ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, January 26, 1936, Mrs. Robinson told one of the Faith Home “boys,” who had dropped in to call on her, of a dream she had had early that morning. In it she was singing a song for him, and then she began to sing it:
Along the River of Time we glide,
Along the River, along the River;
The swiftly flowing, resistless tide,
The swiftly flowing, the swiftly flowing,
And soon, ah soon, the end we’ll see;
Yes, soon, ‘twill come, and we shall be
Floating, floating out on the Sea of Eternity.
Along the River of Time we glide,
Along the River, along the River;
A thousand dangers its currents hide,
A thousand dangers, a thousand dangers,
And near our course the rocks we see:
Oh, dreadful thought! a wreck to be,
Floating, floating out on the Sea of Eternity.
Along the River of Time we glide,
Along the River, along the River;
Our Savior only our bark can guide,
Our Savior only, our Savior only,
But with Him we secure may be—
No fear, no doubt, but joy to be
Floating, floating out on the Sea of Eternity.ⁿ
Note: Words and music by George F. Root.
It was Mrs. Robinson’s unique way of announcing that “soon, ah, soon” she would be “floating out on the Sea of Eternity.” And she wanted to prepare the young man for that which would take place exactly six months to the day from then. But he understood not her saying. Perhaps it might be truer to say he would not understand it, for he certainly knew she was not well.
The previous April she had suffered a severe blow from the enemy and since then had grown weaker. At times, to be sure, she was stronger and through all her weakness carried on, ministering to those in need. But the idea of her dying was unthinkable. It just could not be. Surely God would miraculously raise her up as He had done so many other times. Repeatedly, however, she suggested to one and another that the time of her departure was indeed at hand. Yet even her dearest friend and companion of years, Hilda Nilsson, would have none of this, but confidently prayed that God would restore her and complete His work through her. At the same time Mrs. Robinson seemed to look forward to going to Heaven, to being with the One whom her soul so loved and with whom she had had such intimate fellowship on earth.
Throughout these last months she continued to point hearts to Jesus, as she did the young man to whom she had made the announcement of her homegoing when she prayed for him:
“Open his soul to Jesus Christ.” Then she counseled him, as she had counseled multitudes of others throughout the years: “Run after Jesus!” How full of light and wisdom were the words she spoke—instructions which lightened the pathway of others for days, yea, for years to follow. So the weeks and months wore on.
The ninth of June was the eightieth birthday of Elder Brooks, Mrs. Robinson’s valued co-worker, whose restoration to health and vigor she had been used of God to bring about five years before. The residents of the Homes gathered to celebrate the anniversary of this patriarch which was to be coupled with the celebration of the graduation from college the day before of one of the Faith Home boys. Mrs. Robinson would attend this. Nothing would hold her back. She desired to participate in the joys of both her aged and her young friend. She remained for the evening service which followed. It was her last public appearance.
Two weeks later her old friend from Toronto, Minnie McConnell, who was visiting Zion, desired to take Miss Nilsson back with her for a little rest. Mrs. Robinson indicated she believed this to be God’s will and kissed her goodbye. Little did “Neely” realize that this was to be their final farewell. So, at the end of her life, her closest companion was in the city so inextricably connected with her own life, the city of her greatest sorrows and of her greatest joys and triumphs.
As the sun was lowering in the western sky on Friday evening, June 26, the head of Martha Wing Robinson quietly drooped, and her spirit floated “out on the Sea of Eternity.” So imperceptibly did her bark loose from its earthly moorings that Mrs. Judd who was sitting by her side, reading some choice passage to her, did not notice at the time that she had slipped out. But Martha Wing Robinson had entered the Haven of Rest and was at home “in the bosom of the Father.”
A year and a half before this, on her birthday, Mrs. Robinson had said to the friends who had gathered to be with her for the occasion: “Behold, what it is the Lord has sought for thee: It is to have Jesus. He is waiting for everyone. And then, evidently referring to her own experience of the indwelling Christ, she added, “He has not meant it for one, but for many.”
At another time, when speaking to one of her youngest friends, she referred to her own experience of the indwelling Christ as “a next generation experience.” Thereby she implied that the day would surely come when what had admittedly been unusual and exceptional in her life would be more general in the lives of those who had His commandments and kept them. These people Christ would indeed fully possess, body, soul, and spirit.
Unquestionably her experience had been a pattern to show forth what God can and will do “at the time of the approach of the coming of the Lord,” in those who crown Him King in their hearts and fulfill in their obedience to His commands. To such he will manifest Himself and take up His abode in them.
Throughout the years she had let the King live out His life in her, utterly abandoned to Him to do with her just what He would, caring only that He should be magnified in her body “whether it be by life or by death.” So it was that the Lord used her to call others to “come to Him, learning to know Him better till He [would be] King over their lives,” so that He could “manifest Himself the way He has appointed for these last days.” For that victory she most earnestly prayed and valiantly fought.
Others have been path blazers in the opening up of such truths as justification by faith, sanctification, divine healing, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, while Martha Wing Robinson was a path blazer in the field of God’s complete possession of one’s body, soul, and spirit. Not to her was given the privilege to see that victory generally manifested, but she led the vanguard in the fight for the establishment of it. And when the call came for her to lay down her armor, she did so with the full assurance that she had fought a good fight and that the victory was sure.
‘God doesn’t always lead the way we expect,” Martha Wing Robinson said to Mrs. A. W. Naylor not long before her Homegoing. “He does lead according to His own mighty plans and takes us His own mighty way. And, after all, Naylor, NOTHING MATTERS BUT CHRIST JESUS.”
“MY BELOVED IS MINE, AND I AM HIS”
E’en like two little bank-dividing brooks,
That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams,
And having rang’d and search’d a thousand nooks,
Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames,
Where in a greater current they conjoin:
So I my best Beloved’s am; so He is mine.
E’en so we met; and after long pursuit,
E’en so we join’d; we both became entire:
No need for either to renew a suit,
For I was flax, and He was flames of fire.
Our firm united souls did more than twine:
So I my best Beloved’s am: so He is mine.
Nor time, nor place, nor chance, nor death, can bow
My least desires unto the least remove:
He’s firmly mine by oath: I His by vow:
He’s mine by faith: and I am His by love:
He’s mine by water: I am His by wine;
Thus I my best Beloved’s am: thus He is mine.
He is my altar; I His holy place:
I am His guest; and He my living food:
I’m His by penitence: He mine by grace:
I’m His by purchase; He is mine by blood:
He’s my supporting helm; and I His vine:
Thus I my best Beloved’s am; thus He is mine.
He gives me wealth; I give Him all my vows:
I give Him songs; He gives me length of days:
With wreaths of grace He crowns my conqu’ ring brows:
And I His temples with a crown of praise,
Which He accepts; as everlasting sign
That I my best Beloved’s am; that He is mine.
—Francis Quarles
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Martha Wing Robinson (1874 - 1936)
Martha held meetings which touched people to return to the work of the service of God. The Robinsons opened a "Faith Home" where people would come for teaching and prayer. Like George Muller they depended on God to provide what was needed for expenses. Thousands came through her home and healings were a regular occurrence. Her husband died in April of 1916, but Martha continued in her ministry. She had a very sharp gift of discernment and regularly told people the secrets of their hearts. She often had directive prophetic words for those under her care. Many young people came to the home for training and went into the mission fields and evangelistic endeavours.Martha Wing Robinson died June 26, 1936. Shortly before she died she stated her life's message "Nothing matters but Christ Jesus." Her whole life was spent in the service of God and for the Glory of His Son Jesus. She had seen many healed, saved, delivered, empowered and sent out. She was truly a mother in Israel. In 1962 Gordon P. Gardiner wrote a book about her life called "Radiant Glory" because that is how she lived her life.