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William Booth
William Booth (1829–1912). Born on April 10, 1829, in Sneinton, Nottingham, England, to Samuel and Mary Booth, William Booth was a British Methodist preacher and founder of The Salvation Army. Raised in poverty after his father’s bankruptcy, he apprenticed as a pawnbroker at 13 and converted to Methodism at 15, preaching to Nottingham’s poor by 17. In 1849, he moved to London, working as a pawnbroker and joining the Methodist New Connexion, ordained in 1858. Marrying Catherine Mumford in 1855, they had eight children, all active in ministry. Frustrated by church constraints, Booth left in 1861 to evangelize independently, founding The Christian Mission in London’s East End in 1865, renamed The Salvation Army in 1878. His fiery street preaching, military-style organization, and social reforms—like shelters and job programs—reached the destitute, growing the Army to 80 countries by his death. Booth authored In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890), advocating systemic aid for the poor, and published The War Cry newspaper. Knighted in 1907, he died on August 20, 1912, in London, saying, “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight.”
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In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of salvation and its ability to deliver and purify the soul. The sermon encourages the listener to find joy in the salvation offered by Jesus and to remember the suffering and misery that exists in the world. The preacher urges the listener to visit and help those in need, highlighting the plight of the sick, the destitute, and the neglected. The sermon concludes by reminding the listener to rely on Jesus as the true source of hope and to cast away any false hopes or illusions.
Sermon Transcription
If thou hast run with them, and they have wearied thee, then how thou canst afford it? And if in the land of Thith, wherein thou thirstest, they wearied thee, then outdo in the swelling of darkness. Dear comrade, look up, for the joy is set before thee, and haste on thy way to the regions of glory. A crown in the kingdom thy faith may discover. Thy troubles are grave, but they soon will be over. For Jesus hath offered thy soul to deliver, and opened thy passage through torn and dark rivers. Christ is a sure help to the children of Zion. But if thou act any false cross to rely on, thy soul is deluded. Think what thou art doing. O cast them away, fear making thee to do it. For none but Jehovah hath power to deliver, and bear up thy soul in the midst of the river. I am glad you are enjoying them. The salvationist is a friend of happiness. Making heaven on earth is our business. Serve the Lord with sadness is one of our favorite mottoes. So I am pleased that you are pleased. But amidst all your joys, don't forget the sons and daughters of misery. Do you ever visit them? Come away, and let us make a call to them. Here is a home fixed in family. They eat, and drink, and sleep, and sit, and die in the same chamber. Here is a drunken hobble, void of furniture, wife of skeletons, children in rags, all about seeking the victims of even anguish. Here are the unemployed, wondering about, seeking work, and finding none.
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William Booth (1829–1912). Born on April 10, 1829, in Sneinton, Nottingham, England, to Samuel and Mary Booth, William Booth was a British Methodist preacher and founder of The Salvation Army. Raised in poverty after his father’s bankruptcy, he apprenticed as a pawnbroker at 13 and converted to Methodism at 15, preaching to Nottingham’s poor by 17. In 1849, he moved to London, working as a pawnbroker and joining the Methodist New Connexion, ordained in 1858. Marrying Catherine Mumford in 1855, they had eight children, all active in ministry. Frustrated by church constraints, Booth left in 1861 to evangelize independently, founding The Christian Mission in London’s East End in 1865, renamed The Salvation Army in 1878. His fiery street preaching, military-style organization, and social reforms—like shelters and job programs—reached the destitute, growing the Army to 80 countries by his death. Booth authored In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890), advocating systemic aid for the poor, and published The War Cry newspaper. Knighted in 1907, he died on August 20, 1912, in London, saying, “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight.”