THE SUNDAY MEETINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 77, 3 April 1899, Page 3

THE SUNDAY MEETINGS.

Yesterday was 'A Day of Salvation' in the Salvation Army, consequent on the presence of General Booth in Auckland. The first service was held at 10.45 a.m. in the O^ra House. which was filled in all parts. General Booth arrived promptly to time of opening the service, and got a big reception. Seated on the platform were his son, Commandant Herbert Booth, Commissioner Pollard, Colonel Lawley, Adjutant Barrett, Adjutant McMillan, Colonel Estin (head officer for New Zealand), Major Birkenshaw (Wellington), Majors Evans and Harris (Christchurch), Bennett (Dunedin), and Holdaway (Gisborne). On a streamer round the dress circle were the words, in red and blue letters: 'Beloved General, your troops affectionately hail you as father and leader.'

Proceedings commenced with prayer by Major Evans, then followed the hymn 'Give me a heart like Thine,' and a prayer by Commandant Booth. Colonel Lawley, who possesses a fine bass voice, sang a sacred solo, and led in the singing of hymns.

General Booth gave a vigorous and Stirring address, basing his discourse on Isaiah 48 eh. 14 v. He urged that the meetings should be a downright spiritual campaign, and that it was God who saves, and they should not look upon the past, but on the glorious possibilities of the fxiture. He concluded by making a powerful appeal to those who were not saved to come up to the mercy seat, and said that at the soldiers' meeting on Saturdaynight 44 men and women came to the penitent form. There was a good response to the General's appeal, and the morning meeting closed with praise. In the evening General Booth conducted another service, and gave an address based on the story of Lot's wife. Hundreds were unable to gain admission. 'LESSONS OF MY LIFE.'

The Opera House was crowded yesterday afternoon by people of all denominations who were anxious to hear General Booth's address upon 'Lessons of My Life.' Even the platform was crowded, the front rows of seats being occupied by a number of ladies and gentlemen. Amongst those present were Eabbi Goldstein, whose entry was the signal for prolonged applause, the Hon. J. A. Tole, Mr Theo. Cooper, Dr. A. O. Knight, and Dr. P. King, Mr W. Crowther, M.H.E., Eevs. J. Milne, W. J. Williams, A. Peters, Sinclair, Mr T. Hutchinson, S.M., Messrs J. J. Craig, Bnukenrig, C. E. Button, H. Wilding, G. Kent, H. Smeeton.

The appearance of General Booth was the signal for a vigorous 'volley' from the Army, and prolonged applause from visitors. His Worship the Mayor presided, and called upon Commandant Booth to conduct the first portion of the meeting. Psalm 16, 'Let Us Siug of His Love Once Again,' was then played by the Band, all present joining iv singing. Colonel Estelle then engaged in prayer, after which Colonel Lawley sang a sacred solo.

Mr David.Goldie then read an apology from Mr J. J. Holland for nonattendance, and> stated that he had t orwarded a small donation (applause). The Mayor, in introducing General Booth, said, 'I need scarcely remind you ladies and gentlemen that his name is now a household word throughout the whole civilised world (applause). There is scarcely now any part of the world where the Salvation Army is not fighting and doing grand uvork for the Christian Church, in fact doing the work that the Christian Church is not doing (applause). When Christ was upon earth they brought to Him the sick, the halt, and the blind, and He put his hand upon each one of them and healed them all. The Salvation Army may not cure physically, but it goes down to the outcasts of the world, and by sympathetic kindness, the outcome of love, lifts up the fallen and the outcast to a.higher altitude (applause). I fully appreciate the noble work in which the Salvation Army is engaged, end wish them God speed in the efforts put forth for the uplifting of fallen humanity' (applause). *

. • 'LESSONS OP MY LIFE.' General Booth, upon rising to adflress the large assembly, received quite au ovation. He thanked the audience for the kindly greeting accorded him, as he tqok it to be the outcome of genuine appreciation of his life's work by Christian people. It could not but be gratifying and encouraging to have such appreciation ehown, to one like himself upon whose shoulders such great responsibility had rested, and to whom there must of necessity at times be hours of darkness. Such' appreciation tempted one to desire that his life might be further prolonged a little in order to have opportunity of more fully deserving the sympathy and affection manifested (applause). He took that expression of sympathy as being not so much a personal matter, but appreciation of the work with which in the order of God's Providence he had been so closely associated (applause). In all humbleness he must say and without any egetistical feeling on his own part, that he felt, as a mark of appreciation of the work of the Salvation Army, the expression of appreciation, was well deserved (applause), for the Army deserved well of the people amongst whom it laboured, because of the work it was doing.

JUDGE BY EESULTS. General Booth then spoke about the work of the Army and asked the audience to judge the movement by results. He did not ask to be judged by their tenets, though he believec they were orthodox, for they stuck by the old truths, nor by their, activity, because they believed in work, as well as faith. Neither should the Army be judged by its own opinion of itself, for that was a high standard. He Wished the Army to be judged by the actual blessings and benefits brought to the hearts and homes for whom the Army strove. Shareholders an commercial concerns wanted to know what were the profits; what was the dividend to share; governments did not care about war, the marching, etc., but What prisoners there were and what territory had been conquered. So it was with the Army; judge it by what it had conquered, by the good it had accomplished. The Army's operations were not an uninterrupted success, for their foe was a terrible one, and they had not chosen the smooth or easy paths, but Oiad. gone for the paths of the worst, of fcuman nature. In war there had to Ye retreats, and in the Salvation Army there were also retreats. The Army,

had come to be spoken of as in two parts, the social and the religious. But he did not approve of the distinction, for man could not be saved in halves. They recognised as the arrangement of God himself, that man had to be saved by the work of a man. He did not ask that the Army should be judged by its outward activities, though it believed in smashing the traps of the devil as far as possible. The true test Avas what the Army had already accomplished, the benefits wrought amongst the most hopeless classes, by the criminals brought back to honest careers, by the women rescued from the clutches of cruel men. (Applause.) The Army went down to the depths to try and raise the fallen. On the whole he could report to the wide world that the Salvation Army still moved forward. He contended that if they could get at the heart of a man and change it then the whole man would be transformed.

(Applause.) General Booth then spoke upon the influence of early surroundings, many who had fallen, and related some striking instances of rescue work done by the Army. He said people might object to the drum, but it was.better for a man to beat a drum than his wife. (Applause.) Some men had to do something to let off their steam. (Laughter.)

REACHING NON-CHURCH-GOERS

The great work of the Army was to preach Christ to those who did not go to church. This non-attendance at church was a matter that required consideration by the churches. He did not know so much about this colony, but at Home and in America there were millions of people who never went to church. In most of the great cities of the world they now had the Salvation Army flag flying in the highways and market places. (Applause.) They almost went to the brink of hell to wrestle for the souls of men. There was still much to be done, for there were 300,----000,000 in India and Japan, but it must be remembered that the Army was still young, in fact only 33 years old. Yes, 33 years ago the whole Salvation Army was under one hat, and he wore that particular hat. (Laughter.) Then for the first 10 or 13 years they hardly knew what work God intended them to do. Now the Salvation Army flag was in 47 different countries, with 6,500 separate self supporting stations, led by 14,000 officers with 40,000 local officers. The Army literature had a circulation of 50,000,000 copies per annum.

EEBCUE WOEK. Nine years ago the new phase .of the Army work came into existence.' When a man was down he did not stop to ask how he got there, but said 'Eor God's sake give the man a hand to help him up.' (Applause.) It was only nine years since that new phase was inaugurated, but now they had 402 separate institutions, they fed 300,000 every week, and sheltered 15,000 wretched ragged men and women. No man need to starve if he wr-s willing to work for a meal and went to the Salvation Army captain. (Applause.) They also had 13 labour colonies, 12 ex-prisoners' homes, and nearly 1000 ex-criminals under their care. He told rich people sometimes that if they would not give money to help this work, he would have to let that thousand loose and tell them to fetch it. (Laughter.) At the farm colonies they taught people how to live upon the laud. They had also 02 Eescue Homes through which 4600 girls passed every year, and the results for three years showed that from 60 to 80 per cent, were reformed. (Applause.) He did not wish it to be thought that the Salvation Army was the only organisation that did work of that description. The churches had their x>hilanthropic institutions, and they worked side by side for the restoration of fallen humanity. (Applause.) The General concluded with a vigorous and fervent appeal to all present to aid the work, and said finally: 'I have given you my life s story and leave you to draw the lessons from it yourselves.' (Applause.) A collection was taken up to pay expenses, the surplus to be devoted to rescue work, and the meeting terminated with votes of thanks to General Booth and the chairman, Commandant Booth -closing with a brief prayer.

THE FAREWELL MEETING. ' This morning before a large crowd General Booth gave a farewell address at the Albert-street Salvation Army Barracks. General Booth and staff leave for Sydney this afternoon in the s.s. Westralia, and next Monday he hopes to celebrat his 70th birthday by a gathering in the fine Town HaU of that city! Subsequently he will return to Adelaide, as he was prevented by ill-health from holding meetings in that city.