THE WOMEN AROUND JOHN WESLEY AT HOME ... - Kristoffersen

that Wesley had founded. He admired her for hercleanliness, her feeling for order and her businessliketransactions in the Newcastle House. Wesley and Mrs.Murray spent a lot of time together. She travelled with himon several of his preaching tours. She was, may be, the onlywoman who knew how one should live with this man withhis special quality. After a long acquaintance and workingtogether Wesley told her that he would like to marry her.She answered that it was a great honour and she accepted.Wesley was a bit blue-eyed. He thought that everythingwas all right and without hinder on the way forward. Hewent on a visiting tour to the Methodist Societies. Heshould get marry when he returned from the inspectiontour. There were two factors that Wesley had not taken intoaccount. One was that Mrs. Murray had a good friend inJohn Bennet, one of Wesley´ s preachers. Mrs. Murray andJohn Bennet were more than good friends.The other hinder for John´ s marriage was Charles,his own brother. When Charles heard about the possibilitythat John should marry Mrs. Murray, then he intervened.From his student time at Oxford the Holy Club had 12rules. One rule said that in case of love that could lead tomarriage then they should seek counsel from each other.Charles Wesley rode over to Mrs. Grace Murray,and he told her something that made her marry in hasteJohn Bennet. What Charles said to Grace, we don’t know,but he gave her the impression that all was over and thatJohn Wesley would not marry her. Charles was alsosomething of a snob, who thought more of the socialprestige than John did. John had his societies, whichcontained people from all classes of society, and it was the81