Reuben Archer Torrey, born January 28, 1856. Graduated from Yale University in 1875 and from Yale Divinity School in 1878.
Joined D. L. Moody in Chicago and pastored the Chicago Avenue Church and was selected by Moody to become the first Dean of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago where under his direction, the Institute became a pattern for Bible Institutes world-wide.
Torrey became one of the most respected evangelists and at the turn of the century, began his evangelistic tours. From 1903-1905 he along with Charles McCallon Alexander toured together to many parts of the world and reportedly brought nearly one hundred thousand souls to Christ.
Torrey continued his worldwide meetings for the next 15 years and reached Japan and China as well. During those years, he also served as the Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and pastored the Church of the Open Door in that city.
He is well remembered for his book - "How to Bring Men to Christ"
http://www.archive.org/details/HowToBringMenToChrist-ByR.A.Torrey
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Excerpts from "Are you Criticizing GOD?"
"The Bible doctrine of salvation by atoning blood is ridiculed in this day on every hand. Some preachers have said it is foolish for me to preach this "old doctrine." Well, it is an old doctrine, but it is a true doctrine. And I would rather believe and teach the old that is true than the new that is false. I did not invent this doctrine. I do not know enough to invent it. I found it in that Book, and, thank God, I found it to be true in my own life; it saved me and I preach it, and it has saved thousands through my preaching of it. I preach it, but I did not invent it. God is the Author of this doctrine, and when you criticize the preaching of it, you do not criticize me, you criticize God. It would be a matter of no great consequence for you to criticize me or my preaching. Why should you not criticize me? I am not infallible. I cannot see why I am not just as properly an object of criticism as anybody else. It does not harm me, and it gives some people lots of fun. Sometimes it greatly helps me. But, ah, when you criticize this doctrine you are not criticizing me, you are criticizing God, and that is serious, tremendously serious. "0 man, who art thou that repliest against God?""
"If you get that thought, that an Infinitely wise God may possibly know more than even you do, and that God in His infinite wisdom might have a thousand good reasons for doing a thing when you cannot see even one, you will have learned one of the greatest theological truths of the day-one that will solve many of your perplexing problems in the Bible."
"Men try to lay hold of infinite wisdom and fancy that they can squeeze it down into the capacity of their pint-cup minds. But because they cannot squeeze infinite wisdom into their pint-cup minds, they say, "I don't believe that Book is the Word of God, because it has something in it that I cannot understand the philosophy of." Why should you understand the philosophy of it? Who are you, anyhow? How much of a mind have you, anyhow? How long have you had it? How long are you going to keep it? Who gave it to you?"
"It is not our business to find out the philosophy of things; it is not our business to see the reason of things. It is our business to hear what God has to say, and when He says it, believe it, whether you can understand the philosophy of it or not."
"There is one more class that is replying against God, that is the men who instead of accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and surrendering to Him as their Lord and Master and openly confessing Him as such before the world, are making excuses for not doing it. Jesus says in John 6:37, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." God says in Revelation 22:17, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Anybody can come to Christ, and anybody who does come will be received and saved. Yet many of you, instead of coming, are making excuses for not coming. By every excuse you make you are replying against God, you are entering into controversy with God, you are condemning God, who invites you to come. You cannot frame an excuse for not coming and accepting Christ that does not condemn God. Every excuse that any mortal makes for not accepting Christ, in its ultimate analysis, condemns God."
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=501
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