January, IMI
* H H S l i f O 7! B U 8 I N B S 8
REUBEN ARCHER TORREY
Born January 28, 1856 Died October 26, 1928 Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles 1912 to 1924
Torrey,
the Man
3 Fresh "Appreciation of a Great Teacher
By HERBERT LOCKYER
E HAT movements ever revolve around men is the evident testi mony of Scripture. “There was a John.” A force implies a figure—-a pro gram, a personality. And, without doubt, Reuben Archer Torrey, the divinely ordained successor of D. I* Moody, was a man called of God to exercise a much-needed ministry in a time ripe for instruction in the deep things of the Word. It is a distinct loss that no official biography of R. A. Torrey exists. His dear widow, still happily with us, writes me that her gifted husband did not de sire any account of his labors recorded. The only sketch of his life extant is the revealing volume, Reuben Archer Torrey: The Man and His Message, by his friend Robert Harkness, who was very closely identified with Dr. Torrey in his great evangelistic campaigns. And it is upon this valuable biography we must depend for much of our ma terial. The main outline of Torrey’s life is fairly well known' to KING’S BUSI
reacted to his message. His responsibil ity, he believed, was to preach a God- given message, and then to leave the Holy Spirit to produce results. We are told also that Dr. Torrey was ever thorough and exact. He never did things by halves. And what he gave he expected. With his hours and life fully disciplined, he was stern when it came to discipline among students. Laziness he abhorred. Endowed with an iron will, Dr. Tor rey was firm and unbending in his atti tude toward sin and in his defense of the truth. Some there were who thought him somewhat severe. But as he could not tolerate sham, pretense, or mere make-believe, Dr. Torrey thundered out against all hypocrisy. This man of God was likewise bless edly saved from mercenary motives. While ample reward came to him at certain periods of h|s ministry, greed for money never limited ‘his influence nor beclouded his vision. Punctuality was another conspicuous trait of his. His watch,kept accurate time. Jeremy Taylor reminds us that
NESS readers—his severe conflict be tween doubt and faith while attending Yale University; the victory in answer to his mother’s prayers; the years as a superintendent of- city missions in Minneapolis, Minn.; the periods as Superintendent of the Moody Bible In stitute from 1889 to 1908 (serving as pastor of the Moody Church for twelve years) and as Dean of the Bible Insti tute of Los Angeles from 1912 to 1924 (and as pastor of the Church of the Open Door during most of that time), and the great evangelistic tours in America, Europe, and the Far East. Qualities of a Leader Those who knew this valiant defender of the faith pay tribute to his upright ness and sincerity. Although he was only a man, yet he ever sought to be a true man, sent and used by God. He was clear and transparent. For example, he lived above the praises and plaudits of men. Bricks and bouquets often came his way, and he took them all without apparent concern. He believed that he was not responsible for the way men
man sent from God, whose,name was
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