famous "Holy Club." Here they were soon honored with the name of "Methodist," when John Wesley was not as yet with them. Their doings might seem to be harmless enough: they simply wished to lead more studious, regular, and Christian lives than was common among the collegians. But the surprising fact that half a dozen young men met statedly to explore the pages of inspired as well as of classic writers; that they mingled devotion with their readings; that they attended the sacra ment weekly, and visited the poor, the sick, and the prisoners, this overturned the grave university, and was noised abroad through all England. The event justified this widespread interest; for, within that little circle were the men commissioned to kindle God's fire upon earth, and execute a work, the like of which had not been seen since the Lutheran Reformation. The days of field-preaching and startling doctrines were not yet; but in the quiet routine of their daily prayers and labors, Whitefield and the Wesleys were unconsciously fitting themselves for the evangelization of Great Britain and America. It is not easy to estimate the vast results that spring from specific and humble causes; but the little glimmering ray that rose in that seat of learning a hundred and thirty years ago, has since shed its generous light over half the world. That something of vital Christianity exists among professed believers of every name; that the doctrine of justification by faith is generally understood and preached; that we are not blind Pharisees, or dead formalists, or practical Socinians and deists, we may trace the cause in great part (we cannot tell how largely) to the Holy Club of Oxford Methodists. Yet at this time these chosen vessels, or at least the Wesley brothers, were themselves not under grace, but under the law. Ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, they went about to establish a righteousness of their own. In outward life and to all appearance the holiest of men, they had not yet discovered that true Foundation, other than which can no man lay. Honest, zealous, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, making it their meat and drink to do their Master's will; consecrated, with seeming unreserve, to his service; self-denying to asceticism; separated utterly from worldly ties and passions-we wonder how they could have groped so many years in unregenerate darkness, and missed the simple wisdom that cometh down from above. But so it was. The way of salvation was not made so universally plain in that day as in this: it was harder to find Christ; there was less of his presence in the earth; his wit nesses were few; churchmen and dissenters were asleep together; spiritual wickedness was in high places; there were not many professed teachers of righteousness who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Then the individuality of the Wesleys was strong; their minds (or rather mind, for they were as one man) were sui generis: they could not take an idea at second-hand, or fall in easily with another's mode of thought; originality was strongly stamped on all they said and did; any new experience must come to them agreeably to the wants and capacities of their peculiar character; they must learn the lessons of life in their own way. And so, we may suppose, redemption could only reach them as it reached the world, "when the fulness of time was come." Meantime they followed blind guides, and greatly reverenced certain "mystic divines," particularly one William Law, whose works, celebrated at that time, extol inward godliness while obscuring saving faith, and propose to make men Christians without much help from Christ. "He set his pupils," says Mr. Jackson, "on the hopeless task of attaining to holiness while they remained in a state of guilt." A visit paid by Charles Wesley to this apostle of Judaism, called forth a conversation which is worth recording: nor me to answer. "Wesley. What of one who dies unrenewed, while endeavoring after it? Law. It concerns neither you to ask, W. Shall I write once more to such a person? L. No. W. But I am persuaded it will do him good. L. Sir, I have told you my opinion. W. Shall I write to you? L. Nothing I can either speak or write will do you any good." Such was the dreary and profitless gospel which served many spiritually-minded people in that age, for want of a better. Let us be thankful that we have more cheery and condescending expounders of the law. It does not appear that in these days Charles had as yet applied himself to poetry. If his genius was precocious, his biographer does not mention the fact; and his earliest known effusions seem to have come forth within the year, 135 or less, preceding his conversion. It was fitting that the harp of this new David should be strung, and the trumpet of Methodism first sounded, in close connection with the commencement of his knowledge, privileges, and labors as a genuine Christian. In 1735, the brothers undertook a missionary enterprise in Georgia, and were away from England somewhat above a year. The experience therein gained was doubtless a part of the providential plan concerning them; but it does not appear that they did any particular good in their wanderings. Charles endured various hardships, and was near death several times, by land and water. After his return, he was depressed by sorrows real and imaginary. His temperament was gloomy, his health feeble; he felt the insufficiency of his spiritual state, and his woes began to flow in melancholy verse. His "defective creed and gloomy feelings" are set forth in the famous Hymn for Midnight, where he describes himself as Doubtful and insecure of bliss, Since death alone confirms me His. With "faith" instead of "death," part of this poem still stands in the English Wesleyan collection. It is one of the most imaginative and elegant that ever came from his pen, or any other. Witness the last two verses: Absent from thee, my exiled soul Deep in a fleshly dungeon groans; Around me clouds of darkness roll, And laboring silence speaks my moans. Come quickly, Lord! thy face display, Sorrow, and sin, and death are o'er, If thou reverse the creature's doom; If thou, the God, the Saviour come; The light, the life, the heaven of love. These were earnest but as yet unfulfilled aspirations. At this time he hoped to be saved because he had used his best endeavors to serve God; he had nothing else to trust to. After a severe sickness, he says: Of hope I felt no joyful ground, The fruit of righteousness alone: And started from a God unknown. By "righteousness" here, he must be supposed to mean "the righteousness which is of God by faith"; of this he was not yet possessed. But God had better things in store for him. Early in 1738, he and his brother met Peter Bohler, a Moravian preacher, and from him obtained such an insight into the simple but essential truths of scripture, as all their learning and zeal had never stumbled upon. May 4th, John Wesley writes, in the spirit of prophecy: "Peter Bohler left England. What a work hath God begun since his coming into it! Such a one as shall never come to an end till heaven and earth pass away." Yet the "work" in their own minds was not accomplished at once. On the 25th of April, Charles was seriously offended with John for upholding instantaneous conversion; but four weeks later he became the subject of it himself. After various struggles and inward agonies the brothers both passed from death unto life on the 21st of May, 1738. And now "the harp was tuned to gladness," and the full tide of the poet's heart burst forth in triumphant strains of sacred joy: Where shall my wondering soul begin? A slave redeemed from death and sin; He addressed a poem to his brother, "Congratulation to a What morn on thee with sweeter ray, Or brighter lustre, e'er hath shined? And a year later he wrote, for "the Anniversary of One's Conversion," the noble hymn: O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer's praise ! |
