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Page 12 text:
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FROM THE BEGINNING by Mrs W B. Riley To rightly evaluate the Northwestern Schools, it is necessary to go back to their inception. Those who were acquainted with the founder knew that he never planned to be an educator or to estab¬ lish an educational institution. By predilection and by every native ability, he was destined for the law courts. But God—God had other plans for this young man. From childhood he had heard the Gospel preached in Big Bone Church ' so called because bones of mastadons were found nearby. Again and again the heart of that youth was challenged by the Gospel presentation, but not until some time later, after they moved a few miles away to the town of Dallasburg, at 17 years of age, did he make a definite profession of faith in Christ as his own personal Saviour. In the autumn of 1878 lie was baptized in Cephas van Daren ' s pond. In that very experience there seemed to be a premo¬ nition of his future profession. The thing chat stood in the way of his decision for Christ was the fear that it might upset his life plans. But after thor¬ oughly counting the cost, at a day meeting, at¬ tended by about 100 people, he walked forward alone and surrendered his life and will to Jesus Christ. His ministry motive was the salvation of men. Bathed as his boyhood had been in the waves of the warm evangelical revival started by the Wes¬ leys and Whitfield and carried to greater heights in America under Finney; baptized in his youth in the evangelical fervor of a Spurgeon and a Moody, he knew no university doubts about God;
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Page 13 text:
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he had no biological quibbles about the virgin birth; he entertained no doubts as to the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Word. When it said He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life,” he believed it. No lad was ever more determined to get an education. Food was plentiful on the Riley farm but cash was scarce. In desperation, in the spring of 1879, young Riley rented his father ' s farm, promising to pay all the expenses and S 1,000 when the crop was sold. Ir was a sum the farm had never produced but the youth decided to test himself and the promises of God. God honored his faith and he cleared the unimaginable sum of S 1,700. This permitted him to pay his father the promised SI,000 and enough besides to begin the coveted education at the normal school at Val¬ paraiso, Indiana. He used to say that his board consisted of corn syrup and crackers for breakfast and supper, with a cheap meat dinner at noon; but what could he expect for S1.45 a week? In the spring of 1881 he had accomplished sufficient to secure a teacher s certificate and later in that summer procured a school in Possum Ridge, the savings from which he expected to utilize for a college education. Family illness pre¬ vented his teaching, but a friend, keenly interested in this youth, lent money enough to begin his col¬ lege career. So, in the fall of 1881 he enrolled at Hanover, a Presbyterian college at Hanover, In¬ diana. The strictest economy characterized his col lege days. In June, 1885, he graduated fourth in his class, but first in debate. He said himself, My education and my life calling were inextricably interwoven. During the year at the normal school I was equipping myself to teach my way through college, expecting to adopt law as my permanent profession. But there was a divine voice, inaudible to the ears of others, but louder than thunder in my secret soul, telling me that my choice was wrong and that the min¬ istry was the divine will instead. I hated the sug¬ gestion. The spirit of sport was in me and the ministry looked tame and un inviting. Moreover, I delighted in debate. Fo contend for the thing which appealed to me was a positive pleasure. I told the Lord more than once that if He ever in¬ tended to make a minister out of me He had started wrong; He should have made my nature different. But my arguments with Him availed me nothing. Days of all content about my choice fol¬ lowed each other in what seemed interminable succession, and in spite of the physical weariness with which I fell into my bed night after night, sleep refused to come. 1 he fight was on After some months of turmoil, at last I reluctantly said, I will, I will preach. A thousand times have [ thanked God for calling, and even compelling (for that is what it meant to me) and ever since the day when my roughly clothed knees were Noon Meetings Metropolitan Opera House DR. W. B. RILEY ' tmJ I lie Mountain Chorus fit the Metropolitan Opera House 12:00 to LUO DfliJy Jan. I lib to I th inclusive. Sc;iLs Free!
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