ath and darkness, and
crying out, My Lord and my God; thou art my rock and my fortress, my
shield and my high tower, my life, my joy, my present and my
everlasting portion. Looking up, I thought I saw that same light [he
had on more than one previous occasion seen subjectively a bright blaze
of light], though it appeared different; and as soon as I saw it, the
design was opened to me, according to his promise, and I was obliged to
cry out: Enough, enough, O blessed God! The work of conversion, the
change, and the manifestations of it are no more disputable than that
light which I see, or anything that ever I saw.

"In the midst of all my joys, in less than half an hour after my soul
was set at liberty, the Lord discovered to me my labor in the ministry
and call to preach the gospel. I cried out, Amen, Lord, I'll go; send
me, send me. I spent the greatest part of the night in ecstasies of
joy, praising and adoring the Ancient of Days for his free and
unbounded grace. After I had been so long in this transport and
heavenly frame that my nature seemed to require sleep, I thought to
close my eyes for a few moments; then the devil stepped in, and told me
that if I went to sleep, I should lose it all, and when I should awake
in the morning I would find it to be nothing but a fancy and delusion.
I immediately cried out, O Lord God, if I am deceived, undeceive me.

"I then closed my eyes for a few minutes, and seemed to be refreshed
with sleep; and when I awoke, the first inquiry was, Where is my God?
And in an instant of time, my soul seemed awake in and with God, and
surrounded by the arms of everlasting love. About sunrise I arose with
joy to relate to my parents what God had done for my soul, and declared
to them the miracle of God's unbounded grace. I took a Bible to show
them the words that were impressed by God on my soul the evening
before; but when I came to open the Bible, it appeared all new to me.

"I so longed to be useful in the cause of Christ, in preaching the
gospel, that it seemed as if I could not rest any longer, but go I must
and tell the wonders of redeeming love. I lost all taste for carnal
pleasures, and carnal company, and was enabled to forsake them."[120]

[120] Life and Journals, Boston, 1806, pp. 31-40, abridged.

Young Mr. Alline, after the briefest of delays, and with no
book-learning but his Bible, and no teaching save that of his own
experience, became a Christian minister, and t