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CHARLIE TILLMAN: FAM OF“SmGABLE A SONGS’^ ER
As Evangelist, Hymn- Maker and Publisher Tillman’s Career Has Been One of Constantly Widening Success.
HETHER Charlie Tillman, the
popular singer and evangelist, is
akin to the “Pitchfork” Senator
of South-Carolina “deponent say
eth not.” Certain it is he is far
removed from him in many things
except intellectual vigor and com
manding purpose.
It has always been the custom
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of The Golden Age to seek out and tell the
story of men who have been plucky enough
to “do things” both in the Kingdom of God
and the kingdom of men.
Charlie D. Tillman is one of them. Time
was when he was devoting all his time as a
gospel singer, but when his good old father
died the mantle of preacher fell upon his be
loved son. And although making no claims
to what might be called “pulpit eloquence,”
Charlie Tillman has conducted some of the
most remarkable revival meetings we have
ever known.
Remarkable Song Book Career.
Something more than twenty-five years
ago, while engaged as singer for his father in
the envangelistic work, Charlie Tillman be
gan to see the need of a song book especially
suited to revival meetings. Determined to
produce one himself, but being limited as to
experience and finance, his first was a thirty
two page booklet, which was increased to
sixty-four pages. This little book had a good
sale, which made it possible to bring out
Revival No. 1, being one of the first song
books of any size to retail in revival meetings
at a quarter. This proved a success among
Evangelists.
THE END OF A GLORIOUS LIFE By J. R. NUTT
HE end of Paul’s life was glorious,
his setting sun was golden. Stand
ing at the end of life’s journey
and looking back across the years
he wrote with a prophetic pen, “I
and now ready to be offered, and
the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course, I have
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kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge will give me at
that day, and not to me only, but unto them
also that love his appearing.” Immortal
words these from the greatest missionary of
all time. These words from Paul, the hero
of many battles, are like “apples of gold in
pictures of silver.” How many aged men
and women today find comfort in what he
said. Eternity alone can tell.
Ready to Depart.
Not many men can say that. lam not pes
simistic. There are many it may be that can
say it, but they are only those who have lived
as Paul lived. When he wrote these words
to Timothy he was standing at the end of a
life well spent in the Master’s service. He
no doubt thought of the battles he had
fought and the victories won. Will the read
er think of that life? Think of the difficul
ties he had when he entered Macedonia.
Think of the fightings without and the fears
within. Think of the many times he was
cast into prison. Think of the stripes he re
ceived above measure. Many times he stood
at the very door of death. From the Jews
he tells us that five times he received forty
stripes save one. Three times he was beaten
with rods, once he was stoned, three times
he suffered shipwreck, and a night and a day
he was in the deep. He was in journeyings
often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers,
The Golden Age for June 22.1911.
No. 1 was followed by Revival No. 2, over
two thousand of which were sold in the first
meeting in which it was used. This book
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t CHARLIE D. TILLMAN, f
• Singer and Evangelist. •
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was a great favorite of the late Sam P. Jones.
The next was a book for children, Little
Light, for little folks, which received a hearty
welcome among primary teachers, and today
is more popular than ever.
The next to appear was Singing Made
Easy, the rudiments of music condensed by
Tillman and Bryant, which can be used in
connection with any book in singing classes.
in perils from his countrymen, in perils from
the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in
the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils
among false brethren; in labor and travail,
in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings many times, and in cold and naked
ness. No wonder he could say, “I am ready
to depart.” Did there ever live such a war
rior? Does history record the name of a
greater hero? “He had everything. He
was complete, and in his brain was the cube
of human faculties.” The time may come
and will, when the campaigns of Stonewall
Jackson and Robt. E. Lee will no longer be
studied by the great Generals of the world,
but the time will never come when the mis
sionary will not read with interest the inspir
ed campaigns of the Apostle Paul. They will
stand for all time as models of wisdom in
missionary activity.
Fought a Good Fight.
It is one thing to fight and another thing to
“fight a good ficrht.” Paul was not a coward.
He was a born fighter. Only he who fights as
Paul fought is brave. He knew how to “en
dure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ.” He fought manv battles and won
many victories. He fought with beasts at
Fnhesus. He fought philosophy on Mars
Hill. He fought skepticism and all forms of
infidelitv wherever he went. He knew what
it meant and what it cost to be a soldier of
Jesus Christ. He tells us in his own words
that the Christian life is one continual war
fare between the flesh and the spirit. Tn the
hard school of experience he learned well the
tactics of this warfare.
A Finished Course.
How glorious the end, how golden the sun!
The old soldier of the cross and the hero of
the battle of Mars Hill has finished his
The sale of this continues to grow.
While this last mentioned book was in
preparation, material was being gathered for
Revival No. 3, which has had a wide circula
tion.
Following this was Revival No. 4, and, like
the others, has had a fine sale.
Then came smaller books, such as Revival
Special and The Eleventh Hour Songs, fol
lowed by Sunday School and Revival, which
has passed the quarter million mark.
After this came Tillman’s Tabernacle
Songs, a tremendous hit as a ten-cent book.
Then his latest, but it is hoped not his last,
Revival No. 6.
Thus it is seen that Charlie Tillman, while
pushing his evangelistic work, has been wide
awake to the song book needs, which has
given his books a combined sale of nearly
two million copies.
He has distributing points in Kansas City,
Mo., and Cincinnati, Ohio, with headquarters
in Atlanta, on the eighth floor of the Austell
Building, where is conducted the largest song
book business in the South.
Singing Has Kept Him Young.
Charlie Tillman is an “ocular demonstra
tion” of what music will do for the heart and
the face of man. Although his hair is now
streaked with gray his face looks just about
as young as it did twenty-five years 'ago.
The glorious truth is that the heart never
grows old while listening to the minstrelsy
of earth and Heaven—yes, and the world
keeps young when in touch with a man who
is echoing every day the symphonies of the
skies.
course and is ready for the crown. What a
useful life. How many souls today are speed
ing along the shining pathway to the stars as
a result of the life of this hero of the cross?
Eternity alone can tell. A finished course is
the crowning glory of a useful life. All along
through life Paul never lost sight of the fact
that the Lord had called him into the minis
try and had sent him hence to the Gentiles.
In other words, Paul was ever conscious of
the fact that God had a special work for him
to do. No life can ever succeed without this
same conviction. If this were not true life
would be robbed of the “well done, thou good
and faithful servant.” Standing on the very
brink of the grave and looking back over his
life he had no sad regrets. But turning his
gaze toward the future he could see the gol
den crown which the Lord, the righteous
judge, should give him, and not to him only,
but unto all them also that love his appear
ing. The end of Paul’s life was glorious and
his setting sun was golden.
Gilmer, Texas.
A SUMMER SHOWER
We have received a new
lot of those magnificent
reprint, oil pictures,
16x20 inches in size.
They are truly handsome.
As long as they last, we
will give them free with
renewals to THE
GOLDEN AGE. Send
remittance today.—sl.so
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