During youth I maintained a correct external moral deportment, was a strenuous advocate of virtue and religion, read the Scriptures and theological works, [73] and attended public worship regularly; but through the shame and fear of men, I was prevented from becoming decidedly pious, until as late (I am ashamed now to say it), as my twenty-eighth year. During a powerful revival of religion at Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania, in 1851, I was first led to bestow upon the subject of experimental religion that serious, prayerful and candid consideration which its importance imperatively demands.

      I meditated upon the goodness of God, the folly and disgrace of sin, the beauty of faith, and God's claim upon my heart and service--the shortness of life and the solemn reality of the future world. I prayed for light, conviction and feeling. My prayer was answered. I saw that I was a sinner, a great sinner, yea, the chief of sinners, having sinned against light and knowledge, and knowing my Master's will, refused to do it. I felt the necessity of adopting the publican's petition, "God be merciful to me, a sinner" [Luke 18:13]. I discovered the "plague of my own heart" [1 Kings 8:38], its deep, dark depravity, and was made to see the importance of the Psalmist's petition,--"Create within me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" [Psalms 51:10]. These convictions continued to increase in pungency for six months. I then resolved to seek the Lord, and if He removed my distress, serve Him for life. One evening, after a sermon on Revelation 3:20, by Elder A. Swartz, [74] I offered myself publicly for the first time as a mourner for my sins, but found no peace; shame however left me entirely. The next evening I was again a public mourner, and rose from my knees in doubt, gloom and fear. In this condition, after asking advice from the brethren, and committing my case to the Saviour, I retired to sleep. At three o'clock in the morning, I was awakened by the singing in an adjoining tent. The first word I understood was "Jesus." That moment Jesus spoke peace to my soul, and revealed Himself as He really is, "chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely." My evidence was as clear as the cloudless sun at noonday. The joy I felt cannot be described. For months "Jesus all the day long was my joy and my song." On the morning of the same day of my espousal to Christ, I followed Him into the water, and was baptized by Elder J. H. Hurley. Like the Eunuch, I then went on my way rejoicing [Acts 8:39], and on the way told others of my heavenly hope. Impressed with the duty of preaching the gospel, I said to the brethren, "Here am I--send me" [see Isaiah 6:8]. Since then I have been trying to preach Christ, and whilst earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints [Jude 3], as believed in the Church of God, I pray God ever to grant me grace to love Christians in all denominations. I hope for eternal life.

[THW 73-75]