Charles Wesley
Say the name Wesley and most people automatically think of John: that administrative genius, that mighty man of God who lived simply, travelled extensively and preached his heart out. Here was a man who cared for the poor, who wrote dictionaries and medical cure-alls, who changed the face of this nation. But (I have to say) he was a cold sort of fish, difficult to love, and very inconsistent theologically. His preaching possessed a restless quality (not altogether at ease with himself, you would think), he 'stole' his best ideas and practices from his brother, and his relationships with women were notoriously naïve.
Me? When I hear the name 'Wesley' I think of the other brother – the seraphic Charles, whose passionate rapture in God expressed itself gladly in his devoted love of all he met. He exemplifies the adventure of holiness, in which the whole person is renovated in the image of God. Here was a man who really did model what he taught. His marriage was a huge love affair throughout his life, and he was a fine husband and father – though how he managed to be so is a mystery: it was said of him that, 'the man is either mad or making verses'. He wrote more poetry than William Wordsworth and Robert Browning put together – that's between 7 and 9 thousand separate pieces – no mean feat! In his hymns he used over 30 titles to refer to Christ. Lose your Bible (Authorised Version) and you could reconstruct it from the hymns of this dear man. It was Charles who first preached outside, who first used non-ordained folk to help spread the great good news of the gospel, who first used non-consecrated buildings, who first preached in pubs and by the roadside, who first baptised by full immersion, and who was the first to be called 'Methodist' – then a term of abuse applied to the rigour of his devotional life.
It was Charles who thought the great message was two-fold: salvation by faith for all who called on the name of Christ, and experiential holiness, by which people would know Christ had truly saved them. Behind all of his life and ministry there was a burning fire to see people won for Christ, the nations changed and the Church of England rediscovering its power, message and life. He received much opposition – once, in Redruth, the enraged townsfolk tried to tear down the walls of the place where he was staying, so that in turn they could tear him from limb to limb. Much the same happened in Wednesbury. His journals are full of such incidents – and for my money are more inspirational than those of his better known brother's – full of humility and rapture, self-deprecation and faith. He was called 'seraphic' because he was full of love, full of the shining glory of God. The Lord had answered his prayerful hymn, 'O thou who camest from above / the pure celestial fire to impart / kindle a flame of love / on the mean altar of my heart' – like the fire in the temple, the fire in Charles' life never flickered or failed. (By the way, there are about 25 references to books of the Bible in the 16 lines of this one short hymn.)
Yes, he got annoyed about the way Methodism was developing, and yes, he fell out with his brother – but most people did. He could be too humble – why, even on his deathbed he wrote a short verse bemoaning the fact that he was 'a worm'. Yet he died as he lived: his last words were, 'Lord – my heart – my God.' Wesley? Depends which one you mean!
Canon David White
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