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heard. She looked down to see that her hands were trembling, and she closed her eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to overflow. She had been in church every Sunday of her life and could quote large sections of the Bible. It had never occurred to her that her religion was lacking in any way—but now as she sat and listened to the cries of grief rising from those who pressed forward to the anxious seat, she was shaken to the very depths of her soul.
    She had never considered herself a sinner; a “sinner” was someone who did things like Mary had done—living a life of drunkenness and immorality. Now she saw that she was in the same condition as the worst sinner, for the preacher had made it abundantly clear that there were no “good” sinners—only lost ones on the way to hell. Stripping away all her defenses, he pointed out that morality, church membership, baptism, good works could not save a soul from hell. She felt alone and naked before the eyes of God!
    How long she sat there, she didn’t know, but soon she felt Mary’s hand go around her shoulder and heard her whisper, “You need Jesus as your Savior, Becky—don’t you now?”
    Rebekah could not answer, for there was a struggle inside of her. Part of her drew back from what was going on. Some seekers near her had fallen to the floor in an agony of grief, and she had been taught in her own church that such fanaticism was not of God. It was all foreign to her, including the cries of those at the anxious seat and the directness of thechurch members who moved from person to person, speaking to sinners and urging them to accept Christ.
    But in spite of all that, there was a yearning in her heart to find the peace and joy she saw in others. She had found the words of the preacher disturbing, but they had offered her a hope that was very real. “Jesus never fails!” he cried out. “The world will deceive you; your own family may cast you off—but Jesus said, ‘He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out!’ ”
    I will in no wise cast out. In that moment, the thought of her own loneliness broke Rebekah’s heart, and her eyes filled with tears, blurring her vision. “Oh, I need God!” she whispered to Mary. “But I’m so afraid!”
    Mary squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s go down and we’ll pray for God to save you, Becky.”
    They made their way to the front, which was crowded with many seekers. Mary handed Timmy to a friend she saw there, then turned and said, “Let’s kneel and pray, Becky!”
    Falling to her knees, Rebekah could not think. Her heart was filled with grief, and she could not pray aloud. For a long time she knelt and listened as others prayed, hearing Mary’s cries to God on her behalf—but she seemed to be paralyzed, and for a long time could do nothing but cry. Then she felt a firm hand on her arm, pulling her around.
    “Young woman, do you desire Christ?”
    She found herself looking directly into the eyes of Rev. Finney, whose gaze seemed to slice into the depths of her soul. She nodded mutely, and he said gently, “Don’t be afraid, child! It’s your time to find the Lord. Now, I will pray for you, and I want you to pray as best you can. If you can’t pray out loud, then just call on God in your heart. Tell Him you’re a sinner, and ask Him to forgive you of all your sins in the name of Jesus. Will you do that?”
    “Yes, sir,” Rebekah whispered.
    He began to pray in a tone that was low but firm, giving Rebekah courage. He had been so somber in the pulpit, butas he knelt beside her, he spoke to God as a man would speak to his friend—very confident, very sure; and this assurance enabled her to pray as well: “Lord, save me for Jesus’ sake!”
    The moment she did, a peace flooded her, and she gave a glad cry of joy. Finney looked up and said, “You are converted, are you not? Jesus has come into your heart?”
    “Yes! Oh, yes!”
    “Glory to God! Now, you must ask God to fill you with His Holy