Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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 1 o 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, 7