Transcript: William Booth's Powerful Vision on Lost Souls and Church Response

I had a vision. I saw a dark and stormy ocean. In that ocean I thought I saw multitudes of poor human beings plunging and floating and shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning. And out of this dark, angry ocean, I saw a mighty rock that rose up with its summit towering high above the stormy seas. And all around the base of the rock I saw a vast platform. And on this platform I saw with delight a number of the poor wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that some of those who were already safe on the platform were fervently helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach safety. But something puzzled me. Although they had all been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. Anyway, the memory of its darkness and danger no longer troubled them. And what was equally strange and perplexing to me was that most of these people did not seem to have any care that is any agonizing care about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their eyes But then I saw something wonderful. I saw a great being from above come straight from his palace, right through the dark clouds, and he leapt right into the raging sea among the drowning people. and there I saw him toiling to rescue them until the sweat of his great anguish ran down in blood and he was continually crying to those already rescued to those whom he had helped with his own bleeding hands to come and help him in the painful and laborious task of saving the lost but the strangest thing of all was that those on the platform to whom he called were so taken up with their trades and professions and money saving and pleasures and families and community and gatherings and religions and arguments about it, that they did not respond to the cry that came to them from this wonderful being who had himself by his spirit gone down into the sea. And so the multitude went on struggling and shrieking and drowning in the darkness. And then I saw something that seemed stranger than anything that had happened before in this very strange vision Those whom this wonderful being cried out to to come and help him in his difficult task were always praying and crying to him to come to them. Some wanted him to come and stay with them and spend his time and strength in making them happier. others wanted him to come and take away various doubts and misgivings they had concerning the truth of some letters which he had written them others wanted him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock so secure that they would be totally sure they would never slip off again they used to meet and get as close to the rock as they could and looking towards the mainland where they thought the great being was They would cry out, come to us, come and help us. But all this time, he was down among the poor drowning creatures, crying to them in a hoarse voice, come to me, come and help me. And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. That sea was the ocean of life, the sea of real actual human existence. Those multitudes of people struggling in the stormy sea were the billions of sinners from every race language and nation That great sheltering rock was Calvary the place of the cross and the people on it were those who had been rescued from sin and hell and who professed to be followers of Jesus Christ. That mighty being who called to them from the tempest was the Son of God, the same yesterday, today and forever, who is still struggling to save the dying multitudes about us from this terrible doom of damnation, and whose voice can be heard above the music and machinery and noise of life, calling on the rescued to come and help him save the world. My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters. You are on the rock. Jesus is in the dark sea, calling on you to come and help him. Will you go? Thank you.