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Dr. Torrey Talks to Business Men
OD’S spirit is being poured out might
ily in Philadelphia. Each day the move
ment grows in power and fervor. Such
remarkable enthusiasm is aroused at the
meetings night after night that as the
people get on the street-cars after leav
ing the Armory they make them resound
for miles with revival hymns. Last
night I witnessed the most strik-
- ——ll
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ing demonstration of revival fervor that I have
seen outside the meetings since coming to Phila
delphia. A crowd of thirty or more boarded a car,
and taking their seats sang all the way up town.
Starting with the “Glory Song,” they followed
with the new favorite “Grace Enough for Me,”
“Tell Mother I’ll be There,” and “I Surrender
All.” The street-car was transformed into a re
vival meeting, for in addition to the singers inside,
three workers were on the platform earnestly en
gaged in personal work. Two cards were soon stuck
in the front, either side of the motorman; one of
them read, “Prepare to Meet Thy God,” and the
other, “Get Right with God.” One of the workers
soon found that the motorman’s heart was recep
tive, and mile after mile of the journey he plead
with him to take Christ at once. The motorman
confessed that he was unhappy and without peace,
and that he had been thinking about the matter
for some time. Finally, just before the worker ar
rived at his destination, the motorman turned and
said that he would accept Christ as his personal
Saviour right there.
Some who cannot come in person to witness the
great work are sending contributions to the work.
A member of Congress wrote to the secretary of
the campaign that he had been following the work
of Dr. Torrey and Mr. Alexander for years with
keen interest, and stated that as he wished to have
a humble share in the work, he enclosed his check
for SSO.
• Once a Skeptic.
A new series of meetings for business men is
being held at the noon hour in the Academy of
Music. At the first meeting over 1,000 were present,
and listened attentively as Dr. Torrey stated his
reasons for believing the Bible to be the Word of
God. The evangelist told his hearers that he had
once been a skeptic, but through a careful study
of the Book had been led to accept every word of
its teachings from cover to cover. In his second
day’s talk he told the business men that two of
the reasons why he believed the Bible to be the
Word of God, were because of its fulfilled pro
phecies, and because of the wonderful unity of the
volume. He said:
“My second reason for ■ believing the Bible to
be the Word of God is, because of its fulfilled pro
phecies. The average infidel knows absolutely noth
ing about fulfilled prophecy, and this is not to be
wondered at, for the average Christian knows
nothing about fulfilled prophecy.
“How are we going to encounter it, that this
Book has the power of looking into the future hun
dreds of years and predicting with minute pre
cision things to come to pass then, and that these
predictions are fulfilled to the very letter? Facts
demand accounting for.
Facts for Business Men.
Theologians may weave their theories out of their
own inner consciousness without regard to facts,
but you are business men and must face facts, and
here are facts. There is but one rational explana
tion of it. Any book that has the power of looking
hundreds of years into the future, and predicting
with minute precision as to person, place, time, cir
cumstances, detailed things to occur at that remote
period, must have for its author the only person
in the universe who knows the world from the be
ginning to the end—that is God. Os course it is
quite possible for a far-seeing man to look a few
years in the future, and, by studying causes now
operant, predict in a general way some things that
The Revival Flame Spread by Means of Modern Inventions.
The Golden Age for March 22, 1906.
By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS
will occur. But this is not at all our problem with
the Bible. It is not a few years into the future,
but hundreds of years into the future; not in a
general way, but with minute and specific fulness.
It is not of things the causes of which are now
operant and discernible, but things the causes of
which are not discernible at the present time, and'
these predictions fulfilled to the letter. To a mind
willing to bow to facts and their necessary mean
ing, it is conclusive evidence of the Divine origin
of the Book.
Unity of the Bible.
“My third reason for believing the Bible to be
the Word of God is, because of the unity of the
Book. The sixty-six books which compose the Bible
were written by at least forty different authors.
They were written in three different languages,
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The period of their
composition extends over at least 1,500 years. They
were written in countries hundreds of mile§
apart. They were written by men upon every plane
of political and social life, from the king upon the
throne down to the herdman and shepherd and
fisherman and the petty politician. In the Bible we
find all kinds of poetry—epic poetry, lyric poetry,
didactic poetry, erotic poetry—elegy and rhapsody.
We find all kinds of prose, as well—historic prose,
didactic prose, theological treatise, epistle, proverb,
parable, allegory, and oration. In a book so com
posite, made up of such divergent parts, composed
at such remote periods of time and under such di
verse circumstances, what would we naturally ex
pect? Variance and discord; utter lack of unity.
In point of fact, what do we find? The most remark
able unity. Every part of the Bible fits every other
part of the Bible—one ever-increasing, ever-grow
ing thought pervades the whole.”
Over the Telephone Wires.
The revival flame is being spread daily through
the new invention by which the sermons of Dr.
Torrey and the songs of Mr. Alexander are carried
over the telephone wires directly to the homes of
the people. Mr. Alexander has received a letter
telling how one girl was so impressed by listening
to the service over the ’phone that, instead of at
tending a dance party, she went down to the Ar
mory and gave her heart to God. The writer said:
“My dear Mr. Alexander: I thought it would be
interesting as well as encouraging to you to know
how a soul was touched by the telephone as sup
plied from the Armory. One Sunday our maid was
alone in the house, and as she had been told by us
of the possibility of hearing your meetings by
’phone, she took up the receiver for the first time
and listened to the afternoon service. She is a
German Lutheran. The meeting as she heard it so
affected her that she resolved to go herself the fol
lowing Thursday afternoon. This she did, and was
so touched and convinced that instead of going
to a dance party that evening, she called for her
sister and went to the evening meeting. When the
call was given to go forward, she was one of the
first, and was happily converted. She was very
happy in telling her mistress the first thing next
morning, and has since been the happiest girl you
ever saw. She has now no need for dance parties,
nor the theatre of which she was very fond, and is
glad that she went to the Armory that evening in
stead of to the dance. Praise the Lord! God bless
you still more. Your friend and co-worker ”
Through these modern inventions the revival
flame is being carried to every nook and cranny of
the city. One of the operators at a telephone ex
change wrote to Mr. Alexander telling how the
Gospel message over the wires had been of lasting
blessing to her.
A new development of the invention has now
made its appearance in John Wannamaker’s church
through the aid of the merchant prince. Seven mul
tiphones have been installed around the pulpit, so
that each night the entire revival service at the
Armory is repeated to the people who gather in
Bethany church a mile and a half away. Arrange
ments are also. under way by which the revival
meetings will be transmitted to Atlantic City and
reproduced in some church or hall there.
On Monday afternoon Dr. Torrey read a letter
he had just received from Canada, telling how the
revival fire is continuing not only in Toronto, but
is spreading throughout the region round about the
city. The letter was as follows:
“Dear Dr. Torrey: Here’s a word of praise to
God. I made request of you for prayer one night
in Toronto for a young man, the son of Christian
parents. He had forsaken wife and home for a life
of sin and shame. Down he went lower, and yet
lower, finally landing in prison where God met and
saved him in answer to your prayers in Toronto.
Please pray for another young man—an apparently
hopeless drunkard, with a wife and family.
“The revival begun here in Toronto under you
and Mr. Alexander is still going on. There are
conversions continually all over the city, and out
through the country districts of Ontario.”
A Touching Incident.
“Can a woman’s tender care
Cease towards the child she bear?”
During an official visit to the Fulton County
Alms House, I saw in one of the obscure wards, a
woman totally deprived of reason from her infancy.
She was utterly helpless to do more than lie with
her feet drawn far over her back and lift her head,
constantly turning it from side to side, and with
the protrusion of her tongue, utter at frequent in
tervals, a distressed guttural sound. There sat by
her bedside an old woman with calm and patient
face, whose only service while I remained, was a
freqvent gentle, tender caress of the afflicted one.
As the daughter would look intently into the face
of her mother, and express an apparently reproach
ful ejaculation, and the faithful mother would re
spond with the tenderest demonstration of loving
care, I thought of the significance of the assurance
that God’s care for his children is greater than
that of an earthly parent.
I learned that this aged mother had been the con
stant companion of her helpless daughter for forty
one years, caring for her wants and never leaving
her night or day. During all these years, never an
intelligent communication could pass between the
two. The daughter was incapable of knowing the
long years of patient care inspired by a mother’s
love. So, I thought, may not the Christ redeemed
child be incapable in this life of comprehending
the love and care of Him who has said “I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
M. W. Welch.
Y. M. C. A. Notes.
The associations in Georgia were well represented
at the recent Student’s Convention held at Nash
ville. Besides students from the colleges, Mr. Forbes,
General Secretary of the Athens Asociation, and
Mr. Valkenburg, of the College Association at Ath
ens, were in attendance.
That the Association movement in Georgia is
growing is evidenced by the fact that at least four
buildings are now being planned. Savannah and
Way cross have about completed canvasses for their
new buildings; Americus is actively at work; and
steps are being taken at the University of Georgia.
The convention at Americus was an inspiration
to the people of that city for better work for As
sociation facilities.
Mr. Fred S. Goodman, one of the religious sec
retaries of the International Committee, will be in
Georgia early in April, and will visit the Georgia
Associations. It is expected that his visit will re
sult in increased interest in Bible study and re
ligious work, and will prove a blesing to the Asso
ciations,
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