 Chapter 7 of Catherine Booth This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Gillian Hendry Catherine Booth by Mildred Duff The Worker Quote, what the Lord wants is that you shall go about the business to which he sets you, not asking for an easy post, nor grumbling at a hard one. End quote, Mrs Booth. If she had not been a Worker, her army mother would have done little with her life. The wonderful call which came to her, her great gifts, the zeal and love which filled her heart, would all have been useless had she not been willing to work and to work hard and to work every day. Stop and think about this. No life accomplishes anything unless it is full of hard work, often work accompanied by much drudgery, whether it is the life of a king or of a poor man. Mrs Booth has set us all an example in this, for she would work ceaselessly with head or hands or heart, as long as ever her health allowed her to do so. Laziness and idleness of all kinds she detested, nor could she tolerate a lazy person in her service. She worked first of all in her home. When she spent a morning in her kitchen, the work there was perfectly done. The dinner was ready at the right time, properly cooked, good and wholesome. She allowed no waste and no extravagance. Her bread was light and beautifully baked, and when she had finished her morning's work, her kitchen was as neat as when she began. She finished everything and put it straight as she went along. It was the same with the children. She was a like nurse and doctor, dressmaker and tailor. She made and mended, washed and ironed, for her boys and girls during their early years and herself attended to every smallest detail of their lives. Strangers who asked where Mrs. Booth bought her children's things so that they could go to the same shop could scarcely believe the reply. Mama makes all her clothes herself, so beautifully where they cut and finished. And when the little garments were of no further service to her, she would alter and mend them once again and give them away. Her baby clothes, when the last daughter had outgrown them, were given to a member of the mission for his child. He will never forget taking the little bundle home to his wife and turning over the tiny things. I had often heard Mrs. Booth preach, he said, but those baby clothes preached a louder sermon to me and my wife than ever her words had done. They were all darned and mended and patched, and the work, but there, I never saw such stitches. And as we looked and knew the hours of toil she must have put into them, rather than throw them away as many another would have done, well, I tell you, I listened to her next sermon as I had never listened before. And this same diligent, tireless spirit was with her to the last. When on her deathbed, able only to use her left hand and propped up by pillows, she devised a little frame on which, painfully, stitch by stitch, she could work a last token of love for the general. When her hands were folded still in death, I saw those slippers. They were beautifully embroidered, one with the words, he will keep the feet of his saints, and the other with the sure and certain hope which lay beyond the parting. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem, a fitting and sacred service with which to close her many years of toil and labour for others. But our army mother had another way of working in her home, that is, she worked over others. If a girl wished to learn, Mrs. Booth would take endless trouble in showing her the best way to wash or iron or clean a grate or do whatever the work on hand might be. She instructed her servants, explaining to them the reason for doing their duties in a certain way, teaching them forethought and common sense and dealing faithfully with them over all their failures. Better, she said in one of her addresses and she lived it out in her own home. Better take a girl whom you have to teach how to wash a child's face or to stitch a button on, if she is true and sincere, then have one ever so clever who will teach your children to lie and deceive. She worked too over the cases of need and poverty which were often at her door, not content like so many with giving a few coppers to a beggar or some broken food. She would inquire into the cause of the distress and then, if the need seemed genuine, she would help either by getting the father work or by having the home visited and suitable relief given after the true condition of things had been found out. And this was only a little of the homework with which her hands were ever full. Of her ceaseless care over her children's mind and soul training, I have told you elsewhere. But of her public work, perhaps the most exhausting was that which resulted from her meetings for she could not rest content with the most careful preparation beforehand nor with pouring out her whole soul upon the people during the 40 or 50 minutes that her address lasted. At the close of the meeting, whenever her health allowed it, she would labour and toil often for two hours and more, dealing herself with the penitents, meeting their difficulties one by one and was unwilling to leave them until as far as possible all had claimed and received the blessing they sought. The next day, too, she would follow up any special case with a long personal letter from her own pen or she would arrange another interview or in some way keep in close actual touch with the struggling soul until the step of obedience had been taken and he or she was fairly started on the narrow way. And it was this careful, earnest patient after work which gave such glorious harvests to her soul-saving campaigns. Labour and trouble were a joy to her if she could but help one sincere seeking soul into the light. But remember this, while she's so toiled over all who came to her for advice and guidance, she never repeated nor passed on to others their confidences. If she had done so, people would soon have left off coming to her. They would have said, we cannot trust her. She was, as you know, a mighty speaker but about other people's affairs she was entirely silent as you must learn to be if you wish to be of any service to God or man. And Mrs Booth strove constantly to teach all who were around her to work as she did. You have begun well enough, now carry it through, she would say again and again to her children. And whether it was a doll's frock or an article for the war cry or a series of meetings, it was always the same. Unfinished, half done work she detested with all her soul. If a thing is worth beginning at all then it is worth finishing, she would say. And this great principle hauled her through her life in small things as in great. This was the reason that on her deathbed she could say turning to the chief of the staff. I have no vain regrets about the past. As far as my strength allowed I have finished the work I had to do as I went along. And now I leave it all imperfect as it has been in his hands. Perhaps by nature you are not a worker but what you are not by nature you can become by grace. God can teach you to love work and as you work you will, like our dear army mother learn better and better how to work. And your life whenever God calls you to lay it down shall be like hers not unfinished but complete. End of chapter 7 Chapter 8 of Catherine Booth This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Gillian Hendry Catherine Booth by Mildred Duff Goodness Quote I seen more than ever that the religion which is pleasing to God consists in doing and enduring his will rather than in good sentiments and feelings. The Lord help us to endure as seeing him who is invisible. End quote by Mrs Booth. When our first general stood on that October evening by the grave of his beloved wife and spoke to us with a breaking heart of our army mother he unfolded to us the three great qualities which made her character so beautiful. First and foremost she was good. Secondly she was love and thirdly she was a warrior. Let us following the general's outline look at these three leading qualities in her life. First he said she was good. She was washed in the blood of the lamb. To the last moment her cry was a sinner saved by grace. She was a thorough hater of shams, hypocrisies and make-believes. Her goodness was of a practical sort. By their fruits you shall know them. Was a text she often quoted and one by which she was always willing to be judged. It is of this goodness of a practical sort that I want first to tell you before we consider that soul goodness which made her life so holy. Mrs Booth could not imagine any goodness apart from industry. As we have already seen she considered it a sin to waste precious time. Anyone who was lazy she could not endure and when one such offered for the work she wrote of him I do hope you will not throw a lot of money away in trying H. Just for want of courage to tell him at once that he will not do because I am sure that it will be thrown away. It is the nature of the man that is at fault and not his circumstances. He is a drone and nothing no change of place or position can ever make him into a bee. He never ought to have left his trade. He never would have done so if he had thought soul saving was harder work. Extravagance and waste of every kind she abhorred and had she not been so careful in planning and arranging her time and money would again and again have run short. The sowing, mending and housekeeping needed for a family of little children when means are scarce would have been burden enough for most mothers but besides this came her own letter writing preparing for her meetings and also the hours she spent consulting and advising the general whose voice here Kate would call her from the nursery or kitchen to help him decide some important question. Again it was impossible to talk to Mrs. Booth even for five minutes without finding how true and sincere she was to please no one would she keep back the truth or appear different from her real self. I believe she writes when quite a young woman honesty to be the best policy and I shall act upon it let me have truth if it shakes the foundation of the earth. She was sincere and faithful in every part of her nature faithful with her own soul and in dealing with the souls of others great or small rich or poor she made no difference and never held back from reproving sin when it was needful. I see more than ever she said the need of making righteous people true in their inward parts let us be more thorough than ever with souls under conviction let us not be afraid to wind too deeply thousands of professors have never been truly convinced of sin much less truly converted sin to them is being found out. Though all through her life our army mother hungered and thirsty to know God better and to serve him more perfectly yet it was not till some time after her marriage that she received the blessing of a clean heart of the struggle and conflict which she went through before the blessing of holiness became hers she shall tell you in her own words I had been earnestly seeking all the week to know Jesus as an all-sufficient saviour dwelling in my heart and thus cleansing it every moment of all sin. But on Thursday and Friday I laid aside almost everything else and spent the chief part of the day in reading and prayer and trying to believe for it. On Thursday afternoon at tea-time I was well-nigh discouraged and felt my old visitant irritability and the devil told me I should never get it and so I might as well give it up at once. However, I know him of old as a liar and the father of lies and pressed on cast down yet not destroyed. On Friday morning God gave me two precious passages. First, quote, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, end quote. O how sweet it sounded to my poor weary sin-stricken soul! I almost dared to believe that he did give me rest from inbred sin the rest of perfect holiness. But I staggered at the promise through unbelief and therefore failed to enter in. The second passage consisted of those thrice-blessed words, quote, of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, end quote. But again unbelief hindered me although I felt as if getting gradually nearer. I struggled through the day until a little after six in the evening when William joined me in prayer. We had a blessed season. While he was saying Lord we open our hearts to receive thee that word was spoken to my soul, quote, behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open unto me I will come in and sup with him, end quote. I felt sure he had long been knocking and oh how I yearned to receive him as a perfect saviour. But oh the inveterate habit of unbelief how wonderful that God should have born so long with me. When we got up from our knees I lay on the sofa exhausted with the excitement and effort of the day. William said don't you lay all on the altar? I replied I am sure I do. Then he said and isn't the altar holy? I replied in the language of the holy ghost the altar is most holy and whatsoever touches it is holy. Then said he are you not holy? I replied with my heart full of emotion and with some faith. Oh I think I am. Immediately the word was given me to confirm my faith quote now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you end quote and I took hold true with a trembling hand and not unmolested by the tempter but I held fast the beginning of my confidence and it grew stronger and from that moment I have dared to reckon myself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ my Lord. I did not feel much rapturous joy but perfect peace the sweet rest which Jesus promised to the heavy laden I have understood the apostles meaning when he says we who believe do enter into rest. This is just descriptive of my state at present not that I am not tempted but I am allowed to know the devil when he approaches me and I look to my deliverer Jesus and he still gives me rest. Two or three very trying things occurred on Saturday which at another time would have excited impatience but I was kept by the power of God through faith and to full salvation. And now what shall I say? unto him who has washed me in his own blood be glory and dominion forever and ever and all within me says amen. Oh I cannot describe I have no words to set forth the sense I have of my own utter unworthiness. Satan has met me frequently with my peculiarly aggravated sins and I have admitted it all but then I have said the Lord has not made my sanctification to depend in any measure on my own worthiness or unworthiness but on the worthiness of my saviour he came to seek and to save that which was lost. Quote where sin hath abounded grace doth much more abound end quote. How wonderfully in after years Mrs. Booth explained and led others into the same blessing we know was not then the long struggle and agony on her own behalf worth it? Yes indeed and it will be so with you when you get this glorious blessing in your soul. You will have noticed how in struggling for holiness Mrs. Booth had to fight unbelief. This determination to trust God fully marked her out as strong in faith. She had this marvellous faith because she obeyed and struggled to throw herself on the Lord but faith was not natural to her any more than it is to you or me. Often money was short and she hardly knew how she would be able to feed and clothe her family. This was a sore trial of her faith. On one such occasion she wrote to her mother we have not at present received as much as our travelling expenses and house rent. I feel a good deal perplexed and I'm sometimes tempted to mistrust the Lord but I will not allow it. Our father knows. Later on we get a sight of her own experience in one of her letters when she said I am much tried just now by perplexities of every kind. Uncertainty from a human standpoint edges me in on every side. Satan says it is useless trying to steer straight through such a labyrinth but I am determined to hold on to the promises come what will. My God is the living God. He sees me knows me loves me cares for me wants to have me with him in glory as much as he did Abraham or Paul or John. If this be true what have I to fear? And again said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe thou should see the salvation of God. This is a precious word it has kept my soul alive many a time when Satan has almost overthrown me. If thou canst believe all things are possible to thee nevermind whether anybody else can or cannot. If others are too strong to let me carry them if thou art weak enough to throw up all self-effort and trust me with thy whole weight I will carry thee and thou shalt glorify me. I know this is the way hence the babes go in with the simple and the great sinners while the reasoners and the strong and the proud and the fearful are shut out. Again to one who was cast down and tempted to be discouraged because of his failings she writes it is well to see them for how can we take hold of Jesus to mend what we don't see it is best to know ourselves but we salvationists are in danger of airing on the other side we look too much at ourselves apart from him who is or would be our righteousness sanctification and redemption faith in him as your keeper will do more in five minutes than years of conflict without it. Once in another letter she gives us a beautiful bit of her own souls experience on this subject. I had such a view of his love and faithfulness on the journey from Wellingborough that I thought I would never doubt again about anything. I had the courage to myself and such a precious season with the Lord that the time seemed to fly. As the lightning gleamed around I felt ready to shout the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. Oh how precious it is when we see as well as belief but yet more blessed to believe and not see. Lord work this determined obstinate blind unquestioning unanswering faith in me and my beloved friend and let us too dare to trust thee in the midst of our peculiar trials. As I looked at the waving fields and grazing sheep the flashing sky a voice said in my soul of what what is though to be afraid am I not God cannot I supply thy little tiny needs? My heart replied it is enough Lord I will trust thee forgive my unbelief. End of chapter 8 Chapter 9 of Catherine Booth This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Patty Marie Catherine Booth by Meldred Duff Chapter 9 Love The truest love must ever seek the highest good of its object sometimes even with forgetfulness of important smaller advantages Mrs. Booth the second great quality in Mrs. Booth's character as given by the first general was her love she was love he says her whole soul was full of tender deep compassion oh how she loved how she pitied the suffering poor how she longed to put her arms around the sorrowful and help them how asked Mrs. Booth once are we to put heart into people even grace seems to fail to do so in many circumstances I think it needs mothers to do this from infancy upwards you will recollect that Mrs. Mumford fostered this heart and love in her little girl and you will remember how keenly Katie felt blazing up into wrath at any story of wrong or injury and ready to sacrifice her life for those she loved this spirit grew within her she could not help caring and struggling to help all who needed her the general often told her in later years that she was killing herself by carrying everyone's burdens then she would try to leave off for a little but her heart was too strong and she could not hold it back when but a child running down the road with her hoop and stick she saw a drunkard being dragged off to prison by a policeman all the people were jeering and mocking at the poor friendless wretch instantly Katie's pity and love fired up she dashed across the street and marched along close beside the man's side so that he might feel that at least one little heart cared for him and wanted to help him to the end of her life she carried this deep tender pity everywhere she went she loved the poor with all their faults she said they have larger hearts than the rich and she loved them for it where anyone had a warm heart she could forgive and overlook many mistakes but with cold narrow fishy souls she had neither sympathy nor patience our army mother's help was practical she did not only give money or pity but she, so to speak rolled up her sleeves and helped the suffering herself every sort of suffering and need appealed to her if an animal was wounded or in pain she stopped and herself relieved it as best she could and to the last if she saw a horse or any creature being ill treated she would not hesitate to rush out and stop the driver or in some way force him to leave off his cruelty she was not only kind and helpful to those she liked but every living thing that suffered had a claim upon her and the greater the need the more tender and ready was her help Mrs. Booth was a people's woman and she was never weary of scheming and planning how to help the poor in the most practical way when I see people going wrong she said when but a girl of twelve I must tell the poor things how to manage dirt and sin and drink and misery could not quench this love it was a part of her very nature long long before slum sisters wherever thought of Mrs. Booth did their work herself just because she so loved the poor and longed to help them you shall read the story in her own words I remember in one case finding a poor woman lying on a heap of rags she had just given birth to twins and there was nobody of any sort to wait upon her I can never forget the desolation of that room by her side was a crust of bread and a small lump of lard I fancied a bit of butter the woman remarked apologetically noticing my eye fall upon the scanty meal and my mawn he'd do out for me he could bless him he could not get me any butter so he pitched me this bit of lard have you ever tried lard instead of butter it's rare good said the poor creature making me wish I had taken lard for a butter all my life that I had been the better able to minister to her needs however I was soon busy trying to make her a little more comfortable the babies I washed in a broken pie dish the nearest approach to a tub that I could find and the gratitude of those large eyes that gazed upon me from out of that wane and shrunken face can never fade from my memory before public meetings took up so much of her time she delighted in this house-to-house visiting and went especially for the drunkards over whom God gave her a wonderful power I used to visit in the evenings she said because it was the only part of the day in which I could get away and besides I should not have found the men at home at any other time I used to ask one drunkard's wife where another lived they always knew after getting hold of eight or ten in this way and getting them to sign the pledge I used to arrange for cottage meetings for them and try to get them saved they used to let me talk to them in homes where there was not a stick of furniture and nothing to sit down upon in this way our army mother sought and cared for the drunkards long before drunkard's brigades were dreamed of when at a later time in her life she heard of the wicked and cruel way in which young girls were trapped and drawn into sin Mrs. Booth's soul was filled with a whirlwind of holy indignation I feel as though I could not rest but as though I must go and ferret out those monsters myself she wrote almost everybody not withstanding the indignation seemed so content with talking nobody appears willing to take the responsibility of doing or risking anything oh what a state the world has got into but deep and practical as was her love in earthly things her passion for lifting and leading souls into salvation and holiness was a thousand times more intense if we only realized as we ought the value of souls we should not live long under it she said and she herself realized it fully enough to make her fight on ceaselessly in spite of intense weakness if it were not for eternity she often sighed I should soon give up this life it was love for souls that made her go from town to town careworn weary often quite unfit to meet the immense congregations that came to hear her it was love for souls which kept her sitting for hours at her writing table when she should have been resting trying to help those who turned to her for counsel and direction from every part of the globe it was love for souls which gave her many a sleepless night and chained her to her knees weeping and pleading agonizing with God on behalf of the people she was to face the next day and this love for souls grew even stronger as death came near Eva she exclaimed to one of her daughters as she lay racked with agonizing pain don't you forget that man with the handcuffs on find him go to Lancaster jail let somebody go with you and find that man tell him that your mother when she was dying prayed for him and that she had a feeling in her heart that God would save him and tell him hard as the ten years of imprisonment may be it will be easier with Christ than without him she was lying between earth and heaven thinking of the joy and peace awaiting her when it seemed as if she saw the dark face of a heathen woman and heard the cry won't you help us the old love for perishing souls woke again directly and she cried oh yes Lord I will go anywhere to help poor struggling people I will go on an errand to hell if the Lord would promise me that the devil should not keep me there in one of these last days she sent a dying message to the officers tell them she said that the only consolation for a salvationist on his deathbed is to have been a soul winner after all my labors I feel I have come short of the price of my high calling beseech them to redeem their time for we can do little at the best a little maid who was a cadet came into Mrs. Booth's sick room once as she was speaking and she called her to her bedside giving her warning and counsel which every core cadet can take as though spoken to herself you will be finished with the dishes soon she said and you are going to be a cadet I have been very pleased with you while you have been here because you have worked out of sight with a good will and I think you will make a brave officer you will promise me will you she said as she laid her trembling hand on the girls head you will promise me will you she said as she laid her trembling hand on the girls head yes was the reply I will amidst stifled sobs give me a kiss then said Mrs. Booth promise me that you will never get spoiled by any unfaithful officer if you ever get mixed up with any such do not hide it from headquarters but let them know about it and they will soon move the false away from you I shan't be here but oh may God help them to get rid of the wrong discernment of spirits oh why should we not have that gift back it is very necessary Mrs. Booth's whole heart was wrapped up in the spread of the army and she was never more of a warrior than when fighting its battles and the army needed someone to stand up for it in those days we who live today can hardly fancy the fierce bitter persecution that the early-day salvationists had to fight through now even those who dislike and despise us are forced to admit that the army does a great deal of good but then it was different and again and again both by speech and writing Mrs. Booth had to defend and stand up for our methods I would not, she says after she had spoken too plainly for some rich people who were offended at her words sit down and listen to their abuse of the salvation army for all their money but I did not say a word that I would object to have published upon the house tops such however is the spirit of the rich they think that one must sit and hear whatever they may choose to say and hold one's breath because of their money but no, I will never be dumb before a golden idol she loved the uniform she herself planned that worn by army women and always wore her own rejoicing to be able to give our people a way of escape from the fashions and extravagances of the world she loved the flag and was true to its beautiful meaning she loved to present colors to the newly opened core or to parties of officers going abroad and when shortly before she passed away she changed her room she begged that the dear army flag be brought in and hung above her bed there said the general the colors are over you now my darling and she clasped them fondly with her left hand and traced the motto blood and fire yes she said blood and fire that is just what my life has been a constant and severe fight it ought to be blood and fire and victory said the general I'll fight on till I get it she answered I won't give in next time I see them I shall be above the pain and sorrow forever it ought to be blood and fire and victory said the general but though at last she longed to be at rest it was not easy for her great mother's heart to unloose itself from those she loved and from the thousands in all lands who looked to her as a mother if you have learned to love very deeply you will also have to suffer and her very love made the parting so difficult oh she exclaimed when speaking of leaving the general and her children mine is such a heart it seems as if it had got roots all round the world clutching on to one and another and that it will not let them go and yet you can take care of them Lord better than I could I do I do believe oh eternal father shepherd of the sheep do thou look after my little flock amen we who read these lines may say adding to her prayer and give us the same heart and love which made her life of such mighty power end of chapter nine chapter ten of Catherine Booth this is a LibriVox recording while LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Catherine Booth by Mildred Duff chapter ten the warrior fighting is hard work whatever sort of fighting it is you cannot fight without wounds of body heart or soul Mrs. Booth lastly said the general and that same beautiful tribute to our army mother that I have already quoted from she was a warrior she liked the fight she was not one who said to others go but here let me go and when there was the necessity she said I will go I never knew her flinch until her poor body compelled her to lie on one side our army mother was indeed before all things a warrior she fought bravely and unceasingly her whole life through in thought and purpose she was independent and dared to stand out for what she felt right cowardice in her opinion was one of the commonest and most subtle sins of the day and she had no patience with those who dared not say no and feared to stand alone she thought for herself and they'll always eager to hear and learn as much as possible from others yet she was not carried away by their opinions but carefully weighed and considered their arguments and then formed her own judgments Mrs. Booth strove earnestly for doctrine let us take care she said in the army's early days what gospel we preach let us mind our doctrine and again we must stick to the form of sound words for there is more in it than appears on the surface glory be to the father to the son and the holy ghost was the theology of our forefathers and I am suspicious of all attempts to mend it let us beware of wrong doctrine come through whomsoever it may holy men make sad mistakes well but some say is not a person who holds wrong views with a right heart better than a person with right views and a wrong heart yes so far as his personal state before God is concerned but not in his influence on man my charity must extend to those likely to be deceived or ruined by his doctrines as well as to him Mrs. Booth's whole life was a continual fight against sin sin of all kinds whether her meeting was held for the very lowest and roughest or whether rows of clergy and lawyers and lords and ladies sat to listen it made no difference to her she attacks in and went straight at the very heart sins of the people in front of her we need great grace she says in the midst of her wonderful west end campaign where even princess and princesses came to hear her I think the Lord never enabled me to be more plain and faithful as a lady in high circles said to me we never heard this sort of gospel before no poor things they are sadly deceived drink to was another evil which Mrs. Booth fought against during the whole of her life she began as you remember when a girl by being secretary of the band of love of those days in the early days of their engagement the general was strongly advised to take a little wine for the sake of his health our army mother wrote him a long letter showing him how false and foolish such advice was and ending with I've had it recommended to me scores of times but I'm fully and forever settled on the physical side of the question footnote this means taking it for the sake of health close footnote it is a subject on which I am most anxious you should be thorough I have far more hope for your health because you abstain then I should if you took wine flee the detestable thing as you would a serpent be a teetotaler and principal in practice though as we have seen full of boundless faith and pity for the drunkard Mrs. Booth attacked the makers and sellers of drink on mercifully she says on one occasion buy your piece of conscience on a dying bed by the eternal destinies of your children by your care for never dying souls by the love you owe your savior I beseech you banish the drink tell me no more of charity towards brewers distillers and publicans your false charity to these has already consigned millions to an untimely hell arise Christians arise and fight this foe you and you alone are able for your God will fight for you another thing for which our army mother fought in which today we own great measure to her efforts is the position to which women have been lifted as speakers and teachers in God's work she first as we have seen open the way herself and then she left it open encouraging and helping tens of thousands of simple holy women all around the world to follow in her steps she had a tough battle to wage all classes wrote and spoke against women being allowed to stand and speak for God in the open air or in public calls but strong in faith and courage convince that she had divine authority for what she did our army mother fought on arguing writing preaching on the matter now today there is scarcely a land where the army bonnet is not known and loved nor were army women cannot gain a crowd of respectable listeners now I'm going to show you some of the hindrances in spite of which our army mother fought on the first of these hindrances was the burden which God allowed Mrs. Booth to carry all through her life a weak and suffering body she said when her life was drawing to its close that suffering seemed to have been her special lot and that she could scarcely remember a day in her life when she had not been wholly free from pain I don't care about my body she exclaimed lying in her last illness it has been a poor old troublesome affair I shall be glad for it to be sealed up it is time it was we'll have dragged it weirdly about most women suffering as she did with a weak spine heart disease and overstrained nerves would have lived the life of an invalid but the warrior spirit within forced her body along scores of times she has gone from her bed to the meeting and then exhausted and feigning with the effort she had to be almost carried home but she had done her work and sent the arrow of conviction into hundreds of hearts writing after one special strain of work and anxiety she says the excitement made me feel worse than I have been for two years my heart was really alarming and for two days I could hardly bear any clothes to touch me this has disheartened me again as to my condition but God reigns and he will keep me alive as long as he needs me another of her hindrances and one which was almost more difficult to overcome than weakness of body was depression I wonder if you know what that is if so it will help you to realize that Mrs. Booth had to fight it also the devil seemed allowed to try and test her faith to the utmost and at times to blot out all peace and glory from her soul during one such time of darkness she writes I know I ought not of all saints or sinners either to be depressed I know it dishonors my Lord, grieves his spirit and injures me greatly and I would faint hide from everybody to prevent their seeing it but I cannot help it I have struggled hard more than anyone knows for a long time against it sometimes I have literally held myself head and heart in hand and waited for the floods to pass over me but our army mother did not give up working for God and sit down and despair because she was thus tried one day just before leaving for a great West End meeting in which God made her words as a sharp two-edged sword she wrote this to one of her children I've been very much depressed since you left more so than usual it is of no use reasoning with myself when these fits of despondency are on me I must hold on and fight my passage through and when I get to heaven the light and joy will be all the greater if I dared give up working I should do so a hundred times over but I dare not another inconstant hindrance which our army mother had to fight had to fight for the greater part of her life was poverty it was so difficult many times to make two ends meet she had during many years of her life no regular money coming in on which to depend and during that time it was a constant struggle to have her children properly cared for and give them the needed education but most of all did our army mother show herself a warrior in her own salvation campaigns in those early days there were no praying soldiers and sergeants to be had to deal with the penitents no one either to lead her singing scarcely even to keep the door or take up the collection she would arrive in a town absolutely alone a hall had been taken in which she was to speak and she would hire a tiny lodging or staying whatever home would receive her and set to work we can scarcely understand the loneliness of her position here was a proof of her mighty faith in God she began these solitary campaigns when her sixth child was but a few weeks old and God most wonderfully owned her labors at one point she saw one hundred grown up people and two hundred children come to her penitent form in six days but it was a fearful battle I have a comfortable little cot to stay and she writes to her mother from one such battlefield very small and humble but it is clean and quiet and when I feel nervous no one knows the value of quietness I felt it hard work lately many a time have I longed to be where the weary are at rest at Margate some years later she commenced her meetings without knowing a single person in the place for some weeks she had not even a helper in the prayer meetings nor one who would give out a song for her Mrs. Booth could not sing herself and there was often an awkward pause before anyone would be willing to pitch her tune if only she said when the army was fairly on its feet I had been able to command a dozen reliable people such as I could have anywhere now I think I could have done almost anything even more wonderful was her experience at Brighton the dome of great building holding three thousand people had been taken for her meetings I can never forget my feelings says the soldier saint as I stood upon the platform and looked upon the people realizing that among them all there was no one to help me when I commenced the prayer meeting for which I should think quite nine hundred remain Satan said to me as I came down from the platform according to my custom you will never ask such people as these to come and kneel down here you only make a fool of yourself if you do I felt stunned for a moment but I answered yes I shall I shall not make it easier for them than for the others if they do not realize their sins enough to be willing to come down and kneel here they will not be of much use to the kingdom the Lord said a seal upon Mrs. Booth's faith and courage for the first to volunteer were two old gentlemen both over seventy years of age and she had ten or twelve at the mercy seat before the meeting ended writing from Portsmouth she tells the same story of loneliness and victory you say how do you get on personally well I never was so hampered for helping every way in all my life the most able man I have keeps a milliner shop and the one that opens for me generally is an overseer so their attention is divided and the time limited pray for me I never needed your prayers so much this is a dreadfully wicked place yet during the seventeen weeks of her stay some six hundred names were taken many of them wonderful trophies of God's mercy having lived such a warrior's life you think very likely that the deathbed experience of our army mother would be all peace and glory but no right down into the valley she needed to use the sword of the spirit and the shield of faith for to the last satan was allowed to test and try her but she fought on one of my hardest lessons she said in her last hours has been the difference between faith and realization if I have had to conquer all through life by naked faith I can only expect it to be the same now all our enemies have to be conquered by faith not realization and is it not so with the last enemy death yes if it please the Lord that I should go down into the dark valley without any realization simply knowing that I am his and he is mine I am quite willing I accept it this is the faith that made our army mother and all the Bible saints such conquerors it is the secret of their victory the faith without which it is impossible to please God and for which we all need to pray Lord increase our faith end of chapter 10 the warrior chapter 11 of Catherine Booth this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information auto volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Jennifer Painter Catherine Booth by Mildred Duff chapter 11 last days as I look back on life I do not remember the houses I have lived in the people that I have known the things of passing interest at the moment they are all gone there is nothing stands out before my mind as of any consequence but the work I have done for God and eternity Mrs. Booth if the general and those who loved our army mother best had been able to choose for her they would most likely have said let her live and fight and work on up to within a few days of her promotion to glory let the call come quickly and painlessly as it has come to others in our ranks but the Lord who loved her more than we did saw fit to send to her two and a half years of ever-increasing weariness and suffering for long months she lay on the very bank of the river longing for the messenger of death to carry her across those who loved her could not tell why the Lord sent her this last fiery trial they could only bow with her and say thy will be done it was in February 1888 that Mrs. Booth who was anxious about her health went to consult a great doctor and get his opinion she was alone for no one had thought her illness was so serious she asked him to tell her the truth all through her life as you know she wanted the truth and after a little hesitation he told her the truth was the saddest that she could hear that dreadful illness cancer through which she had so tenderly nursed her own dear mother had come to her and in the doctor's opinion she had much suffering to pass through and only two or at the most three years longer to live Mrs. Booth listened calmly thanked the doctor and then getting once more into the cab drove home all alone it was a dark journey the war needed her the general needed her her children needed her and yet the sentence of death had been passed upon her and she must soon leave them all what did she do? I think you can guess she knelt down in the cab and in prayer committed to God in a new and deeper way than ever before her own body and her dear ones and the work he had given her to do at last the cab stopped before her own door and the general came out to meet her I shall never forget that meeting in this world or the next he says I had been watching for the cab and had run out to meet her and help her up the steps she tried to smile on me through her tears but drawing me into the room soon told me bit by bit what the doctor had said I sat down speechless she rose from her seat and came and knelt beside me saying do you know what was my first thought? that I should not be there to nurse you in your last hour I was stunned I felt as if the whole world were coming to a standstill opposite me on the wall was a picture of Christ on the cross I thought I could understand it then as never before she talked to me like an angel she talked as she had never talked before I could say little or nothing I could only kneel with her and try to pray that very same night the general was to leave London for some very great meetings in Holland and Mrs. Booth would not hear of his changing his plans and remaining with her the war must go on was her thought even when all her family stood stunned and heartbroken around her unwilling to leave her even for a moment two years later when but a few more days of suffering remained to her a last message from her lips reached us as self-denial week began the war must go on was one of its sentences the war must go on had been as her motto lived out in all the long long months that lay between instead of immediately laying aside her work when the doctors gave their dreadful judgment and beginning to think only of herself she went on with it as long as her increasing weakness allowed but step by step the disease grew worse first she was forced to give up meetings and public work then it became impossible for her to use her right hand and she was therefore obliged to give up her correspondence though she still continued to dictate her letters and learned also to write with her left hand soon her daily drives became too tiring and by and by she went out of the house into the little garden for the last time and then for the concluding 12 months of her life she was a prisoner in her room lying in constant suffering but during these long months the greatest joy and relief that could come to her was to hear of some fresh victory or triumph for the kingdom of Jesus her interest in the army and her love for the people were as keen as ever and war councils were held and new developments planned in her chamber and much of the general's darkest England scheme for the poor and outcast was thought out and decided upon beside her stick bed again and again too Mrs. Booth would receive deputations of officers of different classes and from various countries in which the army was at work who came to Clacton on sea where the last 15 months of her life was spent to listen to her words of advice and inspiration there were no cork adepts in those days but our army mother left some specially beautiful words about the juniors to which I must refer when she was told by the officer then in charge of our junior work in England that the children loved and prayed continually for her she smiled the thought of the little ones said someone who was there brought our beloved army mother wholly out of herself and her pain and weariness a very choice branch of the work she said I have often told Emma that I hoped when I was too old for public work God would let me end where I began with the children but it seems that it is not to be so give the children she went on in reply to the messages they had sent my dear love and tell them that if there had been a salvation army when I was 10 I should have been a soldier then as I am today never allow yourself to be discouraged in your work I know you must meet with many discouragements but I am sure the spirit of God works mightily on little children long before grown people think they are able to understand again and again during that last year of awful suffering it seemed as if Mrs. Booth were about to leave us but then she would revive and come back to endure more weeks and months of agony but at last on October the 4th 1890 all could see that she was on the brink of the river and even those who loved her the most tenderly could not wish to hold her back oh Emma let me go darling she whispered and hearing the reply yes we will we will she said now yes Lord come oh come the singing of the army songs seemed to comfort her and once she raised her suffering arm and pointed to the text my grace is sufficient for thee which hung on the wall it was lifted down and placed at the foot of her bed so that her eyes could often rest on it during those last hours soon afternoon says the present general I felt that the deepening darkness of the valley was closing around my dear mother and a little later I took my last farewell her lips moved and she gave me one look of unspeakable tenderness and trust which will live with me forever again we sang my mistakes his free grace doth cover my sins he doth wash away those feet which shrink and falter shall enter the gates of day and holding her hand the general gave her up to God it was a solemn and wonderful scene the chief of the staff and mrs. Bramwell Booth mrs. Booth Tucker and the commander and her three daughters Marianne, Ava and Lucy knelt round the bed upon which were placed photographs of the other members of her family who were unavoidably absent near to her stood her faithful nurse captain Carr and others of the household the dear general bowing over his beloved wife and companion in life's long strife and giving her up to the keeping of the father one by one the members of the family tenderly embraced her then a gleam of recognition passed over the brightening countenance as the general bent over her their eyes met the last kiss of love on earth the last word till the morning and without a movement the breathing gently ceased and a warrior laid down her sword to receive her crown you may have heard of those wonderful days from Tuesday morning till Sunday night when the coffin containing the precious remains of our army mother lay at the congress hall captain and when fifty thousand people came to have a last look at her dear face a piece of glass had been let into the plain oak coffin it was just large enough to show the head and shoulders and she lay as if in a sweet sleep you wonder if many came merely from curiosity some did of course but most of the people came because her life and example and words had been so blessed to their souls and they came as they would come to look at the dead face of their own mother it was the most wonderful tribute to a woman's life and words that London had ever seen for all kinds of people came rich and poor good and bad people of many different religions and many with no religion at all working men came in their dinner hour with their tools on their backs and tears in their eyes mothers lifted up their little children to look at the one who had taught them the way of life and best of all by the side of her coffin knelt many a wanderer and backslider to give themselves a fresh to God more than one poor girl went direct from the congress hall to the rescue homes to begin to live as she would have wished and the cadets on guard were all the time dealing with drunkards helping those who desired to begin from henceforth to live a new and different life even today 24 years later we often meet those who date their conversion for their first step in the narrow way from their look at that face lying in its simple coffin one of Mrs. Booth's own grandchildren Mary the present general's second daughter looks back to that scene from the time when God in an unmistakable manner sealed her as his she was only five years old as she knelt by the coffin but nevertheless she decided there in her childish consecration like Ruth of Old that thy people shall be my people and thy God my God and in the spirit of this consecration she lives today I wonder that some of the crowds who wished to share in the funeral service might be present the largest hall in London the Olympia was taken 26,000 people filled it and though it was of course impossible for them all to hear they followed the service given on printed papers with reverent sympathy the coffin was carried down the immense hall by officers the general and his family followed and those who arranged for this last mighty gathering remembered that Mrs. Booth, when with us was never happy to leave a meeting unless it had been brought to a point and something definite had been done and therefore when the songs and prayers and readings were over the huge crowd was asked to kneel and make a solemn covenant with God it was a beautiful covenant and ended with these words and now in this solemn hour and in the presence of death I come again to thy footstool and make this covenant with thee then all who had made the covenant from their hearts rose and sang together just as I am thou dust receive dust welcome pardon cleanse relieve because thy promise I believe O Lamb of God I come it was just such an ending to the wonderful service as our army mother would have chosen had she been still on earth with us the next morning was dry and bright I shall ask God to give you a fine day for my funeral Emma so that you may not take cold our army mother had said for she was ever thoughtful for others and her prayer was answered for though the white mist crept up from the river to the embankment where the procession was forming up there was no rain nor wind tens of thousands of idea soldiers would gladly have sacrificed a day's work in order to follow in the funeral procession of one they so dearly loved but so as not to gather too large a crowd only officers were allowed in the march which passed through crantless throngs of people from international headquarters to Abney Park cemetery a distance of about five miles all along the route the crowd stood in dense masses and roofs and windows and every nook and corner were packed with human beings nothing had been seen like it said the police since the Duke of Wellington's funeral 40 years before it was a wonderful march I wish you could have seen it sometimes it seemed as if everyone was weeping and when the open hearse with its plain oak coffin crowned by the army bonnet and well-worn Bible fast all heads were bared all voices hushed and tears filled all eyes the general standing alone in his open carriage all along the long sad way must have felt that he had the people's sympathy and love with him in his grief for scores of heart felt God bless yous came from lips that are unused to such words and at last the yellow evening sun shone out as the great procession reached the gates of Abney Park cemetery and wound towards the open grave only a part of the mighty throng could hear the general's beautiful words so strong and yet so tender from which I have already quoted but all joined in the song Rock of Ages which seemed to roll up to the heavens themselves several leading officers and members of the general's own family prayed and spoke wonderfully upheld the light of their deep grief and the strain of the last days and then by the open grave the present general led all hearts to make a fresh consecration the whole assembly promising with God's help that they would be faithful to thee faithful to one another and faithful to a dying world till we meet our beloved mother in the morning Amen If ever you are in Abney Park cemetery you should visit her grave it is very simple around the little piece of earth runs a grey stone with these words carved on it Catherine Booth mother of the Salvation Army more than conqueror through him that loved us and gave himself for all the world for you do you also follow Christ? and above are two small beds of flowers do many people go to see it you wonder? oh yes all round it a path is worn in the grass made by the tread of many feet for mothers bring their boys and girls to see it and tell them what a mother she was and men and women of all creeds and races and wars beside it and remember many officers too from distant lands and speaking strange tongues you could not understand come to the army mothers grave when they visit our shores for she was their mother as well as ours they say they kneel beside the stone and spell out the name and then they consecrate themselves afresh to God and the needs of the heathen lands and they claim his grace to follow in her steps for our army mother is not dead true her body lies in the quiet grave at Amney Park and her spirit is in heaven but her life and influence still live among us her words are treasured and our greatest prayer and desire for the girls and wives and mothers in our ranks is that they may live to be worthy daughters of Catherine Booth End of Chapter 11 Chapter 12 of Catherine Booth This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Larry Wilson Catherine Booth by Mildred Duff Dates in Mrs. Booth's life 1829, January 17th Catherine Mumford, born at Ashburn Derby 1829, April 10th William Booth, born at Nottingham 1843, Catherine has to leave school owing to severe illness 1844 refuses to be engaged to her cousin 1845 is converted 1846 seems likely to go into consumption 1850 takes Sunday class of elder girls 1851, June Mrs. Mumford hears Mr. Booth preach later meets him at a friend's house 1852, May 15th they are engaged to be married 1855, June 16th the wedding 1857, Mrs. Booth speaks to a children's meeting on temperance 1859, she starts work among drunkards she writes her first pamphlet on women's right to preach 1860, Mrs. Booth speaks for the first time in public 1861, Mr. and Mrs. Booth break up their home in the north and come to London choosing an evangelistic life 1864, Mrs. Booth begins to hold evangelistic campaigns apart from her husband 1864, July East Inn Mission begun 1868, first headquarters established 1869, Mrs. Booth's wonderful Brighton campaign 1870, East London Mission becomes the Christian Mission 1871, Mrs. Booth publishes her first book 1877, Christian Mission becomes the Salvation Army 1878, the uniform is chosen 1886, first self-denial week 1888, February Mrs. Booth learns that she is suffering from cancer 1888, June 21st Mrs. Booth speaks in public for the last time at the City Temple 1889, August she goes to Clacton on Seat 1890, October 4th Mrs. Booth is promoted to glory 1890, October 6th her body brought to Congress Hall, Clacton 1890, October 11th funeral at Avonley Park End of Chapter 24 End of Catherine Booth by Mildred Duff