Wesley Corpus

“2. More than twelve years ago, you told me, God had revealed it to you, that you should marry my youngest sister. I was much surprised, being well assured that you was able to receive our Lord’s saying, (so you ‘had continually testified,) and to be a ‘eunuch for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.’ But you vehemently affirmed, the thing was of God; you was certain it was his will. God had made it plain to you that you must marry and that she was the very person. You asked and gained her consent, and fixed the circumstances relating thereto. ‘©3. Hence I date your fall. Here were several faults in one. You leaned altogether to your own understanding, not consulting either me, who was then the guide of your soul, or the parents of your intended wife, till you had settled the whole affair. And while you followed the voice of nature, you said it was the voice of God. “4. In a few days you had a counter revelation, that you was not to marry her, but her sister. This last error was far worse than the first. But you was now quite above conviction. So, in spite of her poor, astonished parent, of her brothers, of all your vows and promises, you shortly after jilted the younger and married the elder sister. The other, who had honoured you as an angel from heaven, and still loved you much too well, (for you had stole her heart from the God of her youth,) refused to be comforted. She fell into a lingering illness, which terminated in her death. And doth not her blood still ery unto God from the earth? Surely it is upon your head. “5, Till this time you was a pattern of lowliness, meekness, seriousness, and continual advertence to the presence of God; and, above all, of self denial in every kind, and of suffering all things with joyfulness. But there was now a worm at the root of the gourd. Yet it did not presently wither away ; but for two years or more, after your marriage, you behaved nearly the same as before. “Then anger and surliness began to appear, particularly toward your wife. But it was not long before you was sensible of this, and you seemed to have conquered it.