“But other difficulties were not far away, for I had hardly settled down to my studies before I got into a red-hot Revival in a small London church where a remarkable work was done.  In an account of this effort my name appeared in the church’s Magazine, and I was invited to conduct special efforts in other parts of the country.  This, I must confess, completely upset my plans once more, and I have not been able to find heart or time for either Greek or Latin from that day to this.”

How sincerely this curious student longed for improvement is manifested in the following entry in his Journal, written, I presume, on a Monday morning when it was thought that some relaxation of his studies following a Sunday’s services would be advantageous:—­

     “Monday.—­Visited the British Museum.  Walked up and down there
     praying that God would enable me to acquire knowledge to increase
     my power of usefulness.”

Who will doubt that that Museum prayer was heard and answered?

The Church he had joined was governed by an annual assembly, called the Conference, at which candidates for the ministry were accepted into it, and were appointed to some sphere of labour called a Circuit.  Just before the Conference met he was astonished to hear that it was proposed to appoint him as Superintendent of a London Circuit.  He was able to persuade the authorities concerned to alter this intention on the ground of his comparative lack of experience, although he expressed his willingness to take the post of assistant minister under whomsoever the Conference might appoint as Superintendent.

In due course, the appointment was made, and he found himself assistant to a Superintendent who, he tells us, was “stiff, hard, and cold, making up, in part, for the want of heart and thought in his public performances by what sounded like a sanctimonious wail.”

This gentleman strongly objected when, as a result of the reports of Mr. Booth’s services appearing in the Press, he was urgently invited to visit other places, as he had visited Guernsey.  The Conference authorities, however, prevailed, and insisted, in the general interest, upon his place in London being taken by another preacher, and his services being utilised wherever called for.

It was thus by no choice of his own, but by the arrangement of his Church, that Mr. Booth, instead of remaining tied down to the ordinary routine of pastoral life, was sent for some time from place to place to conduct such evangelising Campaigns as his soul delighted in.  Who can doubt that God’s hand was in this disposal of his time?  He was allowed to marry, though his young wife had to content herself with but occasional brief spells of association with him.

His Campaigns were really wonderful in their success.  He would go for a fortnight, or even less, to some city where the congregation had dwindled almost to nothing, and where one or two services a week, conducted in a very quiet and formal way, were maintained with difficulty, owing to the indifference or hopelessness of both minister and people.  For the period of his stay all the usual programme would be laid aside, however, and he would be left free to carry out his own plans of daily service.