Barnabas Ministries UK

                                  General William Booth

This month be encouraged by an inspiring letter sent out from Salvation Army founder William Booth to his fellow comrades.

Everyone knows that on going into the battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson hoisted at his mast head the signal, ‘England expects every man to do his duty’. That sentence has been memorable ever since.

Duty is a good old English word. I like it very much. It is so expressive and so well understood by young and old, rich and poor, saint and sinner alike. Who is there that does not know what is meant by doing his duty?

Duty signifies neither more nor less than doing what you feel you ought to do, and leaving undone what you know you ought to do.

It means a sinner giving up his sins, a drunkard renouncing his drink, a swindler abandoning his cheating, a liar forswearing his falsehood, and that forever and ever.

Have you, my comrades; put away from you every evil habit? If not, that is what God requires from you at this very moment. Will you not do your duty?

It may apply to a saint placing himself and all he possesses at the service of his Saviour. Have you done that? If not, you cannot truthfully say that you have done your duty. It may apply to a soldier offering himself to be an officer, or to fill any other post for which he may be thought best qualified in the Army; being ready and willing to fight at that post to his dying day. What are you called to? Will you do your duty?

The word duty may apply to something which is more or less the act of the hour, such as the reading of your Bible, praying in your family, speaking to someone about his soul, going to the open air, giving money to feed the poor, wearing uniform or the like. When the call comes to you for any of these things, you must do your duty.

Now, the first thing a soldier has to do what appears to be his duty is to give himself up to his performance, whatever the consequences.

When duty presents itself, comrades, do not stop to enquire about your ability or worthiness to perform the task. All you want to know about it is, “Is it my duty?”

Do not stop to consult your feelings. They will possibly, very likely, be in direct opposition, both to your judgment and your conscience. Simply ask, “Is it my duty?”

When you pray, when you sing, when you suffer without complaining, when you carry one another’s burdens, when you warn sinners, when you give your money; in short, wherever you do any act, you say by your action to those round, “Go, and do likewise. Do your duty! Do your duty!”

If death overtook you, my comrades, tonight, would you be able to say, “Husband, wife, kiss me, I am leaving you, but I am satisfied. Thank God, I have done my duty!

“Father, mother, children, kiss me. I have loved your souls, and toiled for your salvation. Thank God, I have done my duty!”

“Brother, sister, master, servant, kiss me. I have tried to bless you. I am satisfied. Thank God, I have done my duty!”

Would you be able to say this? And when, at the judgment seat, you meet those dear ones again, and the poor sinners who now live around about you, speeding on their way to the land of misery and despair, will you be able to say to them, “I knew you on earth; I loved you; I prayed for you; and in trying to save you I did my duty”.