The Detroit times., 1908-03-21
PRAYS FOR CHURCH
MEMBER THINKING
OF DIVORCE
DR.. ToRREY PLEADS THAT THE
asHAms AND DISGRACE" May
BE AvERTED - EvANGELsT's
PERSISTENCE TELLS.

There Is less of emotion nd more
OF logic in the work If Evangelist H.
A. Torrey than In that of almost any
revivalist who has preached here.
This Is the first and lasting impress
sion that one gets OF the man who has
teen making converts rapidly during
the past week and WHO has caused
new quickenins of religious feryor IN
the Protestant churches.
He Is an elderly man, sturdily built
outstanding and strons of face. he
is not loud or oratorical In his speak
ing, but there is quiet, gentle per-
sistence in the way he brings TIE
truth OF his lessons home that Is as
effective as the crescendo OF passion
ate exhortation with which other evan
gelists have brought erring ones 10
repentance.
Rather as an attorney for right and
religion he shows the immutable logis
of faith and love and charity 10 hui
manity. While fluent. he depends OF
no sweep OF words to carry his audit
ors away. It is fac, fact, fact and
conviction behind each sentence.
Friday afternoon In the Central M
e. church he spoke on prayer. In
opening his discourse he referred To
the case of church-member who. at
ter 80 years OF welded life, is thinking
OF divorce and his prayer that this
might be averted was earnest and In
tense. He spoke of the shame ana
disgrace of divorce, the thoughtless
ness with which people run into mar
rage and the recklessness with which
they try to get out.
"That a Christian can contemplate
seeking a divorce is an Indication @:
a fearful downgrade in our life." he
declared.
Answer to prayer will not come To
people who ask for things careleRsly
or those who only believe about
Christ. but the prayers of those who
believe 'in" Christ and have faith and
love will be heard, he asserted.
This he defined as being ION pray
ing ground"
He denounced the men who get up
in prayer meeting and flow with love
Of Jesus but who break the command.
ments next day.
''If we love Me, "ye will obey My
commandments" ne reminded his
hearers.
To be a church member does not
prove much. he added, because 1t Is
fashionable to belong to church. he
spoke of the efforts Of the middle ages
to keep the Bible from the plain peo-
pie, and declared that another attempt
Is being made In the same way when
Christians are told that they must
learn from professors taught In Ger.
man university what the Bible really
means.
II am suspicious of ingenious ex-
PLANTATION; you are just as competent
as the professors to read your Bible,
Re said.
In the evening In the Light Guard
armory. DR.. Torrey spoke on Account.
ability" and urged upon his hearers to
recall how solemn ls their RESPONSE
bility for their lives.
"Rich men do not often give ac-
count to anyone In this world" he
Haid. Once In awhile they ara caught
In some more than usually outlandish
breach of law and are fined, but 1t is
a long time before the fine is paid"
The men and women who live In
apparent responsibility but deceive
their neighbors. their wives and even
themselves. were scourged in bitter
terms
Many a home has been broken up
here In your midst by good women
of the church." the speaker said.
Preachers who preach the Bible az
beautiful piece OF literature were
denounced and held responsible for
the ruin OF those VINO drift away
through lack OF belief In religion. He
told a story OF woman who saved
her daughter from fire but whose face
was terribly SCARED. In later years
her daughter refused u recognize her
in public, and he likened this to the
people who do not cwn Christ after
hfo Sarrf8oao for fbarn