Divine Power Throws Man to Ground and Convicts Him of Sin

At a Methodist revival meeting, after most of John Lowe Butler's companions had received religious conversions but he had not, he resolved to hide his spiritual seeking from them and determined that if there was religion, he would find it and keep it to himself. As he crossed a room where his friends were rejoicing, a power came upon him that threw him to the ground. Every nerve in him seemed to be numb, and his hands cramped. The first thing he knew, he cried out for the Lord to have mercy upon him. He lay there for about six hours (though it seemed much shorter to him), experiencing a supernatural conviction of sin and the need for salvation. Though he felt calm when he first arose, darkness and the same bad feeling returned to him. This powerful supernatural encounter with divine power was the beginning of his serious spiritual seeking.