Memorial of Thomas Roberts ...

Front matter

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o o oo N

Part I

Parentage and Youth — Comes to America — Marriage — Conversion and Baptism — Begins to Preach — Visit of Rev. David Jones — Hand of the Lord in Providential Provision — Arrival at Philadelphia — Residence with Dr. Staughton — Walking to Appointments — Extent of Library — Visiting his Family at Newark — Call to the Great Valley Church— Settlement there. - Page 13

Part II

Chosen a Member of the Board of the Foreign Missionary Convention — Goes on a Mission to the Cherokees — The Mission Family — Description of a Baptism Among the Indians — Sev eral Incidents — Oosauti — Manner of Disposing of Their Dead — Peculiar Water Ceremony — George Guess ard His Syllables — Return to New Jersey. Page 26

Part III

Visits Middletown— State of the Church There— Conversation with Jehu Patterson— Settlement— The Work of God— Remarks on Revivals — Characteristics of the Middletown Church — Sketch of Labors After his Resignation — Last Illness — Departure — Funeral— Action of State Convention and East New Jersey Association — Communication from Rev. Dr. Sommers. -...,. . . . Page 35

LETTERS.

From Rev. W. B. Harris, page 46 — T. Roberts, page 49 — Rev. Dr. G. S. Webb, page 51— Rev. C. E. Wilson, page 53— Rev. Dr. Babcock, page 56 — Rev. Dr. Levy, page 60.

Vlll CONTENTS.

SERMONS.

I. The Poor Rich Man

2 Cor. 6 : 10. — As poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing yet possessing all things. - - - Page 65

II. The Resurrection

1 Cor. 16 : 12. — Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead ? - Page 76

m.

A QUESTION CONCERNING CHRIST.

Mat. 22 : 42.— What think ye of Christ ? - - Page 101

IY.

a father's legacy. 1 Chron. 28 : 9. — And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind ; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and under - standeth all the imaginations of the thoughts : if thou seek him he will be found of thee ; but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off forever. Page 113

V.

THE NATURE AND OFFICE OF ANGELS.

Heb. 1 : 14. — Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation ? - Page 126

VI.

satan's devices. 1 Peter 5 : 8. — Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Pa^e 134

CONTENTS. IX

VII.

THE CHUECH — ITS INCEEASE AND PEOSPEEITY.

Is. 9 : 7. — Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. ------ Page 146

VIII.

TEAVELEES TO ETEENITY.

Mat. 7: 13, 14. — Enter ye in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Page 174

IX.

THE SHINING DISCIPLE.

Mat. 5 : 16. — Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Page 184

X.

SOBEE MINDEDNESS.

Titus 2 : 6. — Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded Page 197

XI.

THE GOSPEL BALM.

Jer. 8 : 22. — Is there no balm in Gilead ? Is there no physician there ? "Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered ? Page 213

XII.

JOSEPH, A TYPE OF CHEIST.

Gen. 41 : 55. — Go unto Joseph, and what he saith unto you do. Page 225

X CONTENTS.

XIII.

THE ONE OFFEEING.

Heb. 9: 28. — So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. - - Page 241

XIV.

earth's great change.

2 Peter 3: 6, 7, 13. — Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look fornew heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Page 257

XV.

BED D-D YD 1)10.

An article published in the Examiner, May 19th, 1864 - Page 271 XVI.

APPENDAGES OF DEATH AND EESUEEECTION.

An article probably written a few hours before his departure. - - - Page 275

AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Part I

[Thomas Roberts was born in Denbighshire, North Wales, on June 12th, 1783. His father, who was a farmer, died when he was about five years of age. Having worked upon a farm from the time he was thirteen, until about seventeen, with a few intervals of schooling, he spent three years in learning the cooper's trade. Before he was twenty he was out of his apprenticeship, and after working a few months in "Wales, he went to England. Very soon, in a way undiscerned by himself, the Lord began to direct his steps to the land wherein many labors, trials, and triumphs of grace awaited him. From this point we read the story of his experience, as written by his trembling hand, when age admonished him to do quickly what his hand found to do.]

Being bent on going to America, I went from Liverpool to Dublin, in the year 1803, and from thence, after a passage of five weeks, I arrived in New York in October, 1803. The yellow fever, which was then raging, and had swept away many, caused the city to be nearly deserted. After spending the winter there, in May, 1804, I sailed in the ship Lamson for Madras, in the East Indies. After a passage of rather more than six months, we arrived at our destination. From there we went to Prince of Wales Island, near the Straits of Malacca, and returned from thence to Madras. There were four Baptist Missionaries with us, who came from England to India by the way of New York. They were good men and true, and their preaching and conversation were blessed, I trust, in some measure, to my poor soul. After a pleasant passage homeward, we arrived at Sandy Hook, on May 18th, 1805. While working at Schuyler's Mines, on Barbadoes Neck, near Newark, N. J., I formed the acquaintance of Elizabeth, daughter of John Rutan, to whom I was united in marriage on the 25th of May, 1806. We had ten children. My wife was one of the best of women, kind-hearted, industrious, pious, everything that a wife should be. She was a blessing to her husband, a guide to her children, and a mother in the Church of God. Having removed to New York in the fall of 1806, during that winter I was much exercised on the subject of religion. I had experienced pungent convictions, at times, from my youth, but not sufficiently deep to drive me out of myself to Christ. I clung to my own righteousness as long as I could, until God showed me the utter worthlessness of my own doings. When no hope remained from the law, I was sweetly forced to seek shelter from impending rain in Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. I attended the ministry of Elder John Stephens, who was a native of Wales, a sound divine, and, under God, a great blessing to me. He baptized me in the East River on the 8th of March, 1807 ; the day was very stormy, but I felt a sweet calm and peace, whose remembrance is pleasant now, after fifty-one years have passed away. God be thanked that a creature so unworthy was permitted to follow His blessed Son ! [I may mention here that in my infancy I was sprinkled, and marked with the sign of the cross, in the Episcopal church; and I was taught to say that " I was baptized and made a child of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven," and at the age of fourteen I was confirmed by the Bishop in the awful delusion. The remembrance of this seemed to ward off conviction, and to lull me into carnal security ; and I feel it my duty to warn my posterity against that delusive system, which is so opposite to evangelical vital religion.]

A few months after my baptism, I was urged by the Church to improve my gift in exhortation. I complied, without the most distant idea of preaching the gospel, though I had a strong desire to be useful to the souls of men. But my gift of utterance was so imperfect, I was ready to conclude that the Lord did not design me for a work, to perform which I lacked one essential gift.

In 1808 I removed to Utica, and united with the First Baptist church. The church in ~New York had recommended me as a person who had gifts to preach, and they insisted on my using them. Being constrained to do this, I labored in Utica part of the time, and partly in Trenton, and Holland Patent, where I was instrumental in the formation of a church. Laboring thus for about five years, without any remuneration from men, by this time I had four children to support, and no other means to procure them bread but my own hands. I became somewhat discouraged. My dear wife said to me, " Go to E"ew York, and GTod will open a door of usefulness for you somewhere." I immediately complied with her advice, and began my journey.

I preached at Albany to the few Baptists that were there. They had no meeting-house, but assembled in the Court-house. My discourses in the Court-house were in English, and in the evening I preached in Welch at a private house, with fear and trembling, endeavoring to show the people the way of life through the death of a divine substitute. This was in August, 1813.

Proceeding to New York on Monday, I found Kev. John Williams unwell, and both he and the church requested me to stay and preach till his health improved. So I continued to preach for the Oliver street Baptist church for several weeks, and then concluded to return to my family. The day before I started I was greatly discouraged. I had no prospect of work, and scarcely money enough to pay my passage home. I preached for the dear people in Oliver street that evening, ready to depart on the morrow. The Lord favored me with his presence, and I felt I could trust my Father when all seemed dark before me. As I came down from the pulpit many of the good brethren crowded around me, and manifested such tender affection, that I was melted with the warmth of their kind and brotherly expressions. Deacons TVithington, Caldwell, Bowen, and Hewitt were in earnest consultation in a distant part of the meeting-house. Soon Bro. John Caldwell came to me and said, " Brother Roberts, I wish to see you at my house to-morrow before you leave for home." So I called, and he put into my hand forty dollars, saying, " Go home and arrange your affairs as soon as you can, and bring your family to Belleville or Newark, and the church will take care of them. The brethren have agreed to send you to Philadelphia to pursue a course of study with Rev. Dr. Staughton."

I felt overwhelmed with gratitude to God and to His people. I was ready to adopt the language of Ruth, and say, " Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?" In making the journey to New York, of which I have spoken, I traveled on foot from Utica to Albany, a distance of ninetysix miles, and during my three days' walk, I enjoyed much of the Lord's presence, while trying to pray for divine direction, and trying to compose in my mind something like sermons to preach to the peopie in New York, if they should ask me to talk to them about Jesus Christ and the great salvation.

On the same day that I left Albany for New York, in a sloop, the Rev. David Jones, from the Great Valley, came there on his way to the U. S. Army, under a chaplain's commission from President Madison. The Baptist friends told him of a young Welchman who preached for them on Sunday, and from their representations Mr. Jones determined to have me for his assistant pastor and successor in that ancient church. On his journey to the seat of war, he stopped at Utica for further inquiry. He went to my house, where the following dialogue passed between him and my wife :

" Are you the wife of Thomas Roberts ?"

"Yes, sir."

"What do you here?"

" This is my home, sir."

" No, Madam, this is not the place God designs for you."

" Where is the place where God will have us to live and labor ?"

"Your place is the Great Valley Baptist church, in Pennsylvania. I am David Jones, Pastor of that church, and now Chaplain General of the Army. My duty to God and my country calls me to the frontier."

" Have you seen my husband, sir ?"

"No, Madam, but I heard of him, and made inquiries. You tell him for me, when he returns, to come without delay to the Great Valley, and he will be kindly received."

My dear wife's faith was greatly strengthened. She felt that the Lord had a work for us, in a field where I conld give my whole time to the ministry of reconciliation.

I went home with a glad heart, and related to her my reception by the good brethren in E"ew York, and their kind offer to send me to school to Dr. Staughton, to pay my board, and give me $100 a year besides during my stay. Yea, moreover, (said I,) they provided that you and our dear children shall not want. One of those dear brethren will visit you once a month to see that you are comfortably supplied. We were overcome with a sense ot God's goodness in putting such love and benevolence into the hearts of his people toward a poor stranger.

Then my wife told me of Bro. Jones' visit, and the message he left for me. Surely the darkest hour of the night is just before the dawn. The Great Valley church is sixteen miles from Philadelphia, just a pleasant walk on Saturday afternoon, after a hard week's study, and I can supply them, if the church wish it after hearing me. Surely there is a wheel within a wheel in the mysterious machinery of Providence. why should I distrust Him any more ? For goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. Though I, a poor, shortsighted creature, could not always see Him, yet surely God was always watching over my path ; and when He saw me inclined to the wrong track, His voice from behind me would say, " This is the way, walk tliou in it." Leaving our little cottage, we came to !New York, and after engaging a small tenement for my family, I made my way to Philadelphia. I was most kindly received by that dear man of God, Dr. Staughton, whose fatherly kindness I can never forget. I remember also, with pleasure, Mrs. Staughton, and her maternal tenderness and solicitude for the welfare of the students whom the fame of the Doctor had attracted to his feet to listen to the lucid instructions which few like him had the faculty to impart.

I found four young brethren under instruction, Sommers, Barton, Patterson and Paradise. We spent the time in the most arduous, yet pleasant and profitable studies, for we could not look forward then, as young men can now, to long years of mental training.

Soon after my arrival in Philadelphia, Jonathan Phillips, one of the deacons of the Great Valley church, called, and requested me to preach for them the next Sabbath. After hearing me, the church requested me to supply them once a fortnight during my stay in Philadelphia. I gladly consented, with thankfulness to my heavenly Father for opening to me a door to preach a rich Saviour to my poor fellow sinners. I had made up my mind not to ask any church for a reward for my labor, my chief desire being to glorify my Saviour and win souls. Now, especially, after witnessing the late interpositions of divine Providence and grace, I could not distrust God nor his dear people. He who gave his life for me will not surely withhold from me and mine a little bread to strengthen us to do his will. O for grace to do it with a single heart, and confide in Him forever ! And now, after an experience of half a century, I can say for the encouragement of my children and others, that the Lord hath not left me nor forsaken me, though with shame and grief I confess that I have been dilatory and unfaithful in his service.

For a whole year I walked to my appointments on Saturday evening; and though there was no agreement, yet the good old Deacon Jones invariably put in my hand, as he shook it, a five dollar bill, as if afraid that anybody but God and myself should know it. The bounty of the church was amply sufficient to spare me the walk of thirty-two miles, but the King, my Master, never rode but once, and then on the humblest beast of burden which his own hand had formed. If I had been desirous of imitating him in this particular, the Philadelphians were above keeping any of the humble race for their own use or to let. It became a question with me how I should use all the money that I received for preaching. I concluded to enlarge my library, which consisted then of two Bibles, (Welch and English,) Butterworth's Concordance, Boston's Four-fold State, Alleine's Alarm, and Rippon's Selections. In a few months I had a shelf loaded with about eighty volumes, many of them small in size, but weighty with truth, extracted by skillful miners from the rich gold deposits of the covenant of grace, with many bright gems found in the garden, and along the dolorous way to the middle cross on Calvary. Thus I tasked my feet to supply, in some small degree, the void of my brains.

I visited my family in Newark every three months, always on foot, which saved me ten dollars every journey, while it gave me opportunities by the way to fulfill my Saviour's injunction, " As ye go, preach." This economical plan I have pursued through life, and under God it has been a great blessing to me and to my family, as well as to the churches to which I preached the gospel. I have never wanted a dollar to meet my engagements, or to aid the cause of benevolence ; and after many years of experience, I attest the truth of that saying of our gracious Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." And now, from my heart, I recommend to my posterity and to all others — especially to young ministers— ^to pursue a course of self-denying industry and frugality, which will save from a world of anxiety, from dishonoring God and his cause, and from the temptation to descend to a dishonest or mean act. But to return to my narrative. There was such a scarcity of ministers, at that time, among the Baptists, that before the expiration of six months a church in New York city extended an invitation to labor among them. I consented after the expiration of my year in Philadelphia; but in the mean time the Great Valley church urged her prior claim, to which I yielded, preferring an humble, obscure corner in the vineyard, to which my attainments and gifts were better adapted. We removed to the Valley in the dead of winter, and the house of worship was so large, and the congregation so small, that I fixed on four school-houses, about four miles from the meeting house, in each of which I preached monthly, in the afternoon, and in a number of other places on week evenings. This measure soon filled the meeting-house to overflowing. A precious revival succeeded my ordination, in the spring, which continued for seven years. The work was quiet and gradual, a small but constant stream of precious souls flowing into the church, until the number was about trebled. During the whole period there was nothing to mar the sweet peace and tranquility of the body. Our church meetings were invariably spent in praise and prayer, in relating experience, and exhortations. We realized that the best business meetings for a church are those wherein the members meet with one accord to transact business with God. Such have the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.

During the eight years that I labored with that dear people, I do not recollect that money matters were ever broached at the meetings. One of the deacons told me that I should have $240 a year, and the use of the Parsonage. I said, very well, and that was all that was said on the subject. Deacon Phillips promptly put that sum of money in my hand when it was due. Besides this we received many valuable presents. I mention these trifling incidents to show to the generation to come the quiet and unostentatious way in which the Baptists of old times managed their affairs. Then no minister left his charge for want of more salary. There were very few changes, and when these occurred they were for other reasons than a lack of income.

The original membership of that ancient church were Welchmen, who planted the gospel standard there in the time of William Penn. For one or two generations they, like many other Baptist churches in the lower counties of Pennsylvania, maintained the worship of God in their own language. Although after that they adopted the English language, they still held with firm grasp the old Baptist faith and practice. Every preacher among them was a missionary, when as yet there were no missionary societies ; and through these ministers the truth was sounded out throughout the British possessions, and Jesus was with them according to his promise. Through their labors, from ISTew York to the Savannah river, churches were planted on pure apostolic principles ; and these have spread their verdant and fruitful branches over the land, laying the foundation of civil and religious liberty, which few understood so well, and asserted with more boldness, than those "Welch Baptists. While Roger Williams and his brethren were diffusing the light and enduring the rage of oppressors in New England, the Jenkinses, the Joneses and the Morgans were wafting it to the remotest settlements of the South.

While I was in Philadelphia " The Baptist General Convention for Missionary Purposes" was organizecl in that city. Dr. Staughton was one of the most active in the enterprise, and he infused the missionary spirit into the students under his care. The Valley church was among the first to respond to the call for aid to send a reinforcement to Brother Judson, that he might take possession of the Burman Empire in the name of Jesus Christ. The sisters of that church formed themselves into a society, which contributed annually $130 for that object, and the church sent enough to entitle them to a delegate at the Convention, which shows that they were not unfruitful in good works.

Part II

As I resided near Philadelphia, I was chosen a member of the Acting Board of the Foreign Missionary Convention. In 1821 the Board urged me to raise a company to go to the Cherokee nation of Indians to preach the gospel, establish schools, and teach them the useful arts of civilized life. After due deliberation I consented to go, and soon set out with two teachers, a blacksmith, a farmer, and two young men, and two sisters as assistants at the eslishment. Elder Posey, of North Carolina, had been there for some time erecting the necessary buildings for the school and families. After a journey of more than one thousand miles, the party arrived at the station in health and safety. We soon gathered a school of seventy-five children and adults, who made good progress in letters and agriculture. The first year we raised, with the assistance of the Indian children, between two and three thousand bushels of corn, and seventy hogs, which furnished us all with ample food for the year. The children were docile and kind, easily governed, and quick at learning — especially those who understood English. Some of the small ones were addicted to cry in school; perhaps the little creatures were homesick. However, the remedy for this and other faults was very cheap and easily applied. A spoonful of cold water dashed in the face would stay the tears, and hush the noise at once. Brother Evan Jones taught the boys, and Miss Elizabeth Jones the girls. Reading, writing, arithmetic, plain sewing, and ornamental needle-work were the branches pursued.

Bro. Evan Jones is a native of Wales, whom I baptized two weeks before we started on the mission. Our instructions were imparted through interpreters, who were graceless, and ignorant of divine things, yet with all our imperfections the Holy Spirit was pleased to open the hearts of some of the youngpeople under our care, and let into their dark minds some bright rays from Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. Several were made willing in the day of God's power, and related experiences which fully satisfied us of their conversion. While we were consulting concerning a place to baptize, several young men overheard us; and without our knowledge they went to the river bank and with their axes cleared away the brush, and prepared a beautiful and eligible place. They had never seen the ordinance administered, nor heard us describe it; but they had read the New Testament, and seemed to understand where and how the blessed ordinance was to be observed. How disappointed and astonished these converts from heathenism would have been if we had called for a basin of water to sprinkle them ! They would have indignantly refused to submit, or would have lost all confidence in our sincerity, for we had often told them the "Word of God is our only rule of faith and practice. They, like all other converts who are not biased by false reasonings, wished to follow their Saviour. On a beautiful Sabbath morning hundreds of Indians were wending their way to the beautiful Hiawassee to see the first fruits of their nation planted in the likeness of Jesus' death, and raised in the newness of life after his resurrection.

We saw no visible dove descending, as when Christ rose from the baptismal stream ; but we saw and heard and felt the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We saw the big rolling tears chasing one another down the furrowed cheeks of old Indian warriors, who never since their manhood wept before. We heard the prayers of young converts who, emboldened by the Spirit of God, cried aloud for a blessing to descend on their benighted nation. We felt, as we never felt before, that God had a blessing with which to enrich the poor neglected Indian race. Since that day thousands of happy converts have followed the Saviour down into the baptismal stream, and for many years a large association of Baptist churches has existed among them, with faithful Pastors, whom God raised from among themselves to feed them with the Word of truth. The faithful veteran missionary, Rev. Evan Jones, still lives and labors among them, nourishing them as a father does his children. He never forsook them, but stood by them in all their trials and persecutions. He is now one of the oldest, and among the most prudent, peaceful and indefatigable laborers in the Baptist missionary field. His son, the Bev. John Jones, was born among the Indians, and after a thorough preparation in one of our best Universities, he is now revising the New and translating the Old Testament into the Cherokee language.

I here mention a few other incidents of my experience among the Cherokees. There was one, Oosauti, who on account of his meekness and wisdom was chosen by his neighbors to represent them in the Grand Council of the nation. When this man, who was totally ignorant of the English language, heard of a school opened for the instruction of his people, at the valley towns, he came on foot thirty miles to find out whether he could enter as a scholar. He had a large family, and would be obliged to work and raise corn in the summer for their support, while he could only attend school in the winter. In the course of two winters he made some progress in reading, but very little in understanding what he read. He came to my cabin in the early Spring and said he wished to go home to plant corn. I told him it was too soon to plant, he might stay two weeks longer. He said he was discouraged. He had been in school two winters, and was no nearer the object he so much desired than when he first came. "I can read some in the Great Book," said he, " but I do not understand the language. I want to know how I can be saved." I told him it was not necessary to know the English language in order to know the way of salvation. He brightened up and said, " Can I know it ?" " Oh yes, Oosanti. If you stay two weeks longer, and come to my cabin every evening, we will endeavor to teach you the way of life in your own language." He was glad, and consented to stay. I told Bro. Jones what had passed, and made it a subject of prayer that the Holy Spirit would bless our efforts and shed light on his dark mind. The next night Brother Jones, Oosauti, and two of the young men, as interpreters, came. "We began with God, and then with the man. After a general outline of the creation, the fall, the promise of a Saviour, and the sending forth of God's Son in the fullness of time, Oosauti seemed amazed, and asked, " In what nature did God send his Son into the world ?" This opened a wide field for explanation, and from that moment the Holy Ghost seemed to open his heart, and he began to drink at the well of salvation. The next evening he came again, with a shining countenance, indicating the state of his heart. Sorrow had given place to joy and gladness, for he had found Him of whom Moses, in the law, and the Prophets did write. Early the next morning he came and said, " I must go home to-day, and tell my wife and family how happy I feel — that I have found the Saviour, and that they may find him without learning the white man's language."