Wesley Corpus

1 cannot but further observe, that even she (as well as her father, and grandfather, her husband, and her three sons) had been, in her measure and degree, a preacher of righteousness. This I learned from a letter, wrote long since to my father ; part of which I have here subjoined :-- “ February 6, 1711--12. «____ As Tam a woman, sol am also mistress of a large family. And though the superior charge of the souls contained in it, lies upon you; yet, in your absence, I cannot but look upon every soul you leave under my care, as a talent committed to me under a trust, by the great Lord of all the families, both of heaven and earth. And if I am unfaithful to him or you, in neglecting to improve these talents, how shall I answer unto him, when he shall command me to render an account of my stewardship? ** As these, and other such like thoughts, made me at first take a more than ordinary care of the souls of my children and servants, so.--knowing our religion requires a strict observation of the Lord’s day, and not thinking that we fully answered the end of the institution by going to church, unless we filled up the intermediate spaces of time by other acts of piety and devotion,--I thought it my duty to spend some part of the day, in reading to and instructing my family: and such time I esteemed spent in a way more acceptable to God, than if I had retired to my own private devotions. This was the beginniug of my present practice. Other people’s coming and joining with us was merely accidental. Our lad told his parents: they first desired to be admitted; then others that heard of it, begged leave also: so our company increased to about thirty; and it seldom exceeded forty last winter.