BY
THE SALVATION ARMY PRINTING WORKS,
ST. ALBANS.
Introduction by Commissioner Railton
There is a great difference betweena red-hot man and a Red-hot Library book Wehave no desire at all to pander to the common ideaof our day that “it does not matter what youbelong to,” by any of these books Verylittle reflection will show anyone the immeasurabledistance between the sort of clergyman this book describesand the mere leader of formalities holding a similarposition in these days of ease and self-satisfaction.
John Fletcher was a marvel, if viewedonly on his bodily side At a time when clergymenhad far more opportunity than they have even to-dayto retire into their own houses and do nothing forthe world, he pressed forward, in spite of an almostdying body, to work for God daily, in the most devotedmanner That he was able to continue his laboursso long was simply by God’s wonder-working mercy. We cannot judge him because he remained in the strangeposition (for anyone who cares about God or souls)in which he was found No other sphere was perhapspossible for him at that time It must not, however,for that reason be imagined that the Salvationistcan conceive of a red-hot life mixed with the readingof prayers out of a book, or the teaching of any poorsoul to turn to such heathenish folly.
We can gladly take whatever is red-hotout of such a life without allowing ourselves to bepoisoned in any respect whilst so doing Butit seems necessary, at the very outset, to call attentionto this, lest at any time it should be argued that,after all, the Salvationist life is no better, inour opinion, than the stiffest and most formal specim