The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-23
JOHN WESLEY'S LOVE AFFAIRS
His Vacillaton-He Loses His First Love Through
AItruism and Social Prejudice-CharIes' OBJ
lection TO His Marrying WEEDS a Widow,
Who Torments Him With Her Jealousy

Wesley's most serious love affair
previous to his marriage was with
Grace Murray a young widow 80 years
derby nursed him through a spell of
sickness at Newcastle, says the
Northwestern Christian Advocate.
Mrs MurraE was born in Newcastle,
but removed to London in young wom-
anhood. There she married sailor who
was born of a Scottish family that had
lost its estates during the rebellion of
Ills. AS a result of the death of her
infant child, Mrs. Murray began to at
tend the Methodist meetings. Her hus-
band bitterly opposed her association
with the Methodists and her accep-
lance of their doctrines, but she after
ward won him over. Mr.. Wesley, in
the first sermon she heard him preach,
asked, rs there any one here who de-
sires to be saved?" My heart re-
piled, she said, Yes, do" And her
answer TO this question finally led to
her conversion. Mr.. Murray was
drowned at sea in l742. and his widow
returned to Newcastle. where she be-
came housekeeper at Mr.. Wesley's or
phan house. She was foremost in all
Christian work. She met a band ev-
cry day of the week, visited the neigh
boring villages to read and pray with
the people and was leader of a class
of 100 members. She was also the nurse
OF Wesley's preachers, and one Of
them, John Bennett, whom she after
ward married. was under her care for
six months.
Wesley, impressed with the strong
character and fervent piety of Grace
Murray, resolved to make her his wife,
and in August. 174S, proposed marriage.
She replied: This is too great a bless
ing for me; l can't tell how 10 believe
it. This is all l could have wished
for under heaven" Wesley took Mrs.
Murray with him upon his journeys
through Yorkshire and Derbyshire,
where she was unspeakably useful
both to him and to the societies" She
remained, however, at Bolton, in the
circuit of which Bennett was preacher.
Wesley and Bennett were rivals for
the hand of Grace Murray, who SEEM
ed unable to decide which one she
thought il was her duty to marry; ana
at one time she wrote Wesley saying
that il seemed to be her duty to marry
Bennett. She travelled with Wesley
for a number of months; yet, though
they were so intimately associated, she
continued her correspondence with
Bennett and, it is said, sent him many
of Wesley's letters.
Wesley at one time was convinced
that she ought to marry Bennett, but
when he wrote her to this effect she
ran to him in an agony OF tears and
begged him not to talk so unless he
designed TO kill her." She assured
Wesley that Il love you thousand
times better than l ever loved John
Bennett in my life, but / am afraid II
l do not marry him he will run mad.
At one time she expressed her deter
mination to live and die with Wesley,
and urged him to marry her imInedi-
ately. Wesley delayed, however, wish
ing to satisfy Bennett, 10 secure his
brothers approval and TO inform the
societies of his intention.
The prospective marriage of Wesley
and Mrs Murray was bitterly opposed
by Charles Wesley, who had married
a lady of birth and position, and could
not bear the thought of his brother,
John, marrying a woman who, before
her marriage, had been servant.
Charles told his brother that their
preachers would leave them and their
societies would be scattered if he mar
ried a woman of so mean birth. John
replied that he wished to marry her
not for her birth but for her charac-
ter and worth Her neatness, her
carefulness, her strong sense and her
sterling piety had won his high es-
TEEN. She was 'indefatigably patient
and inexpressibly tender; quick, clean
" and skillful; of an engaging be-
havior and of mild, sprightly, cheer
full and yet serious temper; while her
gifts for usefulness were such as he
had not yet seen equalled.'' Failing
in his efforts with his brother. Charles
visited Mrs. Murray, and, after kiss
ing her, said: Grace Murray, you
have broken my heart" She rode with