The Portland daily press., 1894-05-25
MRS. DARLINGTON BOOTH.
A Noble Woman and Noble
Sermon.

A very large audience assembled at City
hall last evening to see and hear beautiful
and eloquent Mrs Ballitgton Booth. The
occasion was the last meeting of the council
| of this district for the season. Major Brewer
| intended to come. but missed the train. Had
Mrs. Booth waited for him as he urged her
| to, she would probably have disappointed
| Portland people again.
| Among the speakers at the first of the
| evening were Captain and Mrs. Roberts of
| Portsmouth, who will BIZ remembered as the
| young couple who were married on City hall
| stage last January, by Commander Balling-
I ton Booth.
| Adjutant Brengle briefly referred to the
growth of the Salvation Army and Mrs.
| Booths connection with it, and then very
gracefully introduced Mrs Darlington Booth
as the speaker of the evening.
Mrs. Booth was received with a splendid
and spontaneous burst of applause. She
was very sorry to have brought SO bad
weather, but assured her hearers that the
Salvation Army brings perpetual sunshine
within. She said that the praying of
Salvationists was from inspiration and she
always liked to have her little children pray
for whatever they wanted. The night be-
fore, her little boy was praying at his bed
side and she listened and heard him say:
30 Lord, do .please bless mamma, as she
stands up before all those people that she's
going to. Do go with herr This pleading
of her little baby, in her behalf, with God
was very comforting as .she started out in
the rain on her journey to Portland.
Mrs. Booth is such a wholly charming,
fascinating and inimitable. speaker that it is
necessary to speak of that fact at this
point, because it was just here that she sent
the contribution boxes among the audience
with an introduction that could not fail of
giving them cordial welcome.
Mrs. Booth continuing, said that it was
the greatest joy and honor of Sa1vationists
that they not only preach the cross, but
ALSO bear it. She desired her hearers to-
know the inner heart, the spiritual life of
the Salvationists, because that is the great
motive power of the movement without
which it would never have survived oppo-
sition.
1t is not due to the leaders of this move
ment, but because of the consecrated
religion of it, that it is successful.
The most impressive things to son-lookers,
are the great characteristics of it's teach
ings. namely, heart purity, and
OUT-AND-OUT CONSIDERATION.
It was this eonsecration that drew her to
the Army, She had been taught religion
from childhood, but it was a mere routine of
words until she grasped the significance of
this great Salvation movement. Jesus
Christ gave his life to purchase a spotless
religion for the world. The Salvation Army
believes in this spotless religion. 1t has.
experienced it. When it goes into the slums
it can say to the people, ''Our garments are
spotless,'' and the people will listen to this
message from Christ because they see the
whole spotless life of those who bring it.
This is the only religion that will make
the slaves of sin realize that their chains
can be snapped The real cross of Jesus
always produces results. 1t brings power to
the individual laborers. .Oh how many there
are In our ranks who have embraced the
cross, who have given up self and conse-
Grated themselves to Christ, who have de-
clared themselves ready to follow Jesus
anywhere,
REGARDLESS OF THE RIDICULE
of the world and the difficulties of the work,
and as result they have become the
spiritual fathers and mothers of hundreds
of souls.
She told the story of frail young woman
town, and who caused 700 souls to be saved
in one year Glow much would some of our
great divines give if they could convert 700
souls in a year,
''But we are not hampered by churches.
The whole world is our church. Our best
place to work is in the open air. We love
our drums, whatever the respectable think,
and it is because the disreputable people
like it and as we have no reputa ton, We
like it too.'
She spoke of the disturbance of meetings
by toughs and how efficient in quieting
them are the quiet, forceful words of the
Captain. She believed that the Salvationists
are more efficient in tough places than the
police. sit would be a good thing for the
Salvationists to
TAKE THE PLACE OF THEn POLICE,
especially in New York. and let the police
take holiday and come to Salvation meet
ings, and get converted, which they very
much need" fApplause)
She told several individual stories of the
splendid work of conversion by Saliva
tionists, and dwelt upon the fact that it is
not the special gifts of the salvation work
ers, but the spectacle of his or her consecra-
ton that is effective.
In places where the people don't believe
in goodness, because they are full of bad
ness and have never seen anything else, the
Salvationist alone can inspire belief in
human goodness by going there and living
it, SO that these people can see it. That it
the secret of the::Sa1vation Army power. They
can go to the people and love the people
and make these wretched people believe in
love. They can love the people because
they, themselves, are full of the happiness,
the wonderful happiness that comes from
self sacrifice alone, that comes from bearing
the cross.
But not only in the darkest places of this
human life, but in all classes shall this con-
secrated religion exert it's influence. o
THIS IS THE WHOLE HEARTED RE
LIGION
that is going to lift the world out of the
petty faithlessness apd selfshness of humani-
ty and into that high plane of conservation
to that which is good and right.
Before the doors have opened and you go
out let me ask of all of you the question:
Have you consecrated yourself in this way?
Have you stepped in His footsteps2 We
don't ask you to be Salvationists. You
,i.rI,4 T. ~ p11t lob