through their preparatory studies and entered the University of Oxford, where they graduated with the highest honors. John was elected Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, and was also appointed Greek lecturer and moderator of the classes. From reading Taylor's Holy Living and Dying, Kempis's Christian Pattern, and Law's Serious Call to a Holy Life, Mr. John Wesley, while in college, was brought under strong religious impressions, and chiefly through his instrumentality his brother Charles became habitually serious and attentive to the duties of religion. These gentlemen, with several of their fellow students, statedly met to assist each other in their spiritual interests. The great circumspection of their lives, and their regular and orderly habits, occasioned a young gentleman to remark, "Here is a new set of Methodists sprung up," alluding, as is supposed, to a company of ancient physicians so called. This new name was soon very generally awarded to the young men, and finally became the distinctive appellation of the followers of Wesley and Whitefield.

The brothers were acute and diligent, and became eminently skilled in the ancient classics. John, presiding at the debates, became a master of logic, and acquired the power to unmask the most specious sophism, and to seize upon the very point where the fallacy lay, however deeply covered with the rubbish of metaphysical subtilties and refinements. Here Providence was wisely preparing him to break a spear with the sturdiest spirits of the age, and to grapple with error in its most imposing forms.

In 1735 the brothers accepted the appointment of missionaries to Georgia, John having been previously ordained deacon and priest, and Charles being ordained for the occasion. Their principal object, in undertaking this mission to the new world, was to carry the gospel to the Indians; but God had other designs to answer in the enterprise. In consequence of the unsettled state of the colony, the original object the Wesleys had in view being found impracticable, after an absence of less than two years they returned home. During their stay in Georgia they suffered many severe trials, and became inured to perils and hardships, so many of which they were destined to brave during their subsequent history. The following, from the entries made by Charles in his Journal, will afford a glimpse of several species of conflicts and hardships not very agreeable to flesh and blood :

"After spending an hour at the camp, in singing such psalms as suited the occasion, I went to bed in the hut, which was thoroughly wet with to-day's rain.

"March 29th. Knowing I was to live with Mr. Oglethorpe, I had

brought nothing with me from England, except my clothes and books: but this morning, asking a servant for something I wanted, (I think a tea-kettle,) I was told Mr. Oglethorpe had given orders that no one should use any of his things. I answered, that order, I supposed, did not extend to me. 'Yes, sir,' says she, 'you was excepted by name.' Thanks be to God, that it is not yet made capital to give me a morsel of bread.

"March 30th. Having laid hitherto on the ground, in a corner of Mr. Reed's hut, and hearing some boards were to be disposed of, I attempted in vain to get some of them to lie upon. They were given to all besides.

"March 31st. I begin now to be abused and slighted into an opinion of my own considerableness. I could not be more trampled upon was I a fallen minister of state. The people have found out that I am in disgrace. My few well-wishers are afraid to speak to me. Some have turned out of the way to avoid me. Others desired I would not take it ill, if they seemed not to know me when we should meet. The servant that used to wash my linen sent it back unwashed. It was great cause of triumph my being forbidden the use of Mr. Oglethorpe's things, and in effect debarred of most of the conveniences, if not the necessaries, of life. I sometimes pitied and sometimes diverted myself with the odd expressions of their contempt; but found the benefit of having undergone a much lower degree of obloquy.”

"April 5th. At one this morning the sand-flies forced me to rise, and smoke them out of the hut. The whole town was employed in the same manner. My congregation in the evening consisted of two Presbyterians and a papist. I went home in great pain, my distemper being much increased with the little duty I could discharge.

"April 6th. I found myself so faint and weak that it was with the utmost difficulty I got through the prayers. Mr. Davison, my good Samaritan, would often call, or send his wife to tend me; and to their care, under God, I owe my life.

'To-day Mr. Oglethorpe gave away my bedstead from under me, and refused to spare one of the carpenters to mend me up another.

"April 10th. At six Mr. Delamotte and my brother landed; when my strength was so exhausted I could not have read the prayers once more. He helped me into the woods; for there was no talking among a people of spies and ruffians: nor even in the woods, except in an unknown tongue. He told me that Mr. Oglethorpe received him with abundant kindness. I began my account of all that has passed, and continued it till prayers. It were endless to mention all the scriptures which have been for so many days adapted to my circumstances; but I cannot pass by this evening's lesson, Hebrews xi. I was ashamed of having well-nigh sunk under mine, when I beheld the conflicts of those triumphant sufferers of whom the world was not worthy.'

"Sunday, April 11th. I had just recovered strength enough to consecrate at the sacrament: the rest my brother discharged. We then got out of the reach of informers, and proceeded in my account; being fully persuaded of the truth of Mrs. W.'s information against Mr. Oglethorpe, Mrs. H., and herself.

"April 14th. By a relation which my brother gave me, of a late conference he had with her, I was again, in spite of all I had seen and heard, half-persuaded into a good opinion of Mrs. H. For the lasting honor of our sagacity be it written!

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April 16th. My brother brought me off a resolution, which honor and indignation had formed, of starving rather than ask for necessaries, Accordingly I went to Mr. Oglethorpe, in his tent, to ask for some little things I wanted. The next day my brother and Mr. Delamotte set out in an open boat for Savannah."—Vol. i, pp. 58-61.

The principal circumstance of interest connected with the mission of the Wesleys to America, was the opportunity which it gave them of becoming acquainted with the Moravians, a simplehearted and deeply pious people. The purity of their lives, and their grave and sensible discourses upon experimental religion, were rendered instrumental, in the hands of God, of awakening the missionaries to a sense of their real state. In relation to this deeply interesting matter, John, afterward, holds the following language:" It is now two years and six months since I left my native country in order to teach the Georgian Indians the nature of Christianity; but what have I learned myself in the mean time? Why, (what I least of all expected,) that I, who went to America to convert others, was never myself converted to God." Under that deeply contrite state, which wrung from him this humiliating confession, he was much assisted by a pious and learned Moravian minister by the name of Peter Böhler. On wishing to be advised by him whether he should desist from preaching justifying faith until he should experience it himself, he received this memorable answer: "Preach faith till you have it; and then because you have it, you will preach faith."

It is written, "The first shall be last and the last first :" this was verified in the religious experience of the brothers. Though John was first to become thoroughly awakened to a sense of his spiritual necessities, he was last to experience that blessed liberty which both had for some time been earnestly seeking. Charles, at this time being quite ill, was taken to the house of a "Mr. Bray, a brazier, who lived in Little Britain, near Smithfield; but he was a happy believer in the Lord Jesus, living in the spirit of faith, and prayer, and holy love, and was able, from his own personal experience, as well as from the sacred volume, to teach even the accomplished collegian 'the way of the Lord more fully' than he had hitherto known it."

"At every opportunity Mr. Bray read the Holy Scriptures to the afflicted and anxious inmate of his family, joined with him in supplicaVOL. II.-8

tion to the Father of mercies, and by his advice and sympathy greatly assisted him in the pursuit of the one thing needful.' Ten days after his removal to the residence of this humble, but devout man, Mr. Charles Wesley entered into that state of spiritual liberty and enjoyment which he preferred to every thing else, both in earth and heaven. During this interval he was visited by several persons, some of whom had obtained the pearl of great price,' and others were pressing hard after it; for a spirit of inquiry on the subject of religion was then extensively excited, partly by the recent preaching of Mr. Whitefield; partly by the private labors of Peter Böhler, who had lately left London; and partly by the preaching of Mr. John Wesley, who was admitted into several of the London pulpits, and was followed by immense crowds of people. Among those who visited Charles, at this time, was the learned Mr. Ainsworth, author of the Latin Dictionary which bears his name. He was now venerable through age, and attended the Methodist meetings for prayer and spiritual converse, in the spirit of a little child.

"As an illustration of the manner in which Mr. Charles Wesley waited upon God for the gift of faith, and of the salvation connected with it, the following selections from his Journal are given:

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May 12th. I waked in the same blessed temper, hungry and thirsty after God. I began Isaiah, and seemed to see that to me were the promises made, and would be fulfilled; for that Christ loved me. I found myself more desirous, more assured, I should believe. This day (and indeed my whole time) I spent in discoursing on faith, either with those that had it, or those that sought it; in reading the Scriptures, and in prayer.

"I was much moved at the sight of Mr. Ainsworth, a man of great learning, above seventy, who, like old Simeon, was waiting to see the Lord's salvation, that he might depart in peace. His tears, and vehemence, and childlike simplicity, showed him upon the entrance of the kingdom of heaven.

"In the afternoon I read Isaiah with Mr. Edmunds; saw him full of promises; and that they belonged to me. In the midst of our reading Miss Claggetts came, and asked that they might hear us. We were all encouraged to pursue the glorious prize, held out to us by the evangelical prophet. When the company was gone, I joined with Mr. Bray in prayer and the Scripture; and was so greatly affected that I almost thought Christ was coming that moment. I concluded the night with private, vehement prayer.

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May 13th. I waked without Christ; yet still desirous of finding him. Soon after William Delamotte came, and read me the sixty-sixth Psalm, strangely full of comfortable promises. Toward noon I was enabled to pray with desire and hope, and to lay claim to the promises in general. The afternoon I spent with my friends, in mutual exhortation to wait patiently for the Lord, in prayer and reading. At night my brother came, exceeding heavy. I forced him (as he had often forced me) to sing a hymn to Christ; and almost thought he would come while we were singing: assured he would come quickly. At night I received much light and comfort from the Scriptures.

"May 14th. The beginning of the day I was heavy, weary, and unable to pray; but the desire soon returned, and I found much comfort both in prayer and in the word: my eyes being opened more and more to discover and lay hold upon the promises. I longed to find Christ, that I might show him to all mankind; that I might praise, that I might love him. Several persons called to-day, and were convinced of unbelief. Some of them afterward went to Mr. Broughton, and were soon made as easy as Satan and their own hearts could wish. "May 17th. To-day I first saw Luther on the Galatians, which Mr. Holland had accidentally lighted upon. We began, and found him nobly full of faith. My friend, in hearing him, was so affected as to breathe out sighs and groans unutterable. I marveled that we were so soon and so entirely removed from him that called us into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. Who would believe our Church had been founded upon this important article of justification by faith alone! I am astonished I should ever think this a new doctrine; especially while our Articles and Homilies stand unrepealed, and the key of knowledge is not yet taken away.'"-Vol. i, pp. 130–132.

The following is the account of the happy deliverance of the brothers from "the spirit of bondage," taken from their Journals :

"THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

"Sunday, May 21st, 1738. I waked in hope and expectation of his coming. At nine my brother and some friends came and sung a hymn to the Holy Ghost. My comfort and hope were hereby increased. In about half an hour they went. I betook myself to prayer: the substance as follows:-" O Jesus, thou hast said, I will come unto you. Thou hast said, I will send the Comforter unto you. Thou hast said, My Father and I will come unto you, and make our abode with you. Thou art God, who canst not lie. I wholly rely upon thy most true promise. Accomplish it in thy time and manner." Having said this, I was composing myself to sleep, in quietness and peace, when I heard one come in, (Mrs. Musgrave, I thought, by the voice,) and say, "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise, and believe, and thou shalt be healed of all thy infirmities!" I wondered how it should enter into her head to speak in that manner. The words struck me to the heart. I sighed, and said within myself, "O that Christ would but speak thus to me!" I lay musing and trembling; then I rung; and Mrs. Turner coming, desired her to send up Mrs. Musgrave. She went down, and returning, said, Mrs. Musgrave had not been here. My heart sunk within me at the word; and I hoped it might be Christ indeed. However, I sent her down again to inquire, and felt in the mean time a strange palpitation of heart; and said, yet feared to say, "I believe! I believe !"

"She came up again, and said, "It was I, a weak, sinful creature, that spoke; but the words were Christ's. He commanded me to say them; and so constrained me, that I could not forbear."

"I sent for Mr. Bray, and asked him whether I believed. He answered, I ought not to doubt of it: it was Christ that spoke to me. He knew it, and willed us to pray together. “But first,” said he, “I will