BRAMWELL BOOTH'S MEMORY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 25 June 1929, Page 6

BRAMWELL BOOTH'S MEMORY.

PUBLIC SERVICE IN LEVIN. r l hronghout the world on Sunday, .public gatherings were held at which (he keynotes were grateful remembrance of the late Genoial Bramwcll Booth and thankfulness to God for his life and the work of the Salvation Army under his leadership. In Levin this service took place in the Century Hall in the evening and was presided over by His Worship the Mayor, Mr C. Blenkhorn, Ensign Blaikie leading the meeting and the Revs. W. Beckett (Methodist), and R. Crocket (Presbyterian) and Mr Bishop (Salvation Army) taking part. A n apology for unavoidable absence Avas received from the Rev, J. C. Davies (Anglican). The attendance was representative of the toAVn and various churches.

ORDER OF SERVICE. 'The service avus opened by Ensign Blaikie, aa’lic welcomed the Mayor and Ministers and stated its object—honouring the memory of a life spent in the service of the people an,d of one who tried to make this world a better and blighter place. The singing of the hymn “I’m hut a stranger here’’ followed, Mrs It .Sorenson acting as organist The Rev. Mr Crocket, engaged in prayer, the theme ot which Avas thankfulness for the life and work of the late General. Ensign Blaikie read the Scriptures from 1. Corinthians xv, 34—58, and also a brief summary of Brain well Booth’s life, addresses were given by the Mayor and the Rev. Mr Beckett, prayer was offered by Mr Bishop in Avhich the bereaved family Avas specially .*,ommended to Divine consolation; the hymn, “'Servant of God, well done,” was -sung, and the Benediction closed the meeting.

/'HONOURED BY KINGS.’’ His Worship the Mayor said a great' and distinguished leader had passed away and the world was poorer lor his passing. Go no nil Bramwell Booth had reached the ripe ago of 73 years, 50 of which had been spent in active ministry. It was a wonderful organisation of which he war. the head and it had, grown in the public regard in a remarkable manner 'that was not the least of the organisation’s triumphs. Many of Hie older people present would remember the Army in its early days and v, oub.l i:n«w that it required a person ot more than average courage, physical and mental, to become a member of the Army. Mr Blenhhorn said lie himself had seta the Army bustled about the streets and its members subjected to abuse of (‘very description, so much so that the police had to intervene. Even by some law-abiding people in those days the Army was regarded as a public, nuisance- and in \fuct it had been so indicted in the law courts. “To-day,” said the Mayor, “we sec it honoured by kings and its work admired and assisted on ever;/ hand.” The career of the late Brainwell Booth was indeed a most remark-, able one and the Mayor directed attention to the ,short record of his. life em‘bodied in the order of service. He had been for 33 years Chief of Staff to his father, the founder of the organisation, and had in fact been William Booth’s mainstay for that period. He became* Geneial in HH3 and the Army’s record during the seventeen years that followed: was wion.de'rful. First of all it must lie considered that when lie took over the command the Army was n huge organisation, but in those seventeen years he added 800!) oilicers to its personnel, 3000 new corps were formed, 400 tfSditioual social institutions were brought into being, and its message was proclaimed in 33 additional languages. Such evidence of development made- one realise that, not. only was Bramwell Booth a remarkable man, but one of the most remarkable men.of the age. He had iought his last light and gained his last triumph and it was his express wish that they should rejoice on that account. “1 think,” said the Mayor, “that can best be done by humbly and gratefully acknowledging his work and the fic.h heritage which the Army has won and consolidated. ■ We should show our appreciation and respect for Ids wish by .supporting the organisation of which he was head, to the full extent of the means at our disposal, having regard, of course, to our obligations to those organisations to which we individually and severally belong. ’ ’

YOUNG PEOPLE’S GENERAL. In the course of an appreciation of the late Genera 1 . Booth, Ensign Blaikie referred to his love for the Founder of the Army. Throughout nearly forty years he strove to deflect every blow aimed at his gieat Leader, to bear or share every burden, to multiply every joy. This devotion the Founder grate-

lully and repeatedly acknowledged, o» one occasion 'declaring:. “The service he has rendered . . j u the construction and building up of this'great, movement, is beyond my power to desc.iioe.lvarly in his generalship, he gave to the movement a missionary impulse, which, since gaining in mo-' mentum, has resulted in the raising of large sums of money and the liberal, dedication of human lives for the Salvation of the heathen, also in the Array’s advance into more than a dozen new missionary Jidda. Regarded by many as pre-eminently the “Young People’s Oxer.oral/ ’ he unceasingly devoted himself to the rising generation. Prompted by understanding sympathy, lie-has inaugurated and developed, in salvation warfare, many "features calculated to help the young to realise their noblest aspirations, while he has ever set a high example of persistence in seeking their salvation and stimulating them to rdf-sacrificing service. General Booth has been ever in the forefront as the guardjan and exemplar of Salvation Army standards. A true lov'd" of souls, ho has been an unswerving upholder of the Army’s distinctive emphasis of the need of full salvation. Similarly, ho has set the pace in aggression for Jesus Christ, separation from the work), unstinted consecration to the Saviour’s rau-r, and other characteristics of true Salvationisni. ” SOCIAL WORK HIS SPHERE.

The Rev. Win, Beckett said he had little to add to the Mayor’s tine tribute or to the appreciation read by Eusign Blaikie, but lie was eery glad to associate himself with this service to the memory of a great leader and faithful servant of vhe Lord Jesus Christ. This mooting- was but one company of a great many different meetings that were being held in 86 different count-lie;-: where the Army operated and re, many different languages by people of different creeds and colours, bpt all ef whose voices were being raised in thankfulness, for the ‘noble life that had just been > loser!. “What can a man do who c-oireth after the King.”’ quoted the speaker. What could =a man do who came after William Booth? The founder of tlie Army was an exceptional man in every wav, gifted with a commanding presence, wonderful physical and mental energy and remarkable 1 vitality He h'd the great power of gathering people together and setting them te wo:k; he was a grains of a man in that respect ’ and lie saw the Army established in 50 different countries and become a wonderful blessing to people in all parts of the world. When he passed, away his son succeeded him. The speaker confessed to a tense of disappointment when he save Bramweil Booth, a man of different type to his father, without the physical distinction, and quieter and more .pacific in liis methods. Yet like his namesake Brain",veil —one of Wesley’s followers —he was a man consecrated to the higher d octrines of holiness, and they were told that lie was the unseen worker who was largely responsible for the. Army’s inner organisation, and wh;> devoti’d himself to the social work that constituted so much of its strength today. Willi tm Booth was aI! for the evangelical side of the* work; he sought te gather men kite the Kingdom ami to l.uiiig sinners te repentance. Bra unveil Bootli saw there were other fields of Christian work and went out into the slums and sought to improve the cruel conditions under which so many people lived. Indeed, they were toll that he was largely responsible for the suggestion of many departments of the Army’s social organisation. Under him the Army did work the churches could not do-because they did not have the n-cessaiy organisation. “His name will never be forgotten,” said the speaker. “We thank God for Bramwell Booth ami wo pray that liis great work may. be carried on and that God will bless and aid his successor in the leadership of this groat organisation.’ ’