44. H. A. Ironside (1876–1951)
The last time I heard H. A. Ironside preach was in the late 1940s at Winona Lake, Indiana. His text was from chapter 32 of his beloved Isaiah (which he pronounced “I-SIGH-ah”). In his own quiet way, Ironside exalted Jesus Christ as man’s only refuge from the coming wrath of God. I still remember a story he told that day, based on his experiences with the American Indians, of hurrying into the shelter of a huge rock to escape a sudden storm. I also remember that when he read from his big Bible, he held it close to his eyes, for by that time he was almost blind. One more memory remains: that of Ironside sitting on a bench in the Billy Sunday Tabernacle, watching young Billy Graham, who was preaching a dramatic message on the temptation of Christ. Ironside’s facial expression was one of appreciation as his younger brother preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. October 14, 1976, marked the centenary of the birth of Henry Allan Ironside. The official biography, H. A. Ironside by E. Schuyler English, has been revised and updated by the author. The new edition is published by Loizeaux, publisher of most of Ironside’s books.
When Ironside was born, the attending physician thought the baby was dead. Since the mother desperately needed attention, the doctor concentrated on her. Nearly an hour later, a nurse detected the child’s pulse. Immediately they plunged the baby into a hot bath, and he began to cry. It seemed evident to the godly parents that the Lord had marked their son for something special.
When Henry, nicknamed Harry, was about two and his brother only three weeks old, his father died. Harry’s mother taught him to trust God for everyday needs. Some of the family’s experiences read like miracles from the life of Elijah or Paul. Sophia Ironside asked God to make her children preachers of the Word and winners of souls. Under his mother’s guidance, Harry began to memorize Scripture when he was three. By age fourteen, he had read through the Bible fourteen times, “once for each year.” During the rest of his life he read the Bible through at least once a year. A pastor friend told me of a Bible conference at which he and Ironside were two of the speakers. During the conference the speakers discussed their approaches to personal devotions. Each man shared what he had read from the Word that morning. When it was Ironside’s turn, he hesitated, then said, “I read the book of Isaiah.” He was saturated with the Word of God.
Sophia decided in 1886 to move her family to California. Even though he was not yet converted, young Harry started a Sunday school, which about sixty neighborhood children attended. When he was twelve, Harry went to Hazzard’s Pavilion to hear Dwight L. Moody and was deeply stirred by the message. He prayed that evening, “Lord, help me some day to preach to crowds like these, and to lead souls to Christ.” Four decades later he became the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. In several respects Ironside’s sermons were similar to Moody’s. They were always directed to the common man and free of theological jargon. They were not long and were filled with the Word of God. Like Moody, Ironside was a master of illustrating truths with personal experiences. From the illustrations in his published expositions, one could almost produce an autobiography.
Ironside finally gave his heart to Christ in February 1890, and almost immediately he identified with the Salvation Army. The Army represented just what he wanted in Christian fellowship and service: separation from sin, courage to witness, a burden for souls, and willingness to live by faith. Two years later he was a respected officer. But disillusionment with the Army’s position on sanctification resulted in his resigning his commission in 1895. The full story is given in his book Holiness: The False and the True, one of the best books available on practical holiness in the Christian life. The next year Ironside identified himself with the Brethren in San Francisco, and the Brethren remained his “ecclesiastical fellowship” until his death.
Several things about Ironside will amaze you as you read English’s excellent biography. First is Ironside’s faith. God often provided for his needs in miraculous ways, especially in the early days of his ministry. Reading about such instances will greatly encourage you to trust God daily. One is tempted to add to Hebrews 11: “By faith Harry Ironside, needing a new suit of clothes. . .” Second is Ironside’s willingness to go where God sent him and do what God wished. He never promoted himself or played politics to “get meetings.” Whether preaching to small crowds on street corners or to large congregations, he always did his best. Third is his constant study of the Word of God. To compensate for his academic limitations, Ironside studied the Bible faithfully. (As a hobby, he taught himself Chinese!) His ministry was one of Bible exposition, simply opening the Word of God and allowing the Spirit to speak for himself. And finally, Ironside always went for souls. To him, Bible exposition was a means to glorify Christ and to call sinners to trust him.
Ironside first visited Moody Church in Chicago in 1925, just two months after P. W. Philpott had moved his congregation into their new 4,000-seat auditorium. Ironside was to conduct a two-week conference, but when Philpott was called out of town, Ironside stayed over another week. Philpott invited him back each year, and his ministry was always appreciated. After Pastor Philpott resigned, the congregation inevitably turned to Ironside. The Brethren, with whom Ironside was associated, believed that local assemblies should have several pastor-teachers and that none should be paid. Ironside had agreed with this conviction. Some of the Chicago Brethren talked of breaking fellowship with him if he accepted the call from Moody Church. But when Ironside was unanimously called to the church on February 24, 1930, and he accepted, even his Brethren friends promised to pray for and support him.
Today it is still impossible to think of Moody Church without thinking of Ironside. Those of us who lived in the Chicago area during his long pastorate (1930–48) thank God for his ministry of the Word. He would select a book of the Bible and preach through it on successive Sundays; most of these series have found their way into print.
Ironside’s preaching was the despair of every homiletics professor. I can still hear students arguing with our seminary professor: “But Dr. Ironside doesn’t preach with an outhne like you’re asking us to make.” And I can hear the professor’s reply: “If you are as good as Dr. Ironside, you don’t belong in this class!” While Ironside’s messages did not usually follow an obvious outhne, they were always organized. He knew where he was going, and he got there. To the casual listener it seemed like the preacher was merely going from verse to verse, making a few comments and explanations and perhaps adding a story. But the careful listener always found a thread of doctrine woven throughout the message. Ironside knew how to compare spiritual things with spiritual. He used the Bible to illustrate and interpret itself. The thing that impressed me most about his preaching was what I call its “personal practicality.” He had a message for you, and he wanted you to get it. Usually you did.
Ironside did not “run” Moody Church. He was often away at conferences during the week and left the day-to-day organizational matters with the staff and church officers. Ironside was the preacher. Everybody knew it, and nobody wanted it any other way. I recall seeing a letter from the elders to Ironside, however, requesting that he limit his summer conference ministry so that he would be at the church when many visitors came. It would be interesting to calculate exactly how many days he was gone during those eighteen years of fruitful ministry. One thing is certain: hardly a Lord’s Day went by without one or more persons responding to the invitation at the close of the service and trusting Christ.
Some have criticized Ironside for preaching through Bible books instead of preaching “more contemporary messages” in such a strategic pulpit. But time, I think, has vindicated his ministry. His expositions are as fresh and meaningful today as when they were preached. I have many books of “contemporary sermons” in my library, and they read like old newspapers in comparison. Not every preacher is called to be an expositor, but I encourage every preacher to strive to be one. People everywhere are hungry for the Word of God, and the best way to give them a balanced diet is to preach Bible books, week by week.
On Sunday, January 14, 1951, Moody Church was joyfully installing their new pastor, S. Franklin Logsdon, when the cablegram arrived from Mrs. Ironside in New Zealand: “Dr. Ironside died in his sleep this morning after short illness.” He had been sick less than a week when, on January 15 (the date in New Zealand), he died. At his request he was buried in New Zealand. A great memorial service was held at Moody Church on Sunday afternoon, February 4, with pastors Logsdon and Howard A. Hermansen officiating, assisted by Ironside’s good friend Alex H. Stewart, his biographer E. Schuyler English, Carl Armerding, William Culbertson, and Homer Hammontree. The blessed influence of Ironside still hovers over Moody Church. His ministry has strengthened me and encouraged me to do my best.
A Christian bookseller said to me, “There has arisen a generation that knows not Ironside.” If that be true—and I am not sure it is—then it says nothing about Ironside. But it does say a great deal about the new generation! Ironside was not a dazzling preacher; he did not aim to be sensational. He stepped into the pulpit with exclamation points, not question marks. A generation of preachers that has tried every gimmick available to get people’s attention would do well to become acquainted with Harry Ironside and to learn afresh the meaning of living by faith and preaching the Word of God in simplicity and love.