"SAMUEL WESLEY."

Jack's first sermon was preached at a small town near Oxford, and his
second at his dear home-village, Epworth. Mr. Wesley was getting old,
and as he had now two churches to look after, the one at Epworth and
another at a place called Wroote, where he and Mrs. Wesley had gone to
live, he was very glad when his son offered to go and help him. And now
that Jack has grown up and got to be a proper minister, I think we must
begin to call him Mr. John. Well, Mr. John stayed some time helping his
father at Wroote and Epworth, and then went back again to Oxford, to
study for a place in a college there--Lincoln College.

There were several others trying to get this same place, and they didn't
like Mr. John because he would not do the wicked things they did, so
they made great fun of him, and laughed at him for being good. Nobody
likes being laughed at; and Mr. John didn't, but he bore it bravely; and
his father comforted him when he wrote: "Never mind them, Jack; he is a
coward that cannot bear being laughed at. Jesus endured a great deal
more for us, before He entered glory; and unless we follow His steps we
can never hope to share that glory with Him. Bear it patiently, my boy,
and be sure you never return evil for evil." His mother, too, sent
loving letters to cheer and comfort him.

So Mr. John worked hard, and bore his persecutions patiently--_for
Jesus' sake_; and in spite of all his enemies he won the coveted place,
and became Fellow of Lincoln College. Oh, how glad and thankful he was!
And his father and mother were so proud and happy.

It was just about this time that Mr. Wesley was afraid he would have to
leave Wroote, and it was a great trouble to him. "But," he said,
proudly, "wherever I am, my Jacky is Fellow of Lincoln." As for Jack, he
felt it was worth everything to give his father and mother such
pleasure.

Though he was properly grown up, twenty-three years old, Mr. and Mrs.
Wesley always thought of him as their "boy." Fathers and mothers always
do this. It doesn't matter how old their children grow to be, they love
to think of them, and speak of them as their "boys" and "girls." Dear
readers, remember there is no one on earth that loves you, or ever will
love you with such a big love as father and mother. No matter how tall,
or how strong, or how clever you may grow, they will always love you
with the same big love they did when you were lit