Page 86 - Pilgrims in Georgia

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Charles Wesley – Artist of Praise

Charles Wesley the younger brother of John Wesley and a leader of the Methodist movement, is largely remembered for
the over 6,000 hymns he wrote.

Charles like John would have the course of his life altered for the better by his
experiences in Georgia and his encounter with the Moravians. When they reached
Georgia Charles was appointed Secretary to Oglethorpe and sent as chaplain to
the settlement at Fort Frederica on St. Simon's Island. However, matters did not

turn out well, Charles being subject to greater extremes of emotion than his
brother, spiritual despair, and physical exhaustion was not temperamentally suited
to be Oglethorpe's secretary. He also was not suited to be the parish priest and he
was largely rejected by the settlers. He ran into trouble with the colonists, had
bouts of illness, was shot at, slandered, and at one point shunned even by
Oglethorpe. As a result Charles was recommissioned as the bearer of dispatches to
the trustees of the colony but became so disheartened that he returned to
England, just six months after their arrival, never to return to the Georgia again.

Charles Wesley
But, in God’s Providence because of their acquaintance experienced in Georgia
After returning to England, Charles began to teach English to a Moravian Elder

Peter Böhler, the same friend that would later counsel Charles’ brother John. As
a result during an illness Böhler counseled Charles to begin reading Martin
Luther's volume on Galatians He wrote in his diary, "I labored, waited, and
prayed to feel 'who loved me, and gave himself for me.'" He shortly found
himself convinced, and journaled, "I now found myself at peace with God, and
rejoice in hope of loving Christ." John would have a similar experience just three
days later. In another intersection of friend and experiences, George Whitefield
encouraged the brothers to preach outside of church buildings. In his journal
entries from 1739 to 1743, Charles computed the number of those to whom he
Memorial to Charles and John Wesley
had preached. Of only those crowds for whom he stated a figure, the total during
these five years comes to 149,400.