Nevertheless, by God's grace, it all worked in this case not to crush but to infuriate and stir the new-comer to action.
Preaching, under such circumstances, was a relief to such a soul, and necessarily became more and more desperate.
One hearing of William Booth was enough for Mr.Rabbits, a practical, go-ahead man, who had raised up out of the old-fashioned little business of his forefathers one of the great "stores" of London, and who longed to see the same sort of development take place in connexion with the old-fashioned, perfectly correct, and yet all but lifeless institutions that professed to represent Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world.

His sense of the contrast between this preacher and others whom he knew was proportionately rapid and acute.

The effects produced on hearers were the same at every turn.
This living preaching was and is a perfect fit with all the rush of the world outside, and the helplessness of the poor souls around.
William Booth was, as we have seen, only seventeen when he was fully recognised as a preacher of the Gospel according to the custom of the Methodist Churches, and at nineteen his minister urged him to give up his life to the ministry.

At that time, however, he felt himself too weak physically for a ministerial career, and in this view his doctor concurred.

So determined was he to accomplish his purpose, however, that he begged the doctor not to express his opinion to the minister, but to allow the matter to stand over for a year.