John Wesley.

(

nent divine.

_ lived.

_ retains to this day.

 

3 England, in the year. 1703.

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‘more deeply felt in the family circle.
“John’s mind, early in his childhood,
from which sprang his future eminence.

“Serious Call.” This book, with some
others of a similar character, awakened
in his mind a strong religious fervor.
“He earnestly inquired what he should
“do to be saved, and, as he then hoped,
‘through the influence of the Spirit of
“God, he became a disciple of Christ,
“and was adopted into the divine family.
An after life, however, it would seem that
e dated his conversion at a later period.
Boon after he became familiar with the
books above alluded to, he, in connection
with several other students of the uni-
ersity, formed an association, which
met at stated times, for the purpose of
eligious worship, and for the mutual
emprovement of its members.

THE YOUTHS CABINET.

 
 
  

EW men of modern times have ac-
complished more than this emi-
Few have left a

more indelible and extended im-
pression upon the age in which they
He was the founder of that
Christian sect which has received the
name of Methodists, and gave to it a
character, which, to a great extent, it

John Wesley was born in Epsworth,
His father
_ was a clergyman of the Church of Eng-
land. Although a man of considerable
talent and of decided piety, it seems that
i the influence of the mother was much

“She it was who sowed those seeds in
“which afterward took deep root, and

hile John was in college, he read Law’s

their habits. They did not live as the
rest of the students lived. They were
more sober, more exemplary than the
rest. On this account the students, in
ridicule, called them Methodists. But
Wesley and his friends did not care
what name they went by. They were
more anxious to get to heaven, and to
lend their aid to other pilgrims in their
journey heavenward, than for anything
else. So the name which was given in
derision to these praying people came at
length to be adopted by the Methodists
themselves.

Among the young men of the univer-
sity, who were associated with Wesley,
was the celebrated George Whitefield.
Wesley and Whitefield were very inti-
mate while pursuing their studies pre-
paratory to the Christian ministry, and
for some time after they commenced
preaching. But a breach occurred event-
ually, which, as in the case of Paul and
Barnabas, separated them.

Wesley’s was a busy life. In 1785,
he commenced his labors in a college
which had then recently been established
in Georgia. He remained here, however,
only a year and nine months. He per-
formed, in preaching from place to place,
an almost incredible amount of svork.
For upward of fifty years, he preached
frequently twice, and sometimes four or
five times a day, for weeks together.
Besides this, he presided with the most
minute superintendence over all the pub-
lic affairs of the rapidly growing com-
munity, which looked to him as its head,
transacted a great deal of private busi-
ness, and sent to the press between thirty
and forty volumes.

No man knew better than Wesley the

 

importance of small things. His.whole