The differences between the sexes and between the revival and non-revival cases bear out the distinctions drawn heretofore, and do not need repeating. Of special significance in the table are the following points :-joy, the intenser emotion, is more frequent with the males, the sense of oneness and acceptance, with the females; the physiological irradiation of feeling is much greater in the revival cases, while the calmer spiritual experiences-peace, happiness, and the feeling of acceptanceare more characteristic of the non-revival cases; among the females, calmness, responsibility and partial disappointment, and in both sexes the sense of relief are greater among the revival cases.

The comparison in the same persons of the feelings. before conversion and after it is instructive. This is shown in Table XV. In general, the clean-cut, positive experiences after conversion follow the intenser pre-conversion phenomena. For example, partial disappointment most often succeeds anxiety and restlessness, but

TABLE XV.-Showing the relation between the pre-conversion and the post-conversion feelings.

Prayer.

Effort.

never follows depression, the more intense feeling of kindred nature to anxiety. On the contrary, in regard to joy, an intense emotion, this order is exactly reversed. Again, the sense of sin and that of depression most frequently crop out after conversion as joy; while anxiety or restlessness is most often followed by peace, both being of the milder quality. One feature of this law of sequence is the tension and recoil aspect of the feelings; they are pent up and then break out as a definite, vivid experience. This is borne out, for example, in the column under effort, in which the numbers representing peace, calmness and partial disappointment are about the largest numbers following those three items. The indication on the surface throughout the table is that peculiarities of temperament underlie the likenesses and differences before the crisis and after it. The disposition which feels keenly before conversion reacts violently at the crisis and has the more intense experiences afterward. Those who are thrown back on themselves, and experience markedly the sense of sin and depression, are the ones who are thrown vigorously in the direction of the new life. It will be observed also that the temperament which shuts itself against new influences, as evidenced by resistance before conversion, rarely experiences joy; while, on the contrary, a more open nature, as indicated by prayer and effort, feels joy and acceptance afterward.

The correspondences between post-conversion feelings and the experiences at the point of conversion-selfsurrender, forgiveness, etc.—were also worked out. They corroborate the results given above. In both sets of comparisons there are hints of several laws of vital significance. On account of the fewness of the cases, however, these cannot be relied on sufficiently to develop; if there were a thousand records from which to generalise, instead of two hundred, some of the hints would doubtless attain a high degree of certainty, and would accordingly throw further light into the nature of the process of conversion.

CHAPTER X

THE CHARACTER OF THE NEW LIFE

WE have now to ask, What are the distinctive things in the new life which set it off against the old? In what, more in detail, does the sense of its newness consist? And what are the added elements, if any, which have come into it? For the sake of clearness in discussing the feelings, we anticipated in the last chapter the central' fact in the change of heart, namely, the organisation of life about a new centre. This brings along with it two results already noticed; first, the lifting up of the new personality into great significance; and, secondly, the sense of newness with which the world of objects and even the personality itself is viewed. Another result equally common is the sense of reality with which the new world presented to consciousness is clothed. Incident on the birth of the 'I' is the awakening of the sense of mineness. The way in which new and old things are filled with meaning so that the person has a sense of possession of them and participation in them will be best appreciated by a few typical examples: F., 14. I attended church and engaged in prayer with a new feeling. The Bible was more precious, and prayer a comfort and joy.' F., 14. 'In seeing persons confess their faith I felt like asking if they knew what a serious step it was, and how they must act.' F., 12. Before, I had studied for praise; now, because it was a duty. I had prayed at night; now I went to God at any time. I began to reflect on the Bible and to perform acts of

self-denial. All these things were now a part of me.' M., 18. I loved to read the Bible now. Its truths were so interesting which before had been insipid.' F., 14. 'God was my Father and heaven my home.' M., 15. For a long time I tried to realise my ideal, quite different from the silken Christianity of to-day.' F., 13. The truths of the Bible seemed meant for me. Prayers seemed real petitions and thanksgiving.' Here is one in the process of making. I dreaded to go to church for fear I could not make the whole thing vital. I prayed about it before going, and made constant effort to make it so.'

The important thing in these quotations is the way in which things are now lifted above the dead level of commonplaceness, or, rather, how the new 'ego' has emerged into clearer consciousness, so that it feels the relation existing between it and its spiritual environment. It feels its content as real and as mine. It is significant that it is so frequently the acts of common performance, the prayers, church-going, Bible-reading, the old passages of Scripture and sermons, which before had passed through the mind without arousing any warmth or sense of possession, which have vitality. It is as if that which had before existed as reflexes in the lower nerve centres had been taken up as factors in higher cerebral activity; or, if we say the same thing in terms of psychic activity, it is as if the possible new life had been lingering in the subliminal consciousness, and even rising up as a disturbing and perplexing factor in the mind, and had now found a place in clear consciousness.

We now come upon an interesting anomaly. Heretofore we have been considering the new life in terms of an exalted selfhood. The 'me' has become the point of reference for the larger world of experience. But there is clearly bound up in the process a selfforgetfulness, a sympathetic outgoing which apparently exactly contradicts the exaltation of self we have considered. So that now we have to view

Conversion as a Process of Unselfing.

In the first place, let us get a clear notion of what the respondents say. M., 15. The chief change was in my inmost purpose. I was no longer self-centered. The change was not complete, but there was a deep undercurrent of unselfishness.' F., 12. The change made me very affectionate, while before I was cold to my parents.' M., 14. 'I felt it my duty after that to be polite and sympathetic. My enemies were changed to friends.' M., 18. My motive to chase worldly riches was changed to that of saving others. I even made mistakes through altruism.' In these instances we see how the personality is expressing itself, and going out sympathetically, and knitting itself into the world about it. As an emphasis of this same tendency, there is very often a turning back upon the self in scorn and, in preference, seeking the larger life. This results in numerous acts of self-denial, self-sacrifice and selfabnegation.

In classifying the facts of the changed relation to the objective world, they fell into three groups depending on the object of attachment, closer relations to persons, to nature, and to God or Christ. (1.) Relation to persons.— F., 13. 'I began to work for others; immediately I was anxious that all should experience the same.' F., 17. I had more tender feeling toward my family and friends.' F., 16. 'I spoke at once to a person with whom I had been angry. I felt for everyone, and loved my friends better.' M., 19. 'I felt everybody to be my friend.' (2.) Relation to nature.-M., 16. ‘The stars never have appeared so bright as that night going home.' M., 13. I had a special feeling of reverence toward nature.' F., 12. 'I seemed to see God's greatness in nature.' (3.) Relation to God or Christ.—F., 11. 'God was not afar off; He was my Father, and Christ my Elder Brother.' F., 14. Fear of God was gone. I saw He was the greatest Friend one can have.' M.,