William Booth
Born April 10th. 1829. Died August 20th, 1912.
The Authoritative Life of General William Booth
Founder of The Salvation Army
G. S. Railton
First Commissioner to General Booth
With a Preface by
General Bramwell Booth
Copyright, 1912,
By George H. Doran Company
Preface
I have no hesitation in commending this small volume as containing sofar as its space permits, a good picture of my beloved Father and arecord of much that made his life of interest and importance to theworld.
It does not, of course, profess to cover anything like the whole storyof his many years of world-wide service. It could not do so. For anysuch complete history we must wait for that later production which may,I hope, be possible before very long when there has been time to gofully through the masses of diaries, letters and other papers he hasleft behind him.
It must not be supposed that I can make myself responsible for everyphrase Commissioner Railton has used. I know, however, that perhaps noone except myself had anything like his opportunities, during the lastforty years, of knowing and studying my Father's life, both in publicand private, and of understanding his thoughts and purposes.
Now we wish this book to accomplish something. We cannot think itpossible for anyone, especially a Salvationist, to read it without beingcompelled ever and anon to ask himself such questions as these:--
"Am I living a life that is at all like this life? Am I, at any rate,willing by God's grace to do anything I can in the same direction, inorder that God may be more loved and glorified, and that my fellow menmay be raised to a more God-like and happy service? After all, is therenot something better for me than money-making, or the search after humanapplause, or indeed the pursuit of earthly good of any kind?
"If, instead of aiming at that which will all fade away, I turn myattention to making the best of my life for God and for others, may Inot also accomplish something that will afford me satisfaction at lastand bear reflection in the world to come?"
I hope also that to some, at least, the great message of this life willstand revealed in these pages. I believe it to be that, while God can dolittle or nothing by us until we are completely submitted and given upto Him, He can work wonders of infinite moment to the world when we are.Asked, a few months before his death, if he would put into a sentencethe secret as he saw it, of all the blessings which had attended himduring his seventy years of service, The General replied: "Well, if I amto put it into one sentence, I would say that I made up my mind that GodAlmighty should have all there was of William Booth." It was, in thebeginning, that entire devotion to God and its continued maintenancewhich could, alone, account for the story told in these brief records.
The book is, of course, written in the main from the Salvationist pointof view; much of it, indeed, is simply a reproduction of my father's ownsayings and writings to his own people. This, to all thoughtful readers,must be our defence against any appearance of self-glorification, or anyomission to refer to the work in the world that others are doing forChrist. No attempt has been made to tell the story of The General's"life and times," but simply to note some of the things he said and didhimself. And I trust the record may be found useful by all the manyservants of God who do not think exactly as he thou