January, 1942
12
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
they were purer than he was, because they were a constant cause for a bad conscience. Even when they prayed, he was angry. It took a great calami ty to bring him back in repentance. But it was a calamity to others, top. The innocent always suffer for the sins of the guilty. Let us draw near to God, into the happiest place of supreme fellowship, where -we meet Him face to face, where jwe enjoy the beauties and marvels of His love and His holiness. Holiness responds to holiness, love to love, confidence to confidence. IMPRESSIONS OF R. A. TORREY . [ Continued, from Page 7] Harkness played—who could ever for get that? A second impression was one Sun day morning when Dr. Torrey preached on “Why C h r i s t i a n s Should Win Souls.” The aisles and vestibule were crowded, and people c r o w d e d the doors. Such marvelous power came upon the speaker, until a policeman who was guiding traffic, hearing thé preacher through the open door, ex claimed, “ I’ve never seen such a man of power before.” A third impression came to me as I observed him in the crow’ded traffic on a downtown street. People turned to look at him, instinctively recog nizing the presence of a great man. The remark of the Prince Consort, “He is the most majestic man outside of royalty I have ever seen,” appeared confirmed. “Billy” Sunday was preaching in Los Angeles, and grew discouraged during his cafnpaign. He went up to see Dr. Torrey, and poured out his complaint, “Things are not going so well.” “Let me see your notebook,” said. Torrey. “What have you been preach ing?” Sunday told him of his tremendous efforts to stir up the city, but con fessed he was slipping. Said the grave and t h o u g h t f u l teacher to the world’s most famous evangelist, “Bill, go back and give them the gospel—the gospel of love.” Billy did, and.the meeting turned into a glorious victory. I was quite a youngster those days, but did not escape Dr. Torrey’s reproof and correction. It hurt. But in my heart there was the conviction, “I would rather be rebuked by him than praised by many others.” He had a wonderful insight into human nature, and discerned, at a glance, the strong and weak points in others.. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring event was one unseen—we knew Dr. Torrey Undertook to fast and pray eight days while seeking to find God’s will in a major decision that con fronted him. He took his religion seriously.
“It’s great to have had Bible under you, .though.” He continued his pacing back and forth. -JuSt as I was about to leave and report What looked to me like a grave condition, he suddenly stopped, came up to me, and taking hold of my arms, and peering through, my very soul with those unforgettable steel- blue eyes, said: “All this time I have been thinking what I might say to you. When you get through here, go back South and preach the Word.” Then raising his voice, he repeated, “Preach the Word.” Again he^ raised his voice, until one could hear him down the hall, “Preach the Word!” That Was all. We shook hands and said good-bye. Not long after that I was in New Orleans, and saw in the paper, “Dr. Torrey, Famous Evangelist, Dead.’’ There was his picture. As the Illinois Central roared on t o w a r d Baton Rouge, I tore out the picture arid placed it in my Bible—where it still is; and as the wheels rolled over'the clanking rails, it seemed they- echoed, “Preach the Word, preach the Word, PREACH THE WORD!” . Whenever I get up to preach now, that cjy echoes in my soul. Dr. Torrey, man of God, man among men—I shall never forget. copies of THE KING’S BUSINESS.“to get the gospel into needy homes.” Other smaller gifts have come in to provide copies of the magazine for men in military service who eagerly want them. (For every $7.50 received, THE KING’S BUSINESS can be sent for one year to ten grateful readers in the United States.) . < These are tokens of encouragement from the Lord Himself! They cause Institute leaders to rejoice in the fact that “He who hath begun a good work , . . will perform it” according to. His own will. The Lord is able to care for every department of the Institute’s far-reaching ministry of Bible-training and witnessing. He can bring to the minds of His children the tremendous worthiness of this particular kind of gospel witness which reaches many thousands of homes—even though the cataclysmic events of recent weeks have caused many friends nearly to forget. Praising God for His faithfulness,’ the Editors of this magazine are look ing forward to receiving further en couragement through the response that will come to the appeal on the back cover—an appeal that has no selfish element #in it, but rather the sending forth, far and wide, of the glorious gospel of the grace of God.
The Final Charge The last time I ever saw him was in 1927, when he conducted a meeting in Columbia, S. C., at the State Uni versity. After the first service I went down to shake hands with him— scarcely thinking he would remember me. He startled the by addressing me by my first name, and said, “What are you doing here?” Informed that I was studying in the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, he answered, “Well, come on up to see me,” giving me the number of his hotel room, and the time for meeting. At the appointed time I went to his room, was invited in, but that was all. It was a very cold day, and I stood there by the door, overcoat and all—he did not invite me to be seated, nor d id h e converse. He looked changed. There was the familiar white tie, the frock coat, but his face was different. I became somewhat alarmed, and wondered whether he might be failing in health. Steadily he paced the floor, back and forth, taking rather long strides. Becoming very uneasy, I at last said, “Doctor, I am afraid I must go; is there anything you wish to discuss, just briefly?” “What are you doing in the Sem inary?” he asked. Telling him the curriculum, I added, “How is the war going to affect American Christian work in general and the ministry of the printed page in particular?” Remembering that drastic curtail ments have had to be made in war time by many of the finest Christian periodicals published abroad, any one will realize that a quick answer to this question is impossible. Just when THE KING’S BUSINESS was facing this situation squarely, a check was received which was almost large enough to pay. the printing costs for this magazine for a whole month! The donor was a Christian brother from Iowa, whom the Lord had taken to be with Himself, and who had named THE KING’S BUSINESS in his will. Evidently he had realized that this magazine, like the Institute it represents, has stood firmly for the Word of God. The striking part about this incident is that, in many years, while the Bible Institute of Los An geles has received occasional be quests, this particular branch of the Institute’s work never before has been singled out for special remembrance. A few days earlier, another Chris tian brother had come into the maga zine’s office and had left twenty-five dollars, “the Lord’s tithe,” with the urgent request that it be used for
Wonderful Encouragement
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