Tolstoy’scasewasagoodcommentonthosewords。Therewasalmostnotheologyinhisconversion。Hisfaith-statewasthesensecomebackthatlifewasinfiniteinitsmoralsignificance。
AmericanJournalofPsychology，vii。345-347，abridged。
Thecharacteristicsoftheaffectiveexperiencewhich，toavoidambiguity，should，Ithink，becalledthestateofassuranceratherthanthefaith-state，canbeeasilyenumerated，thoughitisprobablydifficulttorealizetheirintensity，unlessonehasbeenthroughtheexperienceone’sself。
Thecentraloneisthelossofalltheworry，thesensethatallisultimatelywellwithone，thepeace，theharmony，theWILLINGNESSTOBE，eventhoughtheouterconditionsshouldremainthesame。ThecertaintyofGod’s“grace。”of“justification。”
“salvation。”isanobjectivebeliefthatusuallyaccompaniesthechangeinChristians；butthismaybeentirelylackingandyettheaffectivepeaceremainthesame——youwillrecollectthecaseoftheOxfordgraduate：andmanymightbegivenwheretheassuranceofpersonalsalvationwasonlyalaterresult。
Apassionofwillingness，ofacquiescence，ofadmiration，istheglowingcentreofthisstateofmind。
Thesecondfeatureisthesenseofperceivingtruthsnotknownbefore。Themysteriesoflifebecomelucid，asProfessorLeubasays；andoften，nayusually，thesolutionismoreorlessunutterableinwords。Butthesemoreintellectualphenomenamaybepostponeduntilwetreatofmysticism。
Athirdpeculiarityoftheassurancestateistheobjectivechangewhichtheworldoftenappearstoundergo。“Anappearanceofnewnessbeautifieseveryobject。”thepreciseoppositeofthatothersortofnewness，thatdreadfulunrealityandstrangenessintheappearanceoftheworld，whichisexperiencedbymelancholypatients，andofwhichyoumayrecallmyrelatingsomeexamples。[135]Thissenseofcleanandbeautifulnewnesswithinandwithoutisoneofthecommonestentriesinconversionrecords。JonathanEdwardsthusdescribesitinhimself：——
[135]Above，p。150。
“Afterthismysenseofdivinethingsgraduallyincreased，andbecamemoreandmorelively，andhadmoreofthatinwardsweetness。Theappearanceofeverythingwasaltered；thereseemedtobe，asitwere，acalm，sweetcast，orappearanceofdivineglory，inalmosteverything。God’sexcellency，hiswisdom，hispurityandlove，seemedtoappearineverything；inthesun，moon，andstars；inthecloudsandbluesky；inthegrass，flowers，andtrees；inthewaterandallnature；whichusedgreatlytofixmymind。Andscarceanything，amongalltheworksofnature，wassosweettomeasthunderandlightning；
formerlynothinghadbeensoterribletome。Before，Iusedtobeuncommonlyterrifiedwiththunder，andtobestruckwithterrorwhenIsawathunderstormrising；butnow，onthecontrary，itrejoicesme。”[136]
[136]Dwight：LifeofEdwards，NewYork，1830，p。61，abridged。
BillyBray，anexcellentlittleilliterateEnglishevangelist，recordshissenseofnewnessthus：——
“IsaidtotheLord：’Thouhastsaid，theythataskshallreceive，theythatseekshallfind，andtothemthatknockthedoorshallbeopened，andIhavefaithtobelieveit。’InaninstanttheLordmademesohappythatIcannotexpresswhatI
felt。Ishoutedforjoy。IpraisedGodwithmywholeheart……IthinkthiswasinNovember，1823，butwhatdayofthemonthIdonotknow。Irememberthis，thateverythinglookednewtome，thepeople，thefields，thecattle，thetrees。Iwaslikeanewmaninanewworld。IspentthegreaterpartofmytimeinpraisingtheLord。”[137]
[137]W。F。Bourne：TheKing’sSon，aMemoirofBillyBray，London，Hamilton，Adams&Co。，1887，p。9。
StarbuckandLeubabothillustratethissenseofnewnessbyquotations。ItakethetwofollowingfromStarbuck’smanuscriptcollection。One，awoman，says：——
“Iwastakentoacamp-meeting，motherandreligiousfriendsseekingandprayingformyconversion。Myemotionalnaturewasstirredtoitsdepths；confessionsofdepravityandpleadingwithGodforsalvationfromsinmademeobliviousofallsurroundings。
Ipleadformercy，andhadavividrealizationofforgivenessandrenewalofmynature。WhenrisingfrommykneesIexclaimed，’Oldthingshavepassedaway，allthingshavebecomenew。’Itwaslikeenteringanotherworld，anewstateofexistence。Naturalobjectswereglorified，myspiritualvisionwassoclarifiedthatIsawbeautyineverymaterialobjectintheuniverse，thewoodswerevocalwithheavenlymusic；mysoulexultedintheloveofGod，andIwantedeverybodytoshareinmyjoy。”
Thenextcaseisthatofaman：——
“IknownothowIgotbackintotheencampment，butfoundmyselfstaggeringuptoRev——’sHolinesstent——andasitwasfullofseekersandaterriblenoiseinside，somegroaning，somelaughing，andsomeshouting，andbyalargeoak，tenfeetfromthetent，Ifellonmyfacebyabench，andtriedtopray，andeverytimeIwouldcallonGod，somethinglikeaman’shandwouldstranglemebychoking。Idon’tknowwhethertherewereanyonearoundornearmeornot。IthoughtIshouldsurelydieifIdidnotgethelp，butjustasoftenasIwouldpray，thatunseenhandwasfeltonmythroatandmybreathsqueezedoff。Finallysomethingsaid：’Ventureontheatonement，foryouwilldieanywayifyoudon’t。’SoImadeonefinalstruggletocallonGodformercy，withthesamechokingandstrangling，determinedtofinishthesentenceofprayerforMercy，ifIdidstrangleanddie，andthelastIrememberthattimewasfallingbackonthegroundwiththesameunseenhandonmythroat。Idon’tknowhowlongIlaythereorwhatwasgoingon。Noneofmyfolkswerepresent。WhenIcametomyself，therewereacrowdaroundmepraisingGod。Theveryheavensseemedtoopenandpourdownraysoflightandglory。Notforamomentonly，butalldayandnight，floodsoflightandgloryseemedtopourthroughmysoul，andoh，howIwaschanged，andeverythingbecamenew。Myhorsesandhogsandeveneverybodyseemedchanged。”
Thisman’scaseintroducesthefeatureofautomatisms，whichinsuggestiblesubjectshavebeensostartlingafeatureatrevivalssince，inEdwards’s，Wesley’sandWhitfield’stime，thesebecamearegularmeansofgospel-propagation。Theywereatfirstsupposedtobesemi-miraculousproofsof“power“onthepartoftheHolyGhost；butgreatdivergenceofopinionquicklyaroseconcerningthem。Edwards，inhisThoughtsontheRevivalofReligioninNewEngland，hastodefendthemagainsttheircritics；andtheirvaluehaslongbeenmatterofdebateevenwithintherevivalisticdenominations。[138]Theyundoubtedlyhavenoessentialspiritualsignificance，andalthoughtheirpresencemakeshisconversionmorememorabletotheconvert，ithasneverbeenprovedthatconvertswhoshowthemaremoreperseveringorfertileingoodfruitsthanthosewhosechangeofhearthashadlessviolentaccompaniments。Onthewhole，unconsciousness，convulsions，visions，involuntaryvocalutterances，andsuffocation，mustbesimplyascribedtothesubject’shavingalargesubliminalregion，involvingnervousinstability。Thisisoftenthesubject’sownviewofthematterafterwards。OneofStarbuck’scorrespondentswrites，forinstance：——
[138]ConsultWilliamB。Sprague：LecturesonRevivalsofReligion，NewYork，1832，inthelongAppendixtowhichtheopinionsofalargenumberofministersaregiven。
“Ihavebeenthroughtheexperiencewhichisknownasconversion。
Myexplanationofitisthis：thesubjectworkshisemotionsuptothebreakingpoint，atthesametimeresistingtheirphysicalmanifestations，suchasquickenedpulse，etc。，andthensuddenlyletsthemhavetheirfullswayoverhisbody。Thereliefissomethingwonderful，andthepleasurableeffectsoftheemotionsareexperiencedtothehighestdegree。”
Thereisoneformofsensoryautomatismwhichpossiblydeservesspecialnoticeonaccountofitsfrequency。Irefertohallucinatoryorpseudo-hallucinatoryluminousphenomena，photisms，tousethetermofthepsychologists。SaintPaul’sblindingheavenlyvisionseemstohavebeenaphenomenonofthissort；sodoesConstantine’scrossinthesky。ThelastcasebutonewhichIquotedmentionsfloodsoflightandglory。HenryAllinementionsalight，aboutwhoseexternalityheseemsuncertain。ColonelGardinerseesablazinglight。PresidentFinneywrites：——
“AllatoncethegloryofGodshoneuponandroundaboutmeinamanneralmostmarvelous……Alightperfectlyineffableshoneinmysoul，thatalmostprostratedmeontheground……Thislightseemedlikethebrightnessofthesunineverydirection。
Itwastoointensefortheeyes……IthinkIknewsomethingthen，byactualexperience，ofthatlightthatprostratedPaulonthewaytoDamascus。ItwassurelyalightsuchasIcouldnothaveenduredlong。”[139]
[139]Memoirs，p。34
Suchreportsofphotismsareindeedfarfromuncommon。HereisanotherfromStarbuck’scollection，wherethelightappearedevidentlyexternal：——
“Ihadattendedaseriesofrevivalservicesforabouttwoweeksoffandon。Hadbeeninvitedtothealtarseveraltimes，allthetimebecomingmoredeeplyimpressed，whenfinallyIdecidedI
mustdothis，orIshouldbelost。Realizationofconversionwasveryvivid，likeaton’sweightbeingliftedfrommyheart；astrangelightwhichseemedtolightupthewholeroomforitwasdark；aconscioussupremeblisswhichcausedmetorepeat’GlorytoGod’foralongtime。DecidedtobeGod’schildforlife，andtogiveupmypetambition，wealthandsocialposition。Myformerhabitsoflifehinderedmygrowthsomewhat，butIsetaboutovercomingthesesystematically，andinoneyearmywholenaturewaschanged，i。e。，myambitionswereofadifferentorder。”
HereisanotheroneofStarbuck’scases，involvingaluminouselement：——
“Ihadbeenclearlyconvertedtwenty-threeyearsbefore，orratherreclaimed。Myexperienceinregenerationwasthenclearandspiritual，andIhadnotbackslidden。ButIexperiencedentiresanctificationonthe15thdayofMarch，1893，abouteleveno’clockinthemorning。Theparticularaccompanimentsoftheexperiencewereentirelyunexpected。IwasquietlysittingathomesingingselectionsoutofPentecostalHymns。Suddenlythereseemedtobeasomethingsweepingintomeandinflatingmyentirebeing——suchasensationasIhadneverexperiencedbefore。
Whenthisexperiencecame，Iseemedtobeconductedaroundalarge，capacious，well-lightedroom。AsIwalkedwithmyinvisibleconductorandlookedaround，aclearthoughtwascoinedinmymind，’Theyarenothere，theyaregone。’Assoonasthethoughtwasdefinitelyformedinmymind，thoughnowordwasspoken，theHolySpiritimpressedmethatIwassurveyingmyownsoul。Then，forthefirsttimeinallmylife，didIknowthatIwascleansedfromallsin，andfilledwiththefullnessofGod。”
LeubaquotesthecaseofaMr。Peek，wheretheluminousaffectionremindsoneofthechromatichallucinationsproducedbytheintoxicantcactusbudscalledmescalbytheMexicans：——
“WhenIwentinthemorningintothefieldstowork，thegloryofGodappearedinallhisvisiblecreation。Iwellrememberwereapedoats，andhoweverystrawandheadoftheoatsseemed，asitwere，arrayedinakindofrainbowglory，ortoglow，ifImaysoexpressit，inthegloryofGod。”[140]
[140]Thesereportsofsensorialphotismshadeoffintowhatareevidentlyonlymetaphoricalaccountsofthesenseofnewspiritualillumination，as，forinstance，inBrainerd’sstatement：“AsIwaswalkinginathickgrove，unspeakablegloryseemedtoopentotheapprehensionofmysoul。Idonotmeananyexternalbrightness，forIsawnosuchthing，noranyimaginationofabodyoflightinthethirdheavens，oranythingofthatnature，butitwasanewinwardapprehensionorviewthatIhadofGod。”
InacaselikethisnextonefromStarbuck’smanuscriptcollectionthelightingupofthedarknessisprobablyalsometaphorical：——
“OneSundaynight，IresolvedthatwhenIgothometotheranchwhereIwasworking，IwouldoffermyselfwithmyfacultiesandalltoGodtobeusedonlybyandforhim……Itwasrainingandtheroadsweremuddy；butthisdesiregrewsostrongthatI
kneeleddownbythesideoftheroadandtoldGodallaboutit，intendingthentogetupandgoon。Suchathingasanyspecialanswertomyprayerneverenteredmymind，havingbeenconvertedbyfaith，butstillbeingmostundoubtedlysaved。Well，whileI
waspraying，IrememberholdingoutmyhandstoGodandtellinghimtheyshouldworkforhim，myfeetwalkforhim，mytonguespeakforhim，etc。，etc。，ifhewouldonlyusemeashisinstrumentandgivemeasatisfyingexperience——whensuddenlythedarknessofthenightseemedlitup——Ifelt，realized，knew，thatGodheardandansweredmyprayer。Deephappinesscameoverme；I
feltIwasacceptedintotheinnercircleofGod’slovedones。”
Inthefollowingcasealsotheflashoflightismetaphorical：——
“Aprayermeetinghadbeencalledforatcloseofeveningservice。Theministersupposedmeimpressedbyhisdiscourseamistake——hewasdull。Hecameand，placinghishanduponmyshoulder，said：’DoyounotwanttogiveyourhearttoGod？’I