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pulpit was between the doors, in the front o f the church. The house was a good deal crowded; but he finally got a seat near one o f the aisles, in quite the back part o f the church. At the close o f the meeting, as I had done at other times, I called for those that were anxious and whose minds were made up, to come forward, and take certain seats and occupy a certain space about the pulpit, where we could commend them to God in prayer. It afterward appealed that the wife herself had come to the meeting, had passed up the other aisle, and taken a seat almost opposite him, in the extreme part o f the house. When I made the call, he started immediately. She was watching, and as soon as she saw him on his feet, and making his way along the crowded aisle, she also started down the other aisle, and they met in front o f the pulpit, and knelt down together as subjects o f prayer. “A large number expressed hope on the spot; but this husband and wife did not. They went home, too proud to say much to each other about what they had done, and spent a very restless night. The next day, about 10 o’clock, he called to see me and was shown into my room. My wife occupied a front room on the second floor; and I a room in the rear on the same floor. While I was conversing with him, the serv ant informed me that a lady was waiting in Mrs. Finney’s room to see me. I excused myself for a few moments, and requested him to wait, while I went in to see her. I found that it was the woman who but-the day before had been so stubborn, and the wife o f the man who was then in my room.- Neither o f them knew that the other had called to see me. I conversed with her and found that she was on the verge o f submit ting to Christ. I had learned that he was also, to all appearance, in the same state. I then returned to him and said, ‘I am going to pray with a lady in Mrs. Finney’s room, and we will go in there, if you please, and all join in prayer together.’ He followed me and found his own wife. They looked at each other with surprise, but were both greatly affected, each to find the other
there. W e icnelt down to pray. I had not proceeded far in prayer before she began to weep, and to pray audibly,for her hus band. I stopped and listened and found that she had lost all concern for herself, and was struggling in an agony o f prayer for his conversion. His heart seemed to break and give way, and just at this time the bell rang for our dinner. I thought it would be well to leave them together alone. I therefore touched my wife, and we rose silently and went down to dinner, leaving them in prayer. W e took a hasty dinner and returned, and found them as mellow, and as humble, and as loving as could be desired.” MR. FINNEY IN ENGLAND In the fall o f 1849 Mr. Finney and his wife visited England, visiting several of the large cities and London itself. In Lon don he held meetings in Whitefield’s old tabernacle, o f which the Rev. John Camp bell was then the pastor. This first visit lasted a little more than a year and was abundantly blessed by God. As everywhere else, so in England, Mr. Finney’s theological position provoked much criticism, both good-natured and otherwise. Though his ministerial brethren did not always adopt his views, they could not deny that he was wonderfully successful in turning men “ from darkness to light and from the power o f Satan unto God.” Hundreds o f people were soundly converted, as proved by their changed lives, and churches that had been virtually dead were roused into newness o f life. - ¡É - The next six or seven-years were spent in the United States, and then in December, 1858, he again crossed the Atlantic, visiting Scotland as well as England. The same scenes were witnessed as on his previous visit, and his lectures on revivals had a wide circulation. He retained the pastorate o f the church at Oberlin until 1872, and his chair as pro fessor o f Pastoral Theology in the seminary until the end. He completed his last course o f lectures in July, 1875, a few days before his death. During the last month o f his life he preached one Sabbath in the First
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