It is not surprising then that William Booth saw nothing to attract him
in the Church of his fathers. John Wesley, that giant reformer of
religion in England, had been dead some forty years, and his life-work
had not been allowed to affect "the Church" very profoundly. His
followers having seceded from it contrary to his orders and entreaties,
had already made several sects, and in the chief of these William Booth
presently found for himself at least a temporary home. Here the services
were, to some extent, independent of books; earnest preaching of the
truth was often heard from the pulpits, and some degree of real concern
for the spiritual advancement of the people was manifested by the
preachers.

Under this preaching and these influences, and the singing of Wesley's
hymns, the lad was deeply moved. To his last days he sang some of those
grand old songs as much as, if not more than, any others; that one, for
example, containing the verse:--

And can I yet delay my little all to give?
To tear my soul from earth away, for Jesus to receive?
Nay, but I yield, I yield! I can hold out no more,
I sink, by dying love compelled, and own Thee conqueror.

The mind that has never yet come in contact with teaching of this
character can scarcely comprehend the effect of such thoughts on a young
and ardent soul. This Jesus, who gave up Heaven and all that was bright
and pleasant to devote Himself to the world's Salvation, was presented
to him as coming to ask the surrender of his heart and life to His
service, and his heart could not long resist the appeal. It was in no
large congregation, however, but in one of the smaller Meetings that
William Booth made the glorious sacrifice of himself which he had been