Wesley Corpus

On the morning of this day, several friends met together on this solemn occasion; who can all, as well as me, truly say, ‘I have been at one Christian wedding.” Jesus was invited, and truly he was at our Cana. We reached Cross-Hall before family-prayers. Mr. Fletcher was dressed in his canonicals; and after giving out one of Mr. Wesley’s marriage-hymns, he read the seventh, eighth, and ninth verses of the nineteenth chapter of the Revelation; and spoke from them in such a manner as greatly tended to spiritualize the solemnities of the day. He said, “We invite you to our wedding; but the Holy Ghost here invites you to the marriage of the Lamb. The Bride, the Lamb's wife, has made herself ready. This Bride consists of the whole Church triumphant and militant united together. Ye may all be the Bride, and Jesus will condescend to be the Bridegroom. Make yourself ready by being filled with the Spirit. He was very solemn in prayer, and said, ‘Lord, thou knowest, we would not take this step, if we had not eternity in view, and if we were not as willing to be carried into the church yard as to go into the church. At breakfast he reminded us, ‘The postilions are now ready to carry us to the church, in order to see our nuptials solemnized; but death will soon be here, to transport us to the marriage of the Lamb.’ “On the way to the church, (Batley church, which was near two miles off) he spoke much of the mystery which is couched under marriage, namely, the union between Christ and his Church. ‘The first Adam,” said he, “received his wife from his side; our heavenly Adam purchased his bride by a fountain opened in his pierced side. They were married in the face of the congregation; the doors were opened, and every one came in that would. We then returned home, and spent a considerable time in singing and prayer. We were near twenty of us. I then presented Mrs. Fletcher with some wedding-hymns. She looked them over, and gave them to Mr. Fletcher. He read the scripture at the top, namely, ‘Husbands, love your wives;’ and added, “As Christ loved the Church. Then turning to us, he said, “My God, what a task | Help me, my friends, by your prayers to fulfil it.