The Life And Ministry Of Earnest Booth

Earthen Vessel 1899:

In another column reference is made to our young friend and brother Booth, whose portrait accompanies this number, a brief reference to him, therefore, is all that is needed here.

Favoured with Christ-loving parents, Mr. Booth was early trained to attend the worship and service of God in good old Homerton Row, a place of old renown for New Testament Church order and the advocacy of the doctrines of free and sovereign grace; a good school for the young. But all this would be of no avail unless the Holy Spirit first quickens the soul with desires heavenward. We give the following short notes from Life and Light:—

Our brother, Mr. Ernest Alfred Booth says: “The work of grace in my soul was very gradual, almost imperceptible. The Lord has been very gracious to me: not so much by terrors as by the softening influence of His love have I been led to Him. Mr. Belcher’s ministry has been made a great blessing to me: and I was baptized by him on January 31st, 1892, at Homerton Row.

December 6th, 1893, I count the happiest day of my life, as, upon that day, God drew me so near to Himself, and so overwhelmed me with a sense of His love, that I was constrained to joyfully surrender my whole being to Him and His service, and say with a full knowledge of the depths of the words, ‘Lord, here am I, send me.’ I am willing to serve Thee wheresoever Thou shalt appoint, though it should be in some foreign land. I only ask of Thee two things: first, let me clearly know Thy will; secondly, undertake to do through me, in me, and for me, all Thy good pleasure.”

Two giants in the faith—Mr. J. Barmour and Mr. J. Haines (deacons for many years at Homerton Row), can bear witness to the testimony here given.

Strict Baptist Mission

By John Hunt Lynn 

Brother Ernest A. Booth’s visits to the Churches are most helpful, both to his auditors and to the Mission. The more we see him and hear him the stronger grows our confidence in the servant of the Lord, who has been so graciously given to us, and the deeper our gratitude for the fellowship thus granted to us in the purpose and work of the dear Redeemer. In closer acquaintance with the detailed information our brother brings from India we get very clear demonstration of the minute accuracy of the reports we have received, and of the remarkable wisdom with which brethren Hutchinson and Booth have been endowed. All we have written in regard to our hope for the future of the Mission is being daily confirmed, and honoured brethren who have stood in doubt are now standing forward in earnest co-operation and first testimony.

Brother Booth speaks with no uncertain sound, and while he lays down emphatically that our Mission Churches must be composed of a regenerate membership, and that clear evidence of the work of grace must be given by the “converts,” he also makes it plain that no austere judgment attends upon their testimony, but that God has eminently fitted both our colleagues to discover and draw out from the most timid and ignorant the evidence of the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, apart from which every professor is “none of His.” 

Our brother is a missionary from head to foot, and an excellent organiser with clear business tact. His three years and a half in India were a severe ordeal, but a good training and preparation for his work in Madras and district; and although a superficial observer might opine that, there has been loss of precious time and of much treasure, the conviction grows that the years of the past are yielding conditions which was well worth their expenditure to realise, and that the costs of these years will prove a “good investment.”

We hope that all the Churches in this country that can secure our brother’s service, whether for preaching or for missionary address, will do so during his brief stay in the home-land. Whether the exchequer of the Mission is to be augmented by collections on the occasions of his visits or not we are sure that the spiritual wealth of our friends will be augmented.

This month’s magazine contains a portrait of our good colleague, and we commend a study of the picture to any of our friends who are physiognomists or phrenologists. We hoped to have seen with it an “autobiographical sketch,” but his unwillingness to write on the pronoun “I” has extinguished the hope. However, to see and to hear him will partly make up the loss to such of our readers as may be so privileged.

We may in this connection entreat the godly to bear our brother in Madras, preacher Soondram, upon their hearts in constant and earnest prayer. The appointment of this gracious Tamil indicated the goodness of God to us in giving so acceptable a native preacher, and also the wise judgement of brother Booth in introducing him. He is a devoted and instructed missionary and worthy of our love.

Dr. Naryanaswamy lays us under new obligations by his brotherly acceptance of the charge laid upon him by our brother Booth during his absence from India. 

Brother S. Hutchinson has sent a most welcome letter to our subscribers which has been widely issued and which will be reprinted in our next “Occasional Paper.” In his own unassuming way he tells the story of the months he has spent in Bangalore and amongst the Telugus, whose language he is acquiring. In this, again, our minds are amply confirmed and our hearts are cheered. How markedly he lives out the precepts of Ephes. 4:31,32, his gentle but necessary protest in the end of his letter against a grave and groundless charge illustrates. Space forbids further reference to him now. Our love to these our brethren grows.

Let all those who read this page, and who know the guest-chamber of God’s intercessors make full use of their privilege in this secret place. We know the open reward of our heavenly Father will follow.