the flesh cannot please God." What solemn words! And what a name has God given to all these attempts to please Him, which are not made because we have life, but in order to get it. He calls them our "filthy rags!" We have not to bring righteousness to God that He may be satisfied with it, but to receive righteousness from Him, and to own that what He is satisfied with is the perfect work of Christ, by which we are not only cleansed from sin, but by which also we become new creatures, alive with the life of Christ, having the mind of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ. The other books which John read were no more likely to help him, than was the book of Thomas-à-Kempis. been a blessing to him, had he never had

It would have

any book but

the bible, from which to learn about God. As it was, he read his books of man's thoughts, and he became more and more unhappy. He wrote to his mother that, after all his endeavours, he only felt more and more how he disliked holiness, and how impossible it was for him to do all the things which Thomas-à-Kempis said he ought to do. He entreated his mother to spend the Thursday evenings in praying for him, as she used to spend them in talking to him.

CHAPTER IV.

WHEN John Wesley was twenty-two years old, he was chosen to be a fellow of Lincoln College at Oxford. He had been living at Oxford during the past five years, but the change from one college to another made a great difference to him. He was taken out of the way of his former companions, and he resolved to choose no new acquaintances, unless he should find any who would help him to live a holy life. He was by this time thought much of at Oxford for his learning and cleverness, and had become a clergyman. He determined to give himself up entirely to the great work of becoming holy. He went to the Lord's Supper every week, gave a great deal of money to the poor, and spent his time only in those employments which he thought good and useful.

Just at this time his younger brother Charles, who was now eighteen, left Westminster, and came to study at Christ Church. John, however, saw but little of his brother, for just after Charles came to Oxford, old Mr. Wesley, who was now getting infirm, desired John to go back to Epworth to be his curate.

John therefore returned home in August, 1727. He left Charles a merry, thoughtless boy, with no care for his soul. He found things changed at Epworth. His father was in very bad health. Emilia was living at the parsonage in another parish, which had been given to Mr. Wesley. Sukey was married, and, sad to say, to a very bad husband. Hetty, who had been such a bright, clever girl, had turned out very badly, and was married to a plumber and glazier in London. Nancy, too, was married. Molly and Patty were still at home, and Kezzy was just going to be an under-teacher in a boarding school at Lincoln.

John found more time at Epworth than he had at Oxford for reading Thomas-à-Kempis and other books of the sort, and he now wished to do as Thomas-à-Kempis had done-namely, to shut himself up entirely from the world, and see nobody. His mother did not think this a good plan, and some one living near Epworth, whom John calls "a serious man," whom he went several miles to consult, said to him, "Sir, you wish to serve God and go to heaven, remember, you cannot serve Him alone, you must therefore find companions, or make them." These words struck John as being right, and he gave up

C

his plan of going to live out of the world, in one of the Yorkshire dales.

In November, 1729, he returned again to Oxford, and there he found matters much changed during the two years that he had been away. This change had been brought about by Charles, of whose history at Oxford I shall tell you something before long.

One reason perhaps the chief reason - that John Wesley had for returning to Oxford was, that whilst at Epworth, he had received a letter from his brother Charles, in which were these words, "It is owing, in a great measure, to somebody's prayers-my mother's most likely that I am come to think as I do; for I cannot tell myself how or when I woke out of my lethargy, only that it was not long after you went away."

It was from this time that Charles had become quite changed in his thoughts and conduct, and, like John, he had become very anxious to be saved. Like John, too, he thought that the way to be saved was to try his best to do good works, and especially good works which he found disagreeable. He thought, too, that it would be right, and that it might help him in the way to be saved, to go to the Lord's Supper every Sunday. He talked

about these things to his fellow-students.

Two of them,

whose names were Morgan and Kirkham, thought Charles was right, and that they ought to do as he did. The rest laughed at them, and called them Methodists. This word had been used before as a nickname for people who led very strict lives, and were religious. Charles and his friends cared nothing for being laughed at, and they agreed together to meet for reading, and to make rules for their conduct, such as fasting twice a-week, and other plans by which they hoped to become holy. Their friends called them "the Holy Club," thinking that to accuse them of holiness, was indeed a disgrace and insult. When John returned to Oxford in November, 1729, Charles and his friends received him with great joy, and asked him to make the rules which they would all agree to keep. John's rules were very strict, as he thought that the more people were compelled to do things they naturally disliked, the holier they would become. They were regularly to examine themselves diligently, as to whether they had kept the rules, and obeyed every direction in the prayer-book, especially as to fasting. They were to read Latin and Greek together three or four evenings in the week, and on Sunday evenings the Greek Testament,