e me in the dark,
as well as in the light.

I now felt constrained to beg for mercy, and spent the time in trying to
obtain pardon for my sins. But the morning came, and the hour drew near
for the hands to go to work, and I was still unhappy.

I felt so very different to what I had always felt, that I tried to
examine my impressions of the previous night, to learn if it was true
that God did see me or not; for I thought my imagination might have
deceived me.

Up to this time, I was not fully convinced that God knew all about me.
So I began to study about the matter. As I sat on the shoe-bench, I
picked up a bunch of bristles, and selecting one of the smallest, I
began to wonder, if God could see an object so small as that. No sooner
had this inquiry arose in my heart, than it appeared to me, that the
Lord could not only see the bristle, but that He beheld me, as plainly
as I saw the little object in my hand; and not only so, but that God was
then looking through me, just as I would hold up a tumbler of clear
water to the sun and look through it. This was enough. I felt that I
must pray, or perish; and now I began to pray.

But it really seemed, that the more I prayed the less hope there was for
me. Still I could not stop praying; for I felt that God was angry with
me. I had sinned against his holy laws; and now, if He should cut me
off, and send me to hell, it was but right. These thoughts followed me
day and night, for five weeks, before I felt relief. At length, one day,
while sitting on my shoe bench, I felt that my time had come when I must
die. What troubled me most, was that I should have to appear before God,
in all my sins;--O, what horror filled my soul at the thought!

I began to wonder what I must do. I knew I was not prepared for death
and the Judgment. It is true that two of my shopmates, at that time,
were members of the church; but they did not seem to care for my soul.
All the rest of the hands were as wicked as myself. "What shall I do?"
was in my mind, all the time I sat at work.

The reflection occurred to me, "Your mother is a christian; it may be
she can save you." But this suggestion appeared to be offensive to God.
Then came another thought,--"As my master was a rich man, could he not
do something to help me?" But I found no relief in either ... and while
I sat thus, hoping and praying, light broke into my mind--all my trouble
left me in an instant.

I felt such a love and peace flowing in