Charles Wesley isn’t as famous as his brother, John. I’ve done some research on the internet looking for quotes and I see the same ones over and over. But I know Charles had a lot to more to say.
Here are ten quotes that are largely unknown from Charles Wesley. Scholars and experts may know these. But you won’t find them on most popular quote websites.
These quotes help fill out Charles’s life and ministry. Some of them show his wit and charm in a way that has often been forgotten.
1. Spared From Controversy
Indeed, my caution in conversing with her did not spring from any fear of these consequences, but from an advice from S. Spangenberg’s, ‘never to talk with a woman without a witness, or in the face of the sun.’ I followed his directions; but did not see the providential reason of it until now.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Monday, May 31, 1736.
Charles wrote this during his ministry in Georgia. It was prior to his evangelical conversion.
Charles had traveled to America to serve on the mission field as an ordained minister of the Church of England. When he arrived he was excited to serve.
That excitement was short lived.
Less than three months into his ministry in Georgia, Charles was already facing controversy from the people he came to minister to. Amidst these problems was a false accusation that Charles was having an inappropriate physical relationship with a woman.
Charles’s reputation and ministry were saved, in the end, by following advice he had received to not meet with women alone. By keeping himself to this standard, he was preserved from false accusations when they came.
Charles acknowledged freely that he didn’t know the benefit of that advice until he needed it. He then attributed his deliverance from this controversy to the providence of God.
Charles had a lot to say about America. You can read more of his thoughts in my post on that topic here.
2. The Candle and The Rum
Appee laid a train for the captain and betrayed him into talking lewdly, for which I reproved him too sharply and thereby increased his beastliness. He abused me plentifully, till I ceased to take any notice of him.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Saturday, September 4, 1736.
Charles was sailing from Georgia to Boston aboard ship with a drunken captain. This interaction between the two men continued to escalate.
This made him more outrageous. He blew out the candle by which I was writing. Zouberbuhler lit it, and he blew it out again. On which we all set upon him, I only talking Latin or Greek.
-Charles Wesley, ibid.
Charles had infuriated the captain by refusing to speak English to him. The captain retaliated by blowing out Charles’s candle.
It may seem silly to the modern reader. But Charles wanted to work and write aboard ship and he needed the light of his candle to do so.
This attack from the captain was calculated. It was also accompanied by name-calling.
He told me I was drunk, mad, an emissary, a Jesuit, a devil; but could not get one English word from me.
-Charles Wesley, ibid.
After finally retiring for the evening, this sparring continued the following day. In the evening, the captain once again resumed his attack upon Charles.
His target was the candle.
In the evening he again put out Zouberbuhler’s candle, upon which Appee pulled out the spicket of the rum and let it run about the cabin. This was the cruelest punishment [that] could have been devised and farther heightened by our mirth at his inimitable resentment.
-Charles Wesley, ibid.
The captain attacked the candle. Charles’s companion responded in kind by attacking the captain’s rum supply.
This so enraged the captain that he involved the crew.
He called down his men ten times, ordering them to bind us in our beds, to ours and their no small diversion. He offered to get the candle in Zouberbuhler’s cabin, but the Swiss stood sentinel at his cabin door and then might as well have wrenched a bone from Cerberus. That captain gave it over as impossible, drank a hearty dram, and dropped asleep.
-Charles Wesley, ibid.
Charles Wesley had overcome in the battle with the drunken captain over the candle.
3. Happy Miss Bovey
Happy Miss Bovey, to be delivered by death from such a man!
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Tuesday, November 23, 1736.
Miss Bovey had died suddenly in July, 1736. She had been preparing to marry Mr Appee when he returned from a trip he had just set out upon.
Charles remarked on July 31, 1736, that the sudden death of his fiancée had changed Mr Appee for the better.
By November, Charles had completely changed his mind. This quote is boldly stating that Charles thought this young woman had been spared from a life of misery being married to Mr Appee.
Ouch.
Charles didn’t think about death the same way many people do. If you want to read more about Charles’s thoughts on death, you may want to read this post on it.
4. Challenged After The Service
Mrs Rhodes challenged me after the service—with, “I am glad to see you. I hope you go back again to Georgia.”
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Saturday, December 11, 1736.
I can’t help but laugh every time I read this one.
In context, Mrs Rhodes seems genuine. It’s not meant to be rude. She was for the work in America. She also was happy to see Charles.
Still, sounds like a back-handed statement.
Charles’s return home was sometimes met with these types of sentiments. It’s nice to see you. But we hope you go back.
5. A World of Misery
I called upon Mrs Pendarves, while she was reading a letter of my being dead. Happy for me had the news been true. What a world of misery would it save me.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Saturday, January 22, 1737.
Charles was often depressed. This quote shows a glimpse of that.
It has been well-documented that Charles was often pre-occupied with thoughts of death after his evangelical conversion. This quote comes from before his conversion.
From his depressed point of view, Charles saw his own life as a world of misery. After his conversion, Charles was still often depressed. However, his later hymns and poems show that he also found great joy in this world, too. Sometimes in unexpected places and circumstances.
6. The School of Christ
I had some conversation with Miss Granville about the fewness of those that are saved. How little is she advanced in the school of Christ, who is not convinced of this truth!
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Wednesday, April 6, 1737.
Both before and after his evangelical conversion, Charles wrestled with the attempts of fellow church-goers to widen the path of salvation.
Charles earned the nickname as a Methodist by taking the endeavors of religion far more seriously than most. He would never lose his emphasis on serious and devoted attention to the teachings of Scripture.
7. The Energy of Sin
I never knew the energy of sin till now that I experience the superior strength of Christ.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Tuesday, June 6, 1738.
Charles took his battle with his own personal sin seriously. After his conversion, he saw his own sin in a different light.
He also experienced the power of Christ in giving him victory.
8. Cured By Working
Faint, full of pain when I began, but my work quite cured me.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Sunday, August 6, 1738.
Charles was in poor health for most of his life. He often records entries like this one.
Instead of being a dissuasion to work, Charles found relief in continuing to minister in his poor health in some cases.
9. Follow Your Heart?
I prayed earnestly that neither he nor I might ever be left to follow our own heart’s desires.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Saturday, August 19, 1738.
Contrary to the popular notion that following your heart is good and right, Charles prayed earnestly for himself and others to never fall into this trap.
10. Loss For Christ’s Sake
Dined at old Mr Hutton’s. They could scarcely be civil. Surely for Christ’s sake have we lost this friendly family.
-Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Wednesday, November 15, 1738.
Charles saw first hand the division that could be caused over faith in Christ.
As Charles sought to minister the truth of the gospel, he was willing to accept the consequences.
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If you’d like to see more quotes like these, check out this post with 10 More Unknown Quotes From Charles Wesley.
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