CHAPTER VII.

CAN IT BE DONE, AND HOW? Section r.—THE CREDENTIALS OF THE SALVATION ARMY.

Can this great work be done ? I believe it can. And I believe that it can be done by the Salvation Army, because it has ready to hand an organisation of men and women, numerous enough and zealous enough to grapple with the enormous undertaking. The work may prove beyond our powers. But this is not so manifest as to preclude us from wishing to make the attempt. That in itself is a qualification which is shared by no other organisation — at present. If we can do it we have the field entirely to ourselves. The wealthy churches show no inclination to com­pete for the onerous privilege of making the experiment in this defi­nite and practical form. Whether we have the power or not, we have, at least, the will, the ambition to do this great thing for the •sake of our brethren, and therein lies our first credential for being entrusted with the enterprise.

The second credential is the fact that, while using all material means, our reliance is on the co-working power of God. We keep our powder dry, but we trust in Jehovah. We go not forth in our own strength to this battle, our dependence is 'Upon Him who can influence the heart of man. There is no doubt that the most satisfactory method of raising a man must be to effect such a change in his views and feelings that he •shall voluntarily abandon his evil ways, give himself to industry and goodness in the midst of the very temptations and companionships that before led him astray, and live a Christian life, an example in himself of what can be done by the power of God in the very face of the most impossible circumstances.

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