5. To my constant preaching at five in the morning, for above fifty
whole needed discipline and firmly believed that "wherever doctrine is preached, where there is no discipline, it cannot have its full effect upon the hearers."87
The Wesleys' Influence Remained
until the Very End
In 1770, George Whitefield passed away at the age of fifty-six. When John was asked if he expected to see Whitefield in heaven, he replied, "No….Do not misunderstand me, George Whitefield was so bright a star in the firmament of God's glory, and will stand so near the throne, that one like me, who am less than the least, will never catch a glimpse of him."88
In 1775, John published "A Calm Address to Our American Colonies," an open letter exhorting the colonies to remain loyal to England. He would tolerate no civil uprisings. This letter caused a breach between Wesley and the American colonists, and if it weren't for the likes of English missionaries such as George Whitefield and Francis Asbury, there might not be any Methodists in America today.
The 1780s were a difficult decade for John. As I have already mentioned, his wife passed away in 1781. In 1785, John Fletcher, his chosen successor, unexpectedly died. Then, in 1788, his beloved brother and co-laborer, Charles, went home to be with the Lord. In that same year, John looked over his life and assessed the reasons for his longevity. At eighty-five years of age, John attributed his good health to the following, which he recorded in his journal:
1. To my constant exercise and change of air.
2. To my never having lost a night's sleep, sick or well, at land or at sea, since I was born.
3. To my having sleep at command so that, whenever I feel myself almost worn out, I call it and it comes day or night.
4. To my having constantly for over sixty years risen at four in the morning.
5. To my constant preaching at five in the morning, for above fifty years.