Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. at the Grave of Dr. H. A. Ironside at Auckland, New Zealand.

Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. at the grave of Dr. H. A. Ironside at Auckland, New Zealand.
The last of February Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., eminent evangelist and founder of Bob Jones University, returned from an extended evangelistic tour of Australia and New Zealand, When I called him long distance about plans for some of the Lord’s business in which we work together, Dr. Bob told me that he had visited the grave of Dr. H. A. Ironside, his old friend, and mine, and had put some flowers on that grave. He had a picture of that touching occasion and I wanted one; two days later the picture came and here it is.
Dr. H. A. Ironside was born October 14, 1876. When first converted, he was active for several years in the Salvation Army. Then, after deep trouble of heart over his conscious failure to live the sinless life of holiness which he professed, he came into the light of full assurance of salvation by grace alone, the keeping of Christ and His imputed  righteousness.
For a good many years he was active as an evangelist and Bible teacher in the Plymouth Brethren movement. Then he became, for fourteen years, the pastor of famous Moody Church in Chicago, and became world famous as a Bible expositor and fundamental Gospel preacher. A little before he died, he resigned from Moody Church. In 1950, he embarked upon a preaching tour of Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand he died January 15, 1951, and there was buried.
Dr. Ironside was for many years on the board of trustees of Bob Jones College and later Bob Jones University. He was there every year at the Bible Conference and at Commencement. The college gave him the Doctor of Divinity degree in 1942, and always he was a favorite of Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., and the younger Dr. Bob, as well as of the faculty and student body.
Dr. Ironside’s contact and helpfulness to this editor and The Sword of the Lord began many years ago when he came to help me in a great Bible conference in Dallas at Galilean Baptist Church where I was the pastor. He was one of the first to give unstintingly, and without charge, his sermons and Bible studies for publication in The Sword of the Lord. When the Sword Book Club was organized, he was from the first and for a good many years, one of the judges. He was guest speaker at two of the Sword of the Lord conferences. He sat on the platform and greatly encouraged me, as I preached in the city-wide revival campaign sponsored by 200 churches in the Chicago Arena. He had me speak in the week of prayer at Moody Church. My book, Prayer: Asking and Receiving, was dedicated to him.
A cloud came over our fellowship over the book attacking evangelists and evangelism by the late Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer. Dr. Ironside did not agree with Dr Chafer and. tried to get him to change the book. But he feared that any exposure of the book would hurt Dallas Theological Seminary, which he loved very much. Dr. Chafer was an intimate friend of Dr. Ironside for many years.
For a time, he sent no more sermons to The Sword of the Lord. However, we were together again for sweet fellowship at Bob Jones University, speaking on the same program, sitting together in the annual board meeting, having fellowship at the table. Again, we were on the same program at the Medicine Lake Conference of Northwestern Schools. There Dr. Ironside brought me a most kindly and generous word from his son, John Ironside, whom he was proud to call an evangelist. There Dr. Ironside told me of his approaching trip and agreed to consider a series of articles for The Sword of the Lord upon his return from. Australia. But he went to be with the Lord and is buried in that far-off distant clime on the other side of the world.
It seems to me that Dr. Ironside’s body ought to be brought back to Chicago, that his grave might be a shrine for those who loved him and were blessed by his ministry. I know the modesty of his heart and that of his family. Dr. Ironside did not want money spent in shipping his body home, and all of us know that when the trumpet of God sounds, the body of our beloved brother will rise just as quickly to meet the Saviour on one side of the World as the other. He himself is already “forever with the Lord,” as the plate on his grave declares. But it seems to me a worthy thing if great Moody Church and other friends should bring Dr. Ironside’s body home for the inspiration that the event and his grave would be to countless Christians who loved him. Regardless of where our beloved brother’s body is buried, we do not sorrow for him as those who have no hope. We shall see him again. And we feel we honor the Lord in publishing the picture of our distinguished brother and dear friend, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., placing flowers of reverence and remembrance on the grave of his friend and ours in far-off New Zealand.
Dr. John R. Rice.
“The Sword of the Lord” March 27, 1953