The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-05

HoV He Found Christ.

How He Found Christ.
A GREAT MANS CoNvER-
SION.
President Charles G. Finney Tells
His Experience as a Seeker
After Truth and Light as it is
Found in a knowledge Of the
Lord Jesus---Helpful Thoughts
for Young Men.
However, with one consent the peo-
pie seemed to rush to the place of
worship. l went there myself. The
minister was there and ready, all the
principle people of the village were
present. No one seemed ready to
open the meeting, but the house was
packed to its utmost capacity. l did
not wait for anybody, but arose and
began by saying that l then knew that
religion was from God. l went on
and told such parts of my experience
as it seemed important for me to tell.
This Mr.. C-who had promised his
wife that if l was converted he would
believe in religion, was present. MIR.
M-the old lawyer, was also present.
What the Lord enabled me to say
seemed to take wonderful hold upon
the people. Mr.. C-got up, passed
through the crowd, and went home
leaving his hat. Mr.. M--also left
and went home, saying l was crazy.
" He is in earnest" said he |" there is
no mistake; but he is deranged, that
is clear
The word of God had wonderful
power and l was every day surprised
to find that a few words spoken to an
individual, would stick in his heart
like an arrow. After short while l
went down to Henderson, where my
father lived, and visited him. He was
an unconverted man and only one of
the family, my youngest brother, had
ever made a profession OF religion.
My father met me at the gate and
said, How do you do, Charles?" l
replied "I am we'll, father, body and
soul. But, father, you are an old man;
all your children are grown up and
have left your house and l never
heard prayer in my fathers house. .
Father dropped his head, and burst
into tears, and replied, 81 know it,
Charles; come in and pray yourself"
X
We went in and engaged in prayer.
My father and mother were greatly
moved; and in a very short time
thereafter they were both hopefully
/ converted. do not know but my
mother had a secret hope before but
if SO, none of the family, l believe,
ever knew it. My youngest brother
attended this monthly concert OF
which l have spoken, and afterwards
gave me an account of it. The Baptists
and Congregationalists were in the
habit of holding a monthly union
concert. But few attended, and there
fore it was held at private house.
On this occasion they met as usual, in
the parlor of private house. A few
of the members of the Baptist church,
and few Congregationalists, were
present.
The deacon of the Congregational
church was spare, feeble old man,
by the name of M-He was quiet
in his ways and had good reputation
for piety; but seldom said much upon
the subject. He was good specimen
of New England deacon. He was
present, and they called on him to
lead the meeting. He read passage
of scripture according to their custom.
They then sung hymn, and deacon
M-stood up behind his chair and
led in prayer. The other persons
present, all of them professors of
religion, and younger people, knelt
down around the room.
! My brother SAID that Deacon NJ
began as usual his prayer, in low,
feeble voice but soon began to wax
warm and to raise his voice, which
became tremulous with emotion. He
/; proceeded to pray with more earnest
ness, till soon he began to rise on his
toes and come down on his heels, and
4 tIo~ rico bic loo1c ,rI
down on his toes again, SO that they
could feel the jar in the room. He
continued to increase his voice, and
rise upon his toes, and come down
upon his heels more emphatically. AS
the spirit of prayer led him onward he
began to raise his chair together with
! his heels, and bring that down upon
the floor and soon he raised it little
higher, and brought it down with still
more emphasis. He continued to dc
this, and grew more and more engaged.
till he would bring the chair down al
if he would break it to pieces.
In the mean time the brethren ana
sisters that were on their knees, begao
to groan, and sigh, and weep, ans
agonize in prayer. The deacon con
tinued to struggle until he was abou;
exhausted, and when he ceased my
brother said that no one in the room
could get off from his knees. They
could only weep and confess, and all
melt down before the Lord. From
this meeting the work of the Lord
spread fourth in every direction all
over the town. And thus it spread
at that time from Adam as a center
throughout nearly all the towns in the
country.
l have spoken of the conviction o1
Squire WIN whose Office l studied
law. | have also said that when | was
converted, it was in a grove where