me a satisfying experience--when suddenly the
darkness of the night seemed lit up--I felt, realized, knew, that God
heard and answered my prayer. Deep happiness came over me; I felt I was
accepted into the inner circle of God's loved ones."

In the following case also the flash of light is metaphorical:--

"A prayer meeting had been called for at close of evening service. The
minister supposed me impressed by his discourse (a mistake--he was
dull). He came and, placing his hand upon my shoulder, said: 'Do you
not want to give your heart to God?' I replied in the affirmative.
Then said he, 'Come to the front seat.' They sang and prayed and
talked with me. I experienced nothing but unaccountable wretchedness.
They declared that the reason why I did not 'obtain peace' was because
I was not willing to give up all to God. After about two hours the
minister said we would go home. As usual, on retiring, I prayed. In
great distress, I at this time simply said, 'Lord, I have done all I
can, I leave the whole matter with thee.' Immediately, like a flash of
light, there came to me a great peace, and I arose and went into my
parents' bedroom and said, 'I do feel so wonderfully happy.' This I
regard as the hour of conversion. It was the hour in which I became
assured of divine acceptance and favor. So far as my life was
concerned, it made little immediate change."

The most characteristic of all the elements of the conversion crisis,
and the last one of which I shall speak, is the ecstasy of happiness
produced. We have already heard several accounts of it, but I will add
a couple more. President Finney's is so vivid that I give it at
length:--

"All my feelings seemed to rise and flow out; and the utterance of my
heart was, 'I want to pour my whole soul out to God.' The rising of my
soul was so great that I rushed into the back room of the front office,
to pray. There was no fire and no light in the room; nevertheless it
appeared to me as if it were perfectly light. As I went in and shut
the door after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face to
face. It did not occur to me then, nor did it for some time
afterwards, that it was wholly a mental state. On the contrary, it
seemed to me that I saw him as I would see any other man. He said
nothing but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at
his feet. I have always since regarded this as a most remarkable state
of mind; for it seemed