The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-22
By CAROLYN B. ELLIOTT

Fly CAROLYN B. ELLIOTT
 Topics of Dr. Torrey's sermons for the week are follows;
 This morning, II o'clock; "Hindrances to Prayer,
 This evening, 7;45 o'clock; "Heroes and Cownrds."
 Monday evening, 7;45 o'clock; "What It Costs Not to Be Christian..
 Tuesday evening"; "The Most Impor- md Answered.-
 Wednesday evening: .swho Is Jesus Christ..
 Thursday evening, .'what Are You Waiting For.''
 Friday evening: "Excuses',
 Sunday, II q. m.. August 29. "Today and Tomorrow
 Services will also he held each after noon this week at o'clock. All meet ings at West End Tabernacle
 To the West End Tabernacle hun dreds of people will be vending their ways today to hear the distinguished evangelist, author and Bible teacher, Dr. R. A. Torrey.
 At the II o'clock service this morn ing Dr. Torrey's subject will be Hin drances to Prayer" A special service will follow at 3 o'clock this after noon, and at 7:45 this evening the sermon will be delivered that this man of God claims has been blessed more than any message he has ever left in the hearts of his hearers The subject will be Heroes and Cowards," the same that attracted the multitudes in Liverpool, England, when 660 men and women were converted in one evening the same that was delivered in Buff falo, N Y when SIP men and boys between the ages of IT and 35 were stirred by the divine message by one who loses himself completely in his work of winning souls to the Kingdom
 ONE MORE
 One more week Dr. Torrey will be in Birmingham. and will conduct ser vices twice daily at o'clock in the afternoon and 7.45 in the evening at the West End Tabernacle
 pleasant place one finds under the wide roof of this building that shelters 1.So0 people, where the open spaces on all sides Invite the sweep of the summer breezes.
 large audience had assembled on the afternoon that I was privileged to hear Dr. Torrey, and until after the benediction was pronounced. Everyone listened intently while the celebrated evangelist spoke with the direct and earnest simplicity that any child could understand
 The same unaffected simplicity I discovered afterward. is characteristic of this great good man. Great in his goodness and good in his greatness" thought. as l listened to his review of the years when he refused to acknowl- edge himself as d Christian because he knew that he must preach the gospel
 T entered the ministry because I had to do it. he said. T knew that I must preach. or that the purpose of my life would be lost forever. On the night was converted | gave myself to wha' seemed hopeless task for me who was as utterly unfitted for it as L.
 UNPREPA HARDNESS
 Dr. Torrey emphasized his unpre paredness by telling oi the times with out number when bashful boy ran away from the company under his fathers roof as far as an afternoon in row boat could take him.
 Tt was agony to declaim when ' as school boy" he confessed. and VI ile I was at Yale lodged public occasions whenever it was possible.
 'I never spoke in a public prayer meeting until I was a student at a
  remember, I thought that if ! expected to preach. it was high time I was learning to speak before audience. In a first attempt I prepared my little speech very carefully. learned it by note, and rose the first one in prayer meeting, to get through with my say SO as quickly as possible. I re- cited as much of it as could. dropped into seat and collapsed, scared al most to death.
 MEMORIZED WORDS
 Even in my early ministry wrote my sermons, committed them word fo, word to memory. and on Sundays got hold of a friendly button on my coat that I finally twisted off in an effort to twist my sermons out.
 That was my first pastorate.' pr Torrey explained, while a rare smile lighted his blue Irish eyes with the humor that I also found was charac- teristic. when he added: The first time I knew was dead was when went back and found window in memory of myself, that was part ol the decorations of that little church
 Perhaps dozens of buttons woulo have been missing from Dr. Torrey