Thomas P. Roberts
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WESLEYAN HERITAGE Library Autobiography/Sermons HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE AND MINISTRY By Thomas P. Roberts “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” Heb 12:14 Spreading Scriptural Holiness to the World Wesleyan Heritage Publications © 1998 HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE AND MINISTRY In Old Time Revivals By Thomas P. Roberts Wilmore, Kentucky 1952 [NO COPYRIGHT — NO PUBLISHER SHOWN] ************************************* HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE AND MINISTRY In Old Time Revivals By Thomas P. Roberts DEDICATION It was through the good providence and plan of God that I met, won, and wedded the girl who was to be my helpmate through life and a truer helpmate no man has ever had. All through our married life and during the busy years of my ministry she stood faithfully and nobly by me in our little humble home. God gave us four dear children, three boys and one girl. My dear wife had the care and raising of these precious children. Her sweet personality and kind influence together with her Christian life and loving counsel has played no little part in their lives. While we were out in the evangelistic work, battle after battle, this little woman stood by the home. God's Word says, the reward is as great to them who stand by the stuff as those who fight in the battle. She will share in the reward that will be given in that great, glad, happy day and will hear the words of the Blessed Master, "Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful in your part of the building of the Kingdom and the salvation of the lost, enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord." To my precious wife I lovingly dedicate this book and to her I ascribe the following poem of my own originality: The girl I married was poor, but good And by my side she has nobly stood. Her Father and Mother, she lost while young Then with others her life begun. I saw her one day under the apple tree, I said in my heart, "She is the girl for me." I did not know as she stood under that tree, That in her heart she was thinking of me. So, with fleeting footsteps, I hurried to her side And said, "My child, will you be my bride?" She gently dropped her lovely head, Then lifted her eyes and modestly said, "Must I answer now or wait awhile, And be sure you love this orphan child?" "My child," I said, "God has a mate for every man, And I felt you were made for me by God's own Hand." "I am an orphan too, I want you to know, But down through life together we will go." "So heart in heart and hand in hand, Letting God be our Guide, To the close of the day we will ever stand, You will never regret being my bride." Now, Our Golden Wedding is past, Our race is almost run; But, we hope when we stand in His presence at last, He will say, "Children, Well done." ************************************* HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE AND MINISTRY In Old Time Revivals By Thomas P. Roberts FOREWORD The purpose of a Foreword is to focus one's attention upon the author and to indicate the character of his book and to sharpen the appetite of the reader. With the good subject in the premises this task will be a real pleasure. Rev. T. P. Roberts, the well-known Evangelist of Wilmore, Kentucky, was born of sturdy country parents of Anglo-Saxon stock and thereby inherited a strong physical constitution which has stood him in stead during his strenuous career for half a century of preaching. As a married student in the early and memorable days of Asbury College, he supported a family and acquired a practical education. During his study and subsequent residence in Wilmore, he was favored with the supreme opportunity of sitting at the feet of such outstanding and distinguished religious leaders as Dr. Henry Clay Morrison, Dr. John Wesley Hughes, Dr. W. B. Godbey, Rev. L. L. Pickett and other noted divines. He also drank at the flowing fountain of gospel truth in the great Central Holiness Camp Meeting where many nationally-known Evangelists proclaimed the doctrine of holiness as a second definite work of grace. Thus qualified and equipped theologically and with the holy fires of evangelism burning in his bones, he went forth on the far-flung battle front and conducted some of the greatest soul-saving revivals recounted in the history of the famous Holiness Movement. This interesting story of his ministerial life contains the vivid description of a number of these epoch-making, soul-saving evangelistic campaigns. Therefore the reader will find that this book is not a dry discussion of abstract principles but humanly historical "Highlights" of an intense evangelistic career providentially ordered and spiritually beneficial to multiplied thousands of people. It has come out of a life-long religious experience fortified and enforced by a deep devotion to the cause of public and personal evangelism. Early in the history of his evangelistic career he received the nickname or nom de plume of "Night Hawk Tom." This cognomen or sobriquet was given him because of his close preaching and "hewing to the line" in exposing the sins of the people who imagined he stalked the streets of the town at midnight to find out what to preach against the next day. In the "Highlights" the author touches on the naive and unique customs and manners of the people in the far-famed feudal districts of the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. While this gives the book provincial flavor, yet the congenial "Night Hawk Tom" is a fast friend to the mountain people. The historical portion of the book is interspersed with a number of characteristic sermons which search the very souls of men. Withal there is a variety of redeeming feature of clean, wholesome humor running through the book to enliven its religious contents. The vivid description of the unusual and adventurous experiences on "Happy Top," with its primitive rusticity of forty years ago, will charm, amuse and evoke the laughter of the moody, the morose and the melancholy-minded. The interesting chapter on "It happened" is full of facts and remarkable incidents sufficient to fire the soul and to inspire the reader to a closer walk and to a greater religious activity for the cause of the Kingdom of God. The literary style of the author's writing is peculiarly his own. He makes no effort to clothe his language in highly scholastic, technical or high-flown philosophical terms, but presents facts in plain practical words which the ordinary reader can easily comprehend. The "Highlights" center around certain significant events marked by mighty evangelistic occasions. For instance the great Waco and Brookstown revivals were known and recognized as the greatest evangelistic campaigns ever held in Madison County, Kentucky. In this unusual divine visitation and manifestation of grace many souls were saved. Out of this epoch-making and record-breaking meeting a number entered the ministry. Such men as Dr. J. R. Parker of Wilmore, Kentucky, one of the most prominent holiness evangelists of the present day; Dr. J. W. Reeves, formerly of Richmond, Kentucky, and now the noted pastor of the famous Dwight L. Moody church in Northfield, Massachusetts; the late Rev. H. T. Bonny of the Kentucky Conference. Rev. O. B. Beck who was in the mercantile business in Waco at the time was graciously restored and re-entered the Methodist ministry and for years held important pastorates in the Conference. Rev. G. W. Thomas now in the Indiana Conference was converted in the great Doylesville revival meeting in Madison. Among the number of converts in the great Morehead, Kentucky, revival was the noted attorney, Mr. Will Young, brother of the late legislative political leader, Judge Allie Young. Bill Young was recognized as one of the greatest criminal lawyers in the state of Kentucky. The chapter composed of a cluster of prominent testimonials on what others say of the author of the "Highlights" is positive proof that Rev. T. P. Roberts, bearing the same name as the noted historical Evan Roberts who spear-headed the world-famous Welsh revival, has wrought unusually well as an ordained minister of the evangelical gospel and has made an outstanding contribution to the cause of Christ. The blood-curdling, challenging chapter contributed by the noted "Bull-dog" Charley Wireman of the Wesleyan Methodist Church is enough to make one's hair stand on end. His marvelous, and we might say miraculous conversion, under the powerful, pungent preaching of the tireless and unterrified Tom Roberts marks an event in the annals of twice-born men. It is a thrilling story how "Night Hawk Tom" won "Bull-dog" Charley. With such wonderful success of a characteristically fruitful ministry in the wide evangelistic field, Tom Roberts has never posed as an "high-brow" or brilliant religious leader. It is to his everlasting credit that he has never strutted on the streets as a gaily attired and highly perfumed clerical dude or dandy. He is just plain and unassuming Tom Roberts — a common man among men. He is one of the exceptionally few preachers of the present day who gets happy and shouts in the midst of his sermon. Nature has endowed him with a good strong voice so essential in effective evangelistic preaching. He is recognized as an honorable citizen and a useful man of whom his family and the town in which he lives may be justly proud.