THE KING’S BUSINESS
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ney, I think my wife will die. She is so ex ercised in her mind that she cannot rest day or night, but is given up entirely to prayer. She has been all the morning,’ said he, ‘in her room, groaning and struggling in prayer; and I am afraid it will entirely overcome her strength.’ Hearing my voice in the sitting-room, she came out from her bed-room, and upon her face was a _most heavenly glow. Her countenance was lighted up with a hope and a joy that were plainly from heaven. She exclaimed, ‘Brother Finney, the Lord has come! This work will spread all over this region! A cloud o f mercy overhangs us all; and we shall see such a work o f grace as we have never yet seen.’ Her husband looked sur prised, confounded, and knew not what to say. It was new to him, but not to me. I had witnessed such scenes before, and be lieved that prayer had prevailed; nay, I felt sure o f it in my own soul. WEAV ING FACTORY STOPPED ' “A circumstance occurred in this neigh borhood (Utica), which.I must not fail to notice. There was a Cotton manufactory on the Oriskany creek, a little above Whitesboro’, a place now called New York Mills. It was owned by a Mr. W., an unconverted man, but a gentleman o f high standing and good morals. My brother-in- law, Mr. G. A., was at that time superinten dent o f the factory. I was invited to go and preach in that place, and went up one evening, and preached in the village school- house, which was large, and was crowded with hearers. The word, I could see, took powerful effect among the people, especially among the young people at work in the factory. “ The next morning, after breakfast, I went into the factory to look through it. As I went through, I observed there was a good deal o f agitation among those who were busy at their looms, and their mules, and other implements o f work. On pass ing through one o f the apartments, where a great-number o f young women were attend ing to their weaving, I observed a couple o f them eyeing me, and speaking very earnestly to each other; and I could see
true !’ He fell upon his knees and wept aloud. This was the signal for a general breaking down. Every man and woman went down upon their knees. There were probably not more than a dozen present ; but they were the leading members o f the church. They all wept, and confessed, and broke their hearts before God. This scene continued, I presume, for "an hour ; and a more thorough breakirig down and confes sion I have seldom witnessed. “As soon as they recovered themselves somewhat, they besought me to remain and preach to them on the Sabbath. I regarded it as the voice o f the Lord, and consented to do so. This was on Thursday, at night. On Friday, my mind was greatly exercised. I went off frequently into the church, to engage in secret prayer, and had a mighty hold upon God. •The news was circulated, and on Sabbath the church was full of hearers. I preached all day, and God came down with great power upon the people, It was manifest to everybody that the work o f grace had begun. I made appointments to preach in different parts o f the town, in school-houses, and at the center, during the week ; and the work increased jr om day to day, “ In the meantime, my own mind was much exercised in prayer ; and I found that the spirit o f prayer Was prevailing, espe cially among thè female members o f the church. Mrs. B. and Mrs. H., the wives o f two o f the elders o f the church, I found, were, almost immediately, greatly exercised in prayer. Each o f them had families of unconverted children ; and they laid hold in prayer with an earnestness that, to me, gave promise-that their families must be converted. Mrs. H., however, was a wom an o f very feeble health, and had not ven tured out much, to any meeting, for a long time. But, as the day was pleasant, she was out at the prayer-meeting to which I have alluded, and seemed to catch the inspi ration o f that meeting, and took it home with her. •, “ It was the next week, I think, that I called in at Mr. H.’s and found him pale and agitated. He said to me ‘Brother Fin
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