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Personal Dealing 2
by Mrs. General Florence Booth
Extract from Training Staff Council
Lectures 1925
I have said that
the interviewer should have a definite purpose in every
interview; and I have mentioned one or two such purposes.
Another definite aim of the personal interview it the
discovery of the sincerity or insincerity of the Cadet.
Sincerity is of the utmost importance, is it not?
We should unmask self-deception if such exists, and
discover the Cadets to themselves.
They must be warned of that snare of the enemy of
souls who is always tempting people to be content with mere
appearances. He
is as busy amongst the children of God as amongst the
unconverted, and is always endeavouring to get them to
impute to themselves merit because they make a profession of
religion, pray and read the Bible; whereas we know that,
apart from sincerity, those observances can become a mere
cloak for hypocrisy. Experience has taught us that very
often this outward practice of religion can be maintained by
those whose conduct is grievously below the standard of
common morality, and by those who are backsliders at heart.
Therefore, it is important to discover the standards
which the Cadet has set up with regard to his own spiritual
life and religion.
Standards of
Conduct It may be found that the very foundations of
goodness are lacking in a Cadet.
Sometimes this lack is found in those who have been
grievously sinned against as children in their upbringing.
Many Cadets come from homes where there is no
religious influence and no help; and, alas, our schools do
not touch upon the things of the heart!
The absence of moral and religious instruction in the
schools is only too manifest. And so it is quite easy for
some young people to accept and adapt themselves to the
outward observances of religion which are so manifest in The
Salvation Army, without partaking of its spirit; quite easy
for them to join in our free, frank expression in public
testimony and prayer, while they lack the inward fact of
which those are only to be outward signs.
It is imperative
that such Cadets should be found out, and then discovered to
themselves. In
helping them, you can be very kind and gentle.
You can pity them, but if you can effect no change in
them, we must very careful not to make them into Officers
and leaders of the people.
Before Cadets are fit to become Officers, they must
be good Salvationists; and the Salvationist must surely be
all that is implied as 'good' in the idea of the man in the
street, as well as much besides.
The personal
interview is the chief means to discover such Cadets. The
Officers of the Training Garrison must not allow themselves
to be deceived because these shallow people, whose religious
experience has been built on the sand instead of the rock,
are very often the first to pray, the first to give their
testimony; they are often ready to shout and take part in
The Salvation Army manifestations, and to fix the bayonet
when the Holiness song is being sung.
The Training Officer should not be afraid of feeling
suspicious of such people.
If intuition tells you that a Cadet is out to make an
impression, do not put that conviction aside; do not say, 'I
must not be uncharitable; I must believe in the Cadets.'
No; your business is to know the truth about them!
You are responsible
for them, and therefore, if you have an intuition, act on
it. I believe
when we are sincere and ask God to teach us, He does
wonderfully teach us by the Holy Spirit.
It is said of the Lord Jesus, 'He knew what was in
man'; therefore I am quite sure He gives intuition, gives
that wisdom which enables us to know what is in our people.
If you have an intuition that a Cadet is insincere,
take the very first opportunity for a heart-searching,
personal interview with such a Cadet.
In the larger
Garrisons probably no Session passes without the discovery
of one or more Cadets who have not learned to speak the
truth, and who, to cover themselves, are only too ready with
the prevarication, the lie; and occasionally there is a
dishonest Cadet. This is no new difficulty.
It had to be grappled with among the early followers
of Jesus, many of whom, owing to lack of right training, had
utterly low moral standards.
The Apostle, writing to the infant Church, said, 'Let
him that stole steal no more.'
Thank God, Salvation does enable those who stole to
steal no more!
But, in these days of higher standards, such people ought
not to be made into Officers, and given a stewardship so
open to temptation.
The personal interview, as I have already said, is
the best means of discovering the Cadet whose moral
standards are low.
Look out for
dishonest work in the preparing of outlines.
Some of the Cadets are tempted to take thoughts and
outlines practically word for word from books and to pass
them on as their own.
That is a horrible dishonesty and, like water
breaking through an embankment, is able to make an inroad
into character, and sweep away all sincerity and true
righteousness.
To let such dishonesty go undiscovered would be disastrous.
When Cadets are dealt with on such matters, it often
transpires that this practice is by no means the first of
the kind. I have
found that in dealing with such a defaulter, a very useful
questions is, 'Can you remember when you were first
conscious of a sense of guilt?
Can you remember, for instance, your first lie?'
How very few and far between are those who have never
told a lie!
The blame for
this state of things rests, in some measure, upon parents
and teachers.
All children need training in truth and in the use of the
power of speech.
It is a common thing for little children, even as they learn
to speak, to make a wrong use of this power.
My son Wycliffe tells me that his little boy, aged
two, has just learned that when he calls very loudly for his
mother, she rushes to him; during the last two or three days
there have been several alarms, loud screams of, 'Mamma!'
and he has been just delighted to see his mother run to him!
Many of the Cadets were not helped as children to
realize the value of truth.
Have you ever
reflected that the atmosphere of the Training Garrison is
against the discovery of the unworthy Cadet?
So hedged in is he by rules, and so easy is it for
him to go with the stream, that the discovery of the slacker
is very difficult; but it ought to be pursued with the
greatest care.
The Cadets'
whole-hearted consecration to The Salvation Army service
must be established, if possible. Their standard of
Salvationism is often deplorably low, and their lives as
Soldiers have been without any earnest soul-seeking and
soul-winning.
When they come to us many of them have been Soldiers for
years, and yet have seldom given their testimony!
Some of the men who come from a large Band have never
spoken in the Open-air or taken any part in Meetings beyond
their music, never really fought for the deliverance of
other souls. We
are seeking to improve the methods for dealing with
Candidates. Before backing Candidates now, the Divisional
Commander must have heard them speak and pray; and I hope
that this will help to raise the standard. But we must
remember that many Cadets who have learnt to pray in public
have not learnt the secret of private prayer.
They have not proved the power of prayer, because
there is no chamber of prayer in their inner life.
Personal dealing is the most direct means to discover
the inner life of the Cadets, to reveal it to themselves,
and where there is lack, to seek to give the needed help.
The personal
interview is the most important means of helping the Cadets
into the Blessing of Holiness.
Many of our young people profess this blessing when
they do not understand it, and have not made the
consecration that will enable God to give it to them and
enable that wonderful, indwelling Presence to take
possession of them. It
is very important not to be premature in urging Cadets to
the profession of the Blessing at the beginning of the
Session. Some
few years ago there was no question on the Candidate's forms
as to personal Holiness, but we have recently added the
question, 'Are you enjoying the Blessing of a Clean Heart?'
This has caused questioning and heart-searching, and
many Cadets have been frank and have answered.
'No.'
This has opened an opportunity to write and help them as far
as possible; and I am glad to say that in this country more
Cadets than formerly come to the Training Garrison with
clear ideas about the Blessing.
If Cadets come
to us professing the Blessing, it is most important to see
that they understand it, and to speak to them about
maintaining the Blessing.
Help them to understand that Holiness is a life, not
a stereotyped experience.
Say something like this to them, 'Fresh light will
come to you; new standards must be set up; but, remember,
new light does not take away the Blessing if you walk in
that light: fresh light in an evidence of progress, of
growth. I shall think of you. Promise to come to me if you
are discouraged.'
It is infinitely
better that the Cadets should seek an interview with you
than that you should send for them.
You cannot too much encourage a real inquiry among
the Cadets, a desire to receive help from the Officers.
If they are dissatisfied with their experience, and
come to you over some small difficulty, then you can prepare
your attack.
Let it be a
standard, an absolute principle of training, that the Cadets
must be faced with their faults.
It is a great injustice to Cadets to make any record
of their failings and weaknesses until you have faced them
individually and pointed out those weaknesses to them.
When this is done
faithfully there is often a unique opportunity of seeing
into the individual character.
If the Cadet resents criticism and refuses the
offered help, you discover that most wayward of all spirits,
the spirit which resents being found out but does not lament
the fault itself.
Faithful dealing will often bring to light other
faults of character, such as pride, self-seeking, wrong
feeling, those things which the Cadet excuses and does not
call sins, but which show that the Spirit of Christ is
absent.
Dealing with
such shortcomings from the platform is one thing, but to
bring the individual to confess them, and to help him to
grapple with them, is quite another; and that is what I have
in mind when I say that the personal interview is a very
valuable means of discovering the Cadet to himself and
giving him the help he most needs.
Spreading good advice from the platform has been
compared to an attempt to fill various kinds of bottles,
some narrow-necked, others wide-necked, with a sprinkler.
Many droppings enter no bottle at all, and the
narrow—necked bottles receive very few.
The Cadets who need helping the most are invariably
like the narrow-necked bottles: they do not appropriate to
themselves the words spoken from the platform.
Teach your
Officers how to use the personal interview as a means of
encouraging the Cadets.
Practice encouragement yourself, and make a point of
giving as much encouragement as you sincerely and truthfully
can. That is one
of the best means of inspiring the Cadets to improve.
You can say, 'I am so pleased to see you improving in
this direction and that direction; you have an acceptable
manner; you love souls.'
Then the 'but' can be effectively brought in, and you
can help them to further improvement.
Confession The
setting up and maintaining of a confidential relationship
between the interviewer and the interviewed is essential
because it is sometimes necessary that a Cadet should be
encouraged to make confession of serious transgression; and
it is always necessary to encourage the Cadets to confess
their needs, weaknesses, and temptations.
If, for instance, the Cadet has manifested a light
trifling manner, you establish an important lever of help
when you get him to say, 'I failed in this before I came to
the Training Garrison.' If
he confesses the failure, it is likely that you will be able
to help him. But
if you are to help the Cadet, you must secure his
cooperation. No
fault can be cured without this, and the Cadet is not likely
to strive for the cure of a fault he does not acknowledge.
The temptation to make excuses is inherent in human
nature. It is
astonishing how seldom prisoners, convicted in the Courts of
Justice, even when they confess their guilt, acknowledge
that they are to blame.
My work in the prisons has taught me that.
When one tries to make the prisoner realize his sin
and feel his need of God, the excuses made are astonishing.
Our Cadets
naturally feel that their whole future depends on making a
good impression in the Training Garrison, and the temptation
to excuse themselves, and to cover what is wrong, is very
strong. We must
rejoice that this wonderful power of the Holy Spirit is
manifested Spiritual Day after Spiritual Day, when they
throw away the mantle of self-protection and are prepared to
acknowledge failure and need.
It is very
important indeed that Officers and Cadets should understand
the principles of confession.
There is much misunderstanding on that subject.
No doubt that has arisen partly from the abuse of
confession, which exists today in the confessional amongst
the
High
Church
people and the Roman Catholics.
The idea that there is value in the mere confession
is pernicious.
Unless our people understand the principle upon which God
has ordained that confession shall be helpful, abuses will
soon creep into our Penitent-form work.
Indeed, there are already amongst us?
Many young
people brought up in Salvation Army homes do not understand
the use of the Mercy-seat.
Dealing with a young Cadet who was seeking the
Blessing, I ascertained that his parents were Local Officers
and he was a Bandsman.
I said to him, 'How many times have you been to the
Mercy-seat?' He
replied, 'More times than I can remember.'
He had the idea that when he had any feeling of
condemnation he must come to the Penitent-form, but he had
never yet unveiled his heart.
When I got to the bottom of the trouble, I found a
real barrier between him and God.
Confession of
what we have done amiss or left undone, of unkind words or
wrong feelings, is most strengthening.
Confession is necessary in order to overcome sin, and
confession of temptation is often very helpful.
When I was in the Social Work I was especially
interested in the thieves.
The young women thieves were most difficult to help,
and I spent a great deal of time and thought about ways and
means of helping them.
Dealing with inveterate thieves who professed to be
converted, I told them that if they were really sincere they
would be willing to confess when they thought of thieving;
and that if they confessed when temptation came to them it
would help them to see their own heart and strengthen them
to resist. This
proved most helpful, and as a result we had wonderful
restorations of some of these young people.
The practice of
confession of fault is more important for those in whom the
spiritual life has begun than for the unconverted.
This is not often understood.
God has not said that a detailed confession of sins
is necessary to Salvation. What a hopeless position many
sinners would be in if they could not be saved unless they
confessed all their sins!
Recollection would not suffice!
But for the child of God the position is altogether
different; and we must make the Cadet understand that God's
own children are instructed to confess their faults one to
another as well as to God.
God has implanted this principle – it is more than an
instinct – in the human heart:
after willful sin He makes happiness, restoration,
and a realization of His favour, to depend upon confession.
This can clearly
be seen in young children.
If they willfully disobey and do what they ought not
to do, their own conscience condemns them and a sense of
misery settles on their spirit.
I am speaking particularly of children who have had
some measure of training; but I am sure that, were there
eyes to see, the same thing would be observed in the
untrained child of the slums and in the ignorant heathen.
This is partly what we mean by the Fall.
Sin enters the
Garden
of
Innocence,
and the loss of peace of mind results.
The condemnation of conscience – God's gift to every
man – brings misery; and until men, women, and children are
converted, unrest of spirit prevails.
When they repent and their sins are forgiven, they
find a peace and happiness which astonish them.
What an astonishment to me was my happiness at
conversion! I do
not think I understood it; but I had repented of my sin, and
I realized the joy of forgiveness.
The whole world seemed different, and the very sun
shone more brightly.
George Fox spoke of a common experience when, of the
time of his conversion, he said, 'All creation gave another
smell beyond what words can utter.'
This peace and
joy can only be maintained by confession.
One who writes very explicitly on this subject says:–
'Providence
seems to have implanted this principle in the human heart
for the express purpose of having us act upon it.
He has so formed us that when we have done wrong, we
cannot feel at peace again until we have acknowledged our
wrong to the person against whom it was done. This
acknowledgement removes the uneasiness as effectually as
fire removes cold, or as water extinguishers fire.
It operates in all cases, small as well as great, and
is infallible in its power.
And yet how slowly do young persons, and even old
persons, learn to use it!
The remedies for almost every external evil are soon
discovered and are at once applied; but the remedy for that
uneasiness of mind which results from having neglected some
duty, or committed some sin, and which consists in simple
confession of it to the person injured, how slowly it is
learned, and how reluctantly practiced!' When wrong has been
done, peace cannot be obtained until reparation has been
made, if this be possible.
To teach this to the Cadets, and to see that all
Training Officers understand the principle of reparation, is
of the utmost importance.
Often when the Cadet makes a confession, he does not
take into account the need for reparation until helped to
understand the principle.
Reparation must be connected not only with confession
of theft, when stolen money or goods have to be restored.
If thoughtless talking, for instance, has robbed any
one of a good reputation, and this has been brought home to
the chatterer, a frank and sincere confession of fault must
involve, so far as is possible, taking back the words that
have done injury. Cadets must not be allowed to confess
wrong-doing merely to relive their feelings; having
confessed, they must make an effort to right the wrong.
If a lie is confessed, and it is possible to put the
matter right with the one to whom the untrue words have been
spoken, reparation in that way must be made.
The importance
of a frank and sincere confession to the one who has been
wronged, lies in the fact that confession to man ensures
willingness to confess to God.
In no other way can a soul be so certain that it is
sincerely willing, without reservation, to acknowledge sin
to God. 'I am
convinced,' says one who knows, 'that confession plays a
tremendous part in religious life.
I do not think it is too much to say that until a man
confesses his sin to another man he cannot be really sure of
his willingness to confess to God. One knows scores of men
who carry guilty consciences who think they square accounts
by confessing their sins in secret to God.'
He Himself has
directed us to confess to men:
'Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another.' (James v.16.)
A man of God has said, 'Redemption cannot come, I am
perfectly certain of this, until the heart is so hungry for
it that it will confess everything to another.'
My own experience leads me to agree with what this
writer says. I
have seen illustrated over and over again at the Mercy-seat.
Some sins which
Cades confess under the power of the Holy Ghost necessitate
the canceling of the Cadetship.
This is particularly so when the offence has followed
a profession of Salvation. Such offences are in altogether a
different category from those committed before conversion.
Confessions of immorality or of dishonesty, practiced while
professing Salvation, certainly disqualify for Officership
in the great majority of cases.
We cannot lay down hard-and-fast rules, but this
seems to me to be a guiding principle.
Indeed, I think there will hardly be an exception to
the rule that when Cadets make such confessions they realize
what is involved and know that they are unworthy of
Officership.
Whether any return to Cadetship can be sanctioned later must
depend upon the nature of the offence and the subsequent
conduct of the individual; but no suggestion about returning
should be made to such Cadets.
If it is God's will that they shall be Officers, His
call will be so insistent that they will be compelled to
offer themselves again.
It is important to remember, when we are dealing with
such people, that we are not shutting them out of Heaven,
nor out of service in The Army.
If they have sincerely repented and been restored,
they can become Recruits and prove themselves worthy of
Soldiership; and then, as Local Officers, rise to positions
of influence and usefulness.
Offences
committed before the Cadet's conversion are in a very
different category, as also are offences committed in the
early days of a long Soldiership before full light had come,
especially if those offences have already been confessed and
forgiven, and the subsequent life and conduct have proved
worthy. Such
confession is very important, and Cadets should be
encouraged to be absolutely frank about all that has taken
place in their experience.
But it is by no means necessary to send such Cadets
away if their present experience proves that they have
victory over sin.
These confessions must be received in strict
confidence, and it should not always be necessary to make a
record. If there
must a record, let it be very privately kept.
We believe in the power of God to deliver the worst
of sinners, and many with very black pasts have made holy
and devoted Officers. Though I repeat myself, let me say
that in my own mind there is a very great distinction
between gross sin before conversion, and gross sin, such as
immorality, theft, and deception, practiced under the cloak
of Salvationism.
The idea of trusting people who are proved hypocrites with
the care of others, in the responsible position of
commissioned leaders in The Salvation Army, seems to me out
of the question.
They can be encouraged, after proving themselves, to be
Soldiers and Local Officers, but, like Esau, they have lost
their birthright.
But in all these matters, most careful judgement must
be exercised, and I think it is impossible to lay down any
hard-and-fast rule.
When, in the
Cadet's confession of sin after conversion, it is apparent
that he was led astray, almost coerced by others,
circumstances may justify the Cadetship being allowed to
continue. I call
to mind many such instances.
A few years ago, a young Salvationist took a post as
typist in a business house and because of her efficiency,
became private secretary to the head of the firm.
He was a bad man and he soon began to act very
improperly towards her; but she resisted his treatment, and
fortunately her acceptance as a Candidate brought her away
from his influence and she came into Training.
On the first Spiritual Day of the Session she
confessed all that had occurred.
Deeply humiliated she said, 'If I had only been a
more aggressive Salvationist, he would have treated me with
more respect.'
She has learnt her lesson; and to this day only one Officer,
apart from myself, knows of her trial.
This was an instance in which no question arose as to
the canceling of Cadetship.
The fear of
being sent home makes confession very difficult for the
Cadets. Your
help is needed here.
Help them to realize the nature of sin, that it
belongs to the dark, and that the light kills it. Encourage
them to bring sin to the light. The interviewing Officers
should study the faces of the Cadets during the Spiritual
Days. If that
cloud of conviction which, at such times, troubles the face
of the sincere seeker for light be seen, the Cadet should be
spoken to as soon as possible by an Officer who might say,
for instance, 'I have reason to think you have something on
your mind.'
Encourage that Cadet.
Combine true sympathy for him with a careful
explaining of God's plan that there must be confession of
sin. 'If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' (1 John i.9.)
If this principle of confession is set up in the
hearts and minds of the Cadets, it will help them to victory
under the onslaughts of temptation.
Confession of
sin is especially important in seeking and maintaining the
experience of Holiness, for Holiness does not involve
freedom from temptation or from the possibility of falling.
An Officer's daughter, a promising girl who had for a
long time been unable to enter the experience of Holiness
because of her pride, claimed the Blessing in the Training
Garrison. A week
later, under sudden temptation, she told a lie to cover her
own reputation and lost the Blessing.
Many months of darkness followed.
In one of my Meetings it was my privilege to hear
this story from her lips and to help her.
Her great struggle lay in unwillingness to confess to
the one to whom she had lied.
She said, 'How can I?
She will never believe me again!'
But victory was won in the revelation of her own
weakness, and she came into full liberty.
This could not have been if she had persisted in her
unwillingness to confess.
How often
unconfessed sin is behind it when Cadets are backward in
testimony, cold-hearted in work, lacking in influence.
You wonder, perhaps, why they make no progress; but
the root of the mater is that they are not at peace with
conscience, and therefore confidence towards God is lacking.
Alas, sometimes the aid given in the Training
Garrison but reinforces a Cadet's efforts to give a quietus
to conscience!
Unknowingly, we assist his hypocrisy.
He acquires technical ability to speak acceptably, to
lead Meetings, and to go through the round of Salvation Army
duty; and we send him forth as an Officer to build on a
foundation of sand, and sooner or later the storms will
discover and destroy him!
Personally, I am
convinced that, in every Garrison, confessions from the
Cadets ought to be more numerous than they are.
I am sure that many breakdowns in the first and
second years after commissioning, which we have so deeply
lamented, would have been avoided if we had only dug more
deeply and got down to the depths when those young people
were in Training.
The great need is for more efficient personal
dealing. When
people come to the Penitent-form and talk vaguely of lack of
power, or lack of love for souls, my experience is that
unconfessed sin is nearly always the real difficulty.
If they are wisely dealt with, this will prove again
and again to be the case with the Cadets.
I have found it to be so more times than I can say,
both with Cadets in Training and with seekers in Holiness
Meetings. Let us not be guilty of healing the hurt of the
sons and daughters of our people slightly.
It is important
to bear in mind that confession must never be understood as
making atonement for sin. Confession prepares the way; but
forgiveness and the restoration of divine favour come from
God.
In conclusion, personal interviews with
the most promising of the Cadets are perhaps the most
profitable of all, and a due proportion of time must be
allotted to them.
It is easy, especially in the larger Garrisons, when
so many interviews must take place with those who are
unsatisfactory and those who must be sent home, to overlook
those who are doing well.
We cannot over-estimate the importance of attaching
to the Centre the more able among the Cadets, and among them
the many children of Officers.
To make them feel that a close personal link has been
set up between them and the General and Headquarters, whom
and which the Training Garrison represents, is very
valuable. It is essential to help them to know their own
heart, to set them on their guard against the subtle
temptations of the enemy, who, just because he knows how
valuable they may become, will make special efforts to
destroy them. In
the personal interview much can be done to help them to lay
'up in store for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come.' (1 Tim. vi. 19.)
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