John Wesley (1703–1791)

John Wesley was an Anglican priest and evangelist whose tireless preaching helped spark the Methodist revival in Britain. For decades he traveled by horseback, proclaiming the new birth, urging practical holiness, and organizing believers into societies and classes for prayer, Scripture, accountability, and service. His long journal—kept for roughly fifty-five years—became a record of providence, pastoral labor, and gospel advance.

October 24, 1790: Sermon and Final Journal Entry

On October 24, 1790, Wesley—eighty-seven years old and visibly weakened—preached again and then wrote the last line of his journal: “I hope many even then resolved to choose the better part.” The wording echoes Jesus’ commendation of Mary’s single-minded devotion: “But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)

A Quiet Kind of Heroism

The heroism here is not the drama of public triumph but the steadiness of faithful obedience. Near the end of life, when many would retreat into comfort, Wesley continued to spend himself for the spiritual good of others. His final line is not self-congratulation; it is intercession—hope that hearers would turn from passing comforts to the lasting joy found in Christ.

Faith That Does Not Retire

Wesley’s last entry reads like a pastoral heartbeat: warn, invite, and point again to the “one thing necessary.” Such perseverance mirrors the apostolic pattern: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) The finish mattered because the Savior mattered.

Final Months and Enduring Legacy

Wesley would die the following March (1791), but the gospel he preached outlived him. His closing sentence stands as a gentle summons to every generation: choose the better part early, choose it daily, and choose it at the end—Christ above all else.