GENERAL BOOTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 250, 21 October 1891, Page 2

GENERAL BOOTH.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT THE CITZ HALL.

SPEECH BY THE GENERAL,

General Booth had a monster welcome at the City Hall last night. Prior to the meeting hour sections of the Salvation Army in full uniform with torches flaring, bands playing and joyfulness supreme, paraded the streets, and when they met ab the corner of Queen-street at 7.30 p.m., they had collected a crowd large enough to fill the City Hall twice over. When the meeting commenced half an hour later, the capacious building was well filled. On the platform were the Army musicians and a number of officers, while in the body of the hall the crimson uniforms made a bright and bold display. The appearance of the assembly was improved by the display of two appropriate inscriptions. In front of the platform on a red background were the words "To God be All the Glory," and in front of the dress circle railing was a long streamer with the words "A Loving Welcome to Our General" in bold red and blue lettering. As the General stepped upon the platform every Salvationist in the hall stood and in response to an official call to

FIRE A VOLLEY,

they made the building ring again and echo with loud cries of " Amen," while the brazen instruments of the band blared out loudly. This having been continued for a few minutes, there was a call for singing, and "Storm the Forts of Darkness, Bring Them Down" was given in fine, vigorous style. Colonel Nicol then engaged in prayer, re-echoed at every syllable from every quarter of the building. "Glory be to God," "Hallelujah" and " Amen " were repeated by the vast audience as if by one voice.

" BLESS OUR GENERAL,"

prayed tho Colonel, and the hall shook with enthusiastic cries of " Amen." Passing from prayer into a hymn, a few lines were eung with fervour by the Salvationists, and then the General, quietly rising to his feet, book up the theme in prayer in a quiet but deep and captivating voice. "Amen " echoed thesoldiers and the building again re-echoed with "Amens." Enthusiasm reigned supremo, the General had thoroughly gob possession of his audience. The words bhab fell from his lips were eagerly drunk in and repeated, while now and again eomo one member more strongly impressed than the rest would ejaculate "Glory be to God!" " Bless the Lord!" etc.

GENERAL BOOTH SPEAKS.

Colonel Bailey, corning to the front, remarked that he hnd no need to introduce the General. ("No.") " Everybody was glad to see the General." " Amen," cheered iohe audience. " Stand up and fire a volley," he cried, and tho vast crowd cried again and again " Araen, amen." Starting with a satirical reference to the man who cannot see his way to b<? saved, the General assured hispeoplethat "tbe Hallelujah train stopped everywhere." She would sbop everywhere to take up first-class passengers, they had enough ' third-class' now. (Loud laughter 'and cries of Amen.) They wanted nothing but " out and outers" now. Blood and fire was their motto. (Amen.) Salvation was free to all; the train would stop again ; there was another chance: "Getin," the General cried,andthen as if struck by a sudden thought he added : "And if you havo to go through any tunnel, Bit still." (Laughter.)

A MOST GENEROUS WELCOME

Passing fora moment to personal matters, the General referred in feeling language to tho moat generous welcome ho had received everywhere. He had been assured again and again that he was a really great man, and he waa almost inolined to believe ib. (Laugh-

ter.) A funny story told to the poinfe seb the audience off into prolonged laughter, and the General assured them that he could not decline to accept the testimony of so many witnesses. Forty-six years ago, he continued, he was a wild, harum-scarum youth, won over by what appeared to be the advantage of a godly life. He had no anxiety about the past, no anxiety about) the future, and he had ever held on to the clear determination to spread salvation amongst the poor and the wretched. By holding on to that amidsb all darknessand difficulties he had come to the present time. He had gone through many tunnels ; again and again he had to leave everything men called valuable in this world, but again and again God had shown Himself to be upon his side, f Now he found good men of all shades of opinion on his side, but whether ib was "glory" or "crucifixion "he would still go forward. He recommended to all the " Salvation Army " as a vocation in life, not of making money, not of making things comfortable, not of pleasure or excitement, but the same object as Jesus Christ's—going about; doing good to the bodies and , souls of men. (Amen.) They would get out of it pleasures thab none of the frothy theatricals or baubles of this world could give. They would probably get opprobrium and ridicule from the wicked, bub sooner or later they would come dancing with " hozannahs" in their train. Hβ had heard a great deal of

TALK ABOUT NEW ZEALAND.

Some of the New Zealanders thought so much of it thab they wanted to keep it all for themselves. (Laughter.) "New Zealand for the New Zealanders," they cried, " and somebody else take the rest," (Laughter.) From the litble he knew of New Zealand, he regarded ib as a grand country, a country of gold, of silver, of minerals, and magnificent pasturos. Ono thing, and only one thing eeomed to bo wanting in it—more good and godlyminded people. They had a country capable of carrying some thirty millions of people, and they had only some five or six hundred thousand. They wanted people, and good people, and the Salvation Army offered help in both directions. The Army offered to help them in goodness, and it was ready to help them to increase the population. He had been asked already what he was here for—whether he wanted anything—whether he had come to spy out the land (laughter), and he supposed his portmanteaus had been scanned to see whether he had any money or his cheque book about him. He had not had any offer 3of land by way of gift, bub there were plenty of people who wanted to sell to him. He had had offers so tempbing in the shape of land suitable for his poor people, but he had nob yeb accepted' any. He wanted' to see all of his sweethearts first. (Laughter.) If one girl would not have him, anobher no doubb would. (Laughter.) He intended bo keep hie heart open, and when he had made bhe round he would make his choice.

DESCRIBED AS A TYRANT

Hβ had come to see his soldiers in this part of the world and bo let his people see " the General." Some said he was a " deepob " and others thab he was a "tyrant" (laughter), and so he had come to let the New Zealanders have a good look at him. (Cheers.) He thought that those who did see him would give him credit for that which he claimed co be—an honest, straightforward man. (Amen.) He thought ib would do good to look his people up — to\ stir them up — and he was exceedingly gratified at what he had seen in Auckland.' It was sin, he urged, thab made hell, from which Jesua alone could save them. The Salvation Army was based on the principle that " sin and misery" were bound together and ib was the duty of the Salvationists bo drive both out. The'objects of the Army were to secure salvation for every man, from the sin that was past, and from the sin thab ruled over him, to change his business from one of making money to the making of earth into heaven, to turn a man from doing well for himself to do well for his fellows,to turn selfishness into benevolence, ("Hallelujah !" " Amen !" cried the audience.) If they had had

VOLCANOES OF HOLY FIRE in the past, they would have greater volcanoes in the future. ("Amen.") If they had gone on foot in the past, they would go in express trains in the future, and whore they went by express trains in the past), they would go by balloons in the future (Amen.) In his experience of preaching he found that the orthodox announcement of "two sermons" would not make the people come to church. There were people who vvanted something practical, and he saw them! He determined to capture them; he did not care how, so long as it was right. The secret of their success was to get the people " to think "—one thing led to another. Music was a great charm, and they decided to use music. It was like the sails of a ship ; if they were steering for heaven music would h9lp them ; if they wore steering to hell music also would speedily put them on the rocks of damnation.

PROGRESS OF THE ARMY.

They had now assumed the proportions of a great army, spread over thirty-five countries, having five thousand sepai'ate organised societies, and nearly eleven thousand separate officers. They had a newspaper circulation of 750,000 copies, withoutany fiction of any kind, and full of the love story of the cross. Other "Army " periodicals gave an increased circulation of some 150,000 copies weekly, and all, this was a fair indication that the Salvation Army waR getting on. Yet they were only touching the misty ocean of possibility lying before them. What lay in the future he knew not, but they must go onward. His " scheme " was but the outcome of that passion, that seeking for the good of men that was the Salvation Army's work. He proposed to expound it on the following evening, and therefore refrained from saying much about it then. A vivid portraiture of the Salvation Army ns they are, compared with Salvationists unsaved, was painted by the General in his most forcible language and brought his remarks to a conclusion.

The meeting concluded wibh prayer.