The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-21
JOHN WESLEY'S LOVE AFFAIRS
HIS IACILLATION.

lie Loses Ills First Love Through AnruisnI
and Social Pre- -Charies's ObJec.
| tion to His MarryinE-Weds a widow.
! Who TOrments Him With Her Jealousy.
! From The North1estern Gu ristidn Advocate
! Wesley's most serious love affair previous
| to his marriage was with Grace Murray,
| a young widow ~ years old who won his
heart while she tenderly nursed him through
| spell Of sickness at Newcastle. Mrs. Murray
! was born at Newcastle but removed to Lon
! don in young womanhood. There she mar
| ried sailor who was born OF Scottish
| family that had lost its estates during the
| rebellion Of l7l5. As result of the death
! of her infant child. Mrs. Murray began to
| attend the Methodist meetings. Her hus-
| band bitterly opposed her association with
the Methodists and her acceptance Of their
| doctrines but she afterward won him over.
Mr.. Wesley. in the first sermon she heard
| him preach, asked, is there any one here
who desires to be saved?" MY heart re-
piled" she sad, "'iss, | do" And her
answer to this question finally led to her
! conversion. Mr. Murray was drowned ut
sea in l74?, and his widow returned to New
| castle, where she became housekeeper mt
| Mr.. Wesey's orphan house. She was fore
| most in all Christian work She met band
every day OF the week. visited the neighbor-
| ing villages to read and pray with the people
! and was leader OF class of 100 members.
| She was also the nurse Of Wesley's preachers.
/ and one Of them, John Bennett. whom she
! afterward married. was under her care for
! six months,
Wesley. impressed with the strong char
| acter and fervent pety of Grace Murray.
resolved to make her his wife, and in August.
1873. proposed marriage. She replied: This
! is too great a blessing for me: can't tell
| h.u %, hllia | ig
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. how
ever at Bolton. IN the circuit OF which Bennett
was preacher Wesley and Bennett were
! rivals for the hand of Grace Murray, who
| seemed unable to decide which one she thought
! 1t was her duty to marry: and at one time she
| wrote Wesley saying that 1t seemed to be
| her duty to marry Bennett. She travelled
with Wesley for number OF months; yet,
though they were So intimately associated.
| she continued her correspondence with
| Bennett and. II IS said, sent him mnny Of
-, Wesley's letters.
/ Wesley at one time was convinced that
| she ought to marry Bennett. but when he
| wrote her ia 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 mat love you u 'HouSuHi
| times better .han ever loved John Bennett
| in my life. but am afraid II do not marry
| him he will run mad" At one time she eN-
| pressed her determination TO live and die with
! Wesley, and urged him to marry her im-
| mediately Wesley delayed. however wish
| ing to satisfy Bennett. to secure his brothers
| approval and to inform the societies of his
intention.
The prospective marriage of Wesley aud
NJ, httr rly nupbspl NV
Charles Wesley. who had married lady Of
birth and position and could not bear the
thought OF his brother John marrying
woman who before her marriage, had been II
| servant. Charles told his brother that their
| preachers would leave them and their societies
| would h" scattered if he married a woman of
| 40 mean birth. John replied that he wished
TO marry her not for her birth hut for her
| character and worth. Her neatness her
| carefulnrss. her strong sense and her sterling
| piety had won his high esteem. She was
| "ndeiat iHably patient and inexpressibly
! tender: quick. clearly and skilful: of an
| engaging beha vior and of a mild, sprightly.
| cheerful and yet serious temper; while her
! gifts for usefulness were such az he had
not yet seen eauulled." Failing in his efforts
with his brother. Charles visited Mrs Murray.
and, after kissing her said: Grace Murray,
E X she eo she Tt
Bennet, begged forgiveness for using him 10
badly and within ,s, week became r,s,. his wife.
| Leeds. where he heard the news Of Grace
| Murray's marriage. He there met Bennett.
and. without utterins word OF upbraiding.
The conduct of Mrs. Murray and wes!eys
disappointment IN losing h1 hsr T sss.pp perhaps
it. Wesley wrote as follows to Thomas BiRx
Of Newcastle:
MI DEAR BRorHER: Since was years old
never met with such ssvers ,n hI as ior some
y COW SIsssa f,n q
ss, torn ..nae. By wAri ,s.D ux.G Il few
the ,s s;a1 a ? told
ssss , as Ell s ve %.v.s no
a o9s Il, e ss q "o
hu, above Al ny own WI am NJ .'e hbo A1n was
from w9 nee t t. desire Of thine
shalt thou not lament neither shall thy tears run
The fatal rrevocshs stroke WAS ,r M1%ck s on
ie " You 1%" n. we" saw NY why should
man Gomps Sn,, men SI ths punishment
of his Sins ar" yours ""''''0" JOIN WESLEY.
His experience with Mrs. Murray, how
ever did not remove from H., Wesley the i'm.
h mnrrsd nr VIE RI r ESoH Of Soa
! She haO four CnllureH anu bpS~SSScu u IoT-
;,nc az $50 600 which Wesley settled on her
and hsr fhafsn When e; % %ssy char hi.
struck. he said, and could only answer ne
had given me the Grst blow and his mar
| rage would como like the coup de grace
Trmsty Ned perronet followed and told me
the person was Mr., ;o. vnH.,,,n one 1f whom
! Ma ro,npnny to the chapel and retired to
mourn Win ny is,hfnl Snliy spcsn"d dd all
mr own and the peoples burden. | could
eat eat no PLEASANT food nor preach nor rest,
| either by night or dry.
| Wesiev's marriage to Mrs Va7rilla was
| bostencd by an accident which befcll him on
London Bridge While ,gong, from The foun:
drv TO Snowhelds, he slipped on the ice and
feli with great force. nj'iring tho bone OF his
ankle The injury Obliged hin Z, to , give tnp
hts Journey to the north. and ne took up HI:
the rrma Under Of the week partly in PRAYER.
reading md conversation, partly Il. writing
Hebrew grammar and Lessons for Children
He was nj arried the followin Monday or Tues