Booth, Catherine Mumford, 1829-1890; Salvation Army -- Great Britain -- Biography
'I had such a view of His love and faithfulness on the journey from
Wellingborough, that I thought I would never doubt again about anything.
I had the carriage to myself, and such a precious season with the Lord,
that the time seemed to fly. As the lightning gleamed around I felt ready
to shout, "The chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." Oh, how
precious it is when we see as well as believe, but yet more blessed to
believe and not see! Lord, work this determined, obstinate, blind,
unquestioning, unanswering faith in me and my beloved friend, and let us
two dare to trust Thee in the midst of our peculiar trials. As I looked
at the waving fields, and grazing sheep, the flashing sky, a Voice said
in my soul, "Of what oughtest thou to be afraid? Am I not God? Cannot I
supply thy little, tiny needs?" My heart replied, "It is enough, Lord; I
will trust Thee, forgive my unbelief."'
IX
LOVE
The truest love must ever seek the highest good of its object; sometimes
even with forgetfulness of important smaller advantages.'--MRS. BOOTH.
The second great quality in Mrs. Booth's character, as given by the first
General, was her love.
'She was _love_,' he says. 'Her whole soul was full of tender, deep
compassion. Oh, how she loved, how she pitied the suffering poor! How she
longed to put her arms round the sorrowful, and help them!'
'How,' asked Mrs. Booth once, 'are we to put heart into people? Even
grace seems to fail to do so in many instances. I think it needs mothers
to do this from infancy upwards.'
You will recollect that Mrs. Mumford fostered this 'heart' and love in
her little girl; and you will remember how keenly Katie felt, blazing up
into wrath at any story of wrong or injury, and ready to sacrifice her
life for those she loved. This spirit grew with her. She could not help
caring and struggling to help all who needed her. The General often told
her in later years that she was killing herself by carrying every one's
burdens. Then she would try to leave off for a little, but her heart was
too strong, and she could not hold it back.
When but a child, running down the road with her hoop and stick, she saw
a drunkard being dragged off to prison by a policeman. All the people
were jeering and mocking at the poor friendless wretch. Instantly Katie's
pity and love fired up. She dashed across the street, and marched along
close by the man's side, so that he might feel that at least one little
heart cared for him, and wanted to help him.
To the end of her life she carried this deep, tender pity wherever she
went. She loved the poor. 'With all their faults,' she said, 'they have
larger hearts than the rich'; and she loved them for it.
Where any one had a warm heart, she could forgive and overlook many
mistakes; but with cold, narrow, 'fishy' souls, she had neither sympathy
nor patience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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