A WORD FROM WILLIAM
The gain of godliness
Continuing a monthly series of messages that William Booth sent to corps to be read in Sunday meetings
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HIS is specially an age in which men are carried away with the desire for gain. Whatever else they do or leave undone, the cry of the multitude is, ‘Give me lands, houses, money or anything else of earthly value.’ The rage for money is taking hold of the hearts and passions of the poor as well as the rich. Indeed, you see this mammon worship occasionally breaking out even among Salvationists, and here and there you find soldiers who have been fooled by this passion and sometimes ruined by it. To all who want to make as much profit out of their lives as possible, I want to advertise what I believe to be the most profitable business in which they can engage. You can enter upon the business I recommend with or without capital, with or without skill, and even children can embark in it and do a good thing thereby. Paul is my authority for these bold assertions: ‘Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come’ (1 Timothy 4:8 King James Version). Now, the first question asked with respect to this passage would be, ‘What is godliness?’ Well, I reply, it is more than following John Knox, John Wesley, the Pope of Rome, Martin Luther or General Booth. Godliness means ‘God-likeness’ or the religion of God. What does that mean? To begin with, there must be a possession of some
knowledge of God. That knowledge may not be extensive and very little goes a long way when the heart travels with it. For instance, we must believe in the existence of God and of his goodness, his willingness to forgive and to care for us in this world and in the world to come. Godliness includes the friendship of God. Do you realise that? Can you look up to the heavens and say, ‘Abba, Father, my Lord, my God’? Godliness must also include possession of the nature of God. When we say a man is human, we mean that he has a human nature; and when we say a man is godly, we mean that he has been born again by the Holy Spirit and has received something of the nature of God. Godliness supposes partnership in God’s business – he shares its burdens, pushes its claims, sorrows over its failures and rejoices in its success. Can you lay claim to this godliness? If so, you will find it a profitable enterprise. The apostle says it is profitable for this world and the world to come. Now the real worth of things, so far as this world goes, is their capacity to secure for us the necessaries or pleasures of life – to soften its sorrows or deliver us from its ills and to do the same for those around us. The value of money, houses, land, learning and everything else that belongs to this world is just that, and no more. If these things secure for us love, trust, light, wellbeing and life here and hereafter, they are of unspeakable worth. If they do not, we
are as well without them. Measure godliness by this standard and you will find it the most profitable thing for time and for eternity that this or any other world contains. Take the value of godliness in the present life. Many suppose that to be a saint and out-and-out Salvationist means poverty, the loss of friends and untold hardships. This is a great mistake. No doubt there are individual cases of suffering for Christ’s sake but, taken as a whole, I firmly believe that as the result of the honest, industrious character that godliness creates, the followers of Jesus Christ are better housed and fed, and clothed and comforted, than they would have been had they lived worldly, godless lives. Then, godliness brings spiritual blessings of supreme value. There is the conscious favour of our heavenly Father. What is that worth? There is the deliverance from the bondage of evil passions and appetites. What is the value of that freedom? There is the privilege of labouring with Christ for the salvation of men. Who can measure the worth of that honour? Then, there is the Comforter in sorrow, the friendship of God’s servants, the hope of a dying hour and in the world to come the ‘well done’ of the Master, the memory of a life well spent and the blessed employments and enjoyments of the celestial world. Are you in possession of this treasure? If so, your fortune is made, your home is on high. If you are not in possession of this blessing, seek it just now. Salvationist 15 January 2022
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