The Cornerstone

a brief life of John Murray for young people, by Irene Carrow Rees

IV. Cupid Goes to Church

Chapter V

CUPID GOES TO CHURCH

Mr. Murray attended various London churches, a practice much encouraged by Whitefield as promoting Christian fellowship. Everywhere he was not only welcomed, but treated with consideration. He called himself an independent Baptist, Methodist, Churchman, being unable to decide which he loved best. He became so zealous that he determined never to marry but to devote himself wholly to religion and mourned there was no monastic order in the Protestant church for him to join.

At the Baptist society of Good Man's Fields he met a serious-minded young man named Neale, with whom he became great friends. At all seasons they reached the Tabernacle before daybreak and prayed and wept together till the congregation arrived. Mr. Neale was an orphan with one sister. They lived with the grandfather who, according to the grandson, was a very profligate old gentleman, abhorring the name of Whitefield. The sister rarely ventured out since it was necessary to keep her church-going secret from the grandfather. There was an older brother, William, who had married and now lived in another part of London.

Mr. Neale told Mr. Murray that his sister longed to meet and hear him speak. She had heard much in his favor and intimated that she would make a point of being at Good Man's Fields the following Sunday evening if Mr. Murray was to be there. The room was full when he arrived and the people rose in respectful greeting at his entrance, which made him feel "dignifiedly pious, seriously happy. "

At once a very lovely young woman attracted his attention. He could hardly keep his eyes away and soon changed his seat that his pious meditations might not be disturbed by her beauty. By way of further diverting his mind, he asked Mr. Neale where his sister was sitting. He pointed to the charmer!

Mr. Murray had much to say that evening and never spoke better. At the close of the service he was introduced to Miss [ ] Neale and as a result spent the night in prayer that the Lord would help him to forget her, but his desire for a monastic life had been permanently put to flight.

He declined several times an invitation from the mistress of a boarding school to lead her young ladies in conversation on matters of religion, but when the principal casually mentioned that Miss Neale was to be one of the class and again urged her request, Mr. Murray found it convenient to be present. At ten, a servant arrived to take Miss Neale home and Mr. Murray was in great distress at being deprived of the pleasure he had been anticipating all the evening. He was more fortunate a few nights after, when they met at the house of Mrs. Allen, a mutual friend. On the way home Mr. Murray proposed. Miss Neale was discreet.

"Alas, Sir," she replied, "you have formed too high an opinion of my character. I trust you will meet a person more deserving of you than I can pretend to be." That, of course, was considered impossible and Mr. Murray persisted in his suit.

"You and I, " she replied, "both believe in the same overruling Providence. Let us pray to God and if we receive his sanction I trust I shall be resigned." Not a very flattering acceptance but sufficient for the lover.

The courtship was carried on under difficulties, since the obdurate old grandfather would let no follower of Wbitefield cross his threshold. Therefore the engagement was kept secret from him in the hope that time or circumstances might soften his prejudice. Miss Neale's brothers were told and the younger, especially, expressed delight and approval. The pair met often at Mrs. Allen's and she carried unsealed notes between them.

When everything appeared to be going smoothly young Neale, while still professing great friendship, wrote an anonymous letter to his grandfather, stating that Eliza was receiving the attentions of a young Methodist preacher, John Murray, who was planning to marry her secretly for her money.

The indignant old gentleman sent for Eliza and asked her if she was engaged to a man named Murray. When she admitted it, he commanded her to immediately dismiss him, threatening her with disinheritance if she refused. Miss Neale begged him to see and talk with Mr. Murray, promising to abide by his decision after the interview. She had great faith in the power of her lover's magnetic personality. Her grandfather refused to listen to any such proposition and gave her three days to make the choice between Mr. Murray and himself. At the end of that time she refused to break her engagement till she was convinced of Murray's unworthiness. She did, however, offer to stay with her grandf ather, if he would make no further attempt to shake her determination. This did not satisfy the old gentleman. He arose from his chair in wrath and, seizing the will in which he bad bequeathed her a thousand pounds, furiously flung it in the flames. Shortly after he made another will, adding that sum to the legacy of her treacherous brother.

Not content with the mischief he bad already wrought, young Mr. Neale tried another trick. Not knowing that John bad ever seen Eliza's handwriting, be gave him a letter signed with her name, which declared she never wished to see him again. Mr. Murray at once recognized the deception and told Mr. Neale he would take his dismissal only from Eliza's lips. Through Mrs. Allen, Murray got a letter to Eliza, telling her what had happened. She replied immediately, assuring him of her enduring faithfulness.

The grandfather kept Miss Neale very closely that she might have no opportunity to meet her lover. Once a week she was permitted to visit. Then she always went to Mrs. Allen's, where she never failed to find Murray. On Sundays she attended five o'clock morning service at the Tabernacle, since she could be back before her grandfather was up. No matter what the weather, the faithful John appeared at her gate at four and considered himself "much blessed" to be allowed to attend her. If she did not appear, he waited patiently till the dawn of day obliged him to leave and sorrowfully make his way alone to the Tabernacle.

Eliza's brother soon married and his wife seconded her husband in his efforts to separate Mr. Murray and Eliza, but without success. With all his troubles, between love and religion, he was very happy that winter.

A year went by and on the nineteenth of May, Mr. Murray and Miss Neale's elder brother William, who had always been a good friend, planned a day's excursion to the country. It was Eliza's eighteenth birthday, and scarcely had they started when they saw her approaching with a small parcel in her hand. She had left her grandfather's forever, leaving a note in which she thanked him affectionately for his kind care, but further told him that she would no longer endure his ceaseless attempts to induce her to break faith with her lover now that she was legally her own mistress. She had surrendered the keys of his house and all the money with which he had entrusted her.

Mr. Murray begged her to marry him at once but she regarded that as looking too much like an elopement and William took her to his home. The grandfather could not believe her in earnest and sent many times to beg her return.

After six months had elapsed Miss Neale and Mr. Murray were quietly married, William, his wife, and Mrs. Allen being the only witnesses. The marriage was a most happy one. Mrs. Murray's character and disposition matched her face in lovelinness. She and her husband were in absolute accord on matters of religion and they cared for nothing else. For a while they lived with William, but soon moved to a house of their own.