The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-09-21
How Hp Found Christ.
A GREAT MANS CONVEX
SION.

President Charles G.. Finney Tells
His Experience as q Seeker
After Truth and Light as it is
Found in a knowledge Of the
Lord Jesus---Helpful Thoughts
for Young Men.
This morning of which 1 have just
spoken, went down into the Office
and there was having the renewal
of these waves of love and salvation
flowing over me when Squire W
came into the office. 1 said few
words to him on the subject of his SAL
vation. He looked at me in astonish-
ment, but made no reply whatever,
that recollect. He dropped his head
and after standing few minutes left
the office. 1 thought no more of it
then, but afterward found that the
remark l made pierced him like
sword, and he did not recover from it
till he was converted.
X X X X X
Soon after Mr.. W. had left the
office Deacon B came into the
Office and said to me, " Mr.. Finney,
do you recollect that my cause is to
be tried at ten O'Clock this morning9
l suppose you are ready. q had been
retained to attend this suit as his at
torney.) I replied to him, Deacon
B. 1 have a retainer from the
Lord Jesus Christ to plead his cause,
and can not plead yours. He
looked at me with astonishment, and
he said, "What do you mean7" I told
him in few words that I had enlisted
in the cause of Christ and then re-
peated that 1 had retainer from the
Lord Jesus Christ to plead his cause
and that he must 60 and get some
body else to attend his law suit: I
could not do it. He dropped his head
and without making any reply, went
out. A few moments later, in passing
the window, 1 observed that Deacon
B. was standing in the road SEEM
ingly lost in deep meditation. He
went away, as 1 afterward learned,
and Immediately settled his suit. He
soon betook himself to prayer and
soon got into a higher religious state
than he had ever been in before.
X X X X X
l soon sailed forth from the Office
to converse with those whom I should
meet about their soul. I had the
impression which has never left my
mind that God wanted me to preach
the Gospel, and that I must begin i'm
mediately. 1 somehow seemed to know
it. If you ask me how I knew it I
can not tell how 1 knew it any more
than 1 can tell how knew that that
was the love of God and the baptism
of the Holy Ghost which l had re-
ceived. 1 did somehow know it with
a certainty that was past all possibil-
ity Of doubt. And so l seemed to
know that the Lord commissioned me
to preach the Gospel.
When 1 was first convicted the
thought had occurred to my mind
that if ever l was converted l should
be obliged to leave my profession of
which 1 was very fond, and 60 to
preaching the Gospel. This at first
stumbled me. thought had taken
too much pains and spent too much
time and study in my profession to
think now of becoming Christian, if,
by doing so, l should be obliged to
preach the Gospel. However, l at
last came to the conclusion that l
must submit that question to God ;
that l had never commenced the study
of law from any regard to God and
that l had no right to make any con-
ditions with Him, and I had then laid
aside the thought of becoming a min
lister until it was sprung in my mind
as l have related on my way from my
place of prayer in the woods.
But now after receiving these bap-
tisms of the Spirit was quite willing
to preach the Gospel. Nay, found
that I was unwilling to do anything
else. l had no longer any desire to
practice law. Everything in that di-
rection was shut up and had no attrac-
tions for me at all. l had no dispo-
sition to make money. l had no hun
gering and thirsting after worldly
pleasures and amusements in any di-
rection. My whole mind was taken
up with Jesus and his salvation, and
the world seemed to me of very little
consequence. Nothing it seemed to
me could be put in competition to
souls, and no labor l thought could be
so sweet and no employment SO ex-
alted as that of holding up Christ to a
dying world.
With this impression, as l said,
sailed forth to converse with any with
whom l might meet. l first dropped