WHEN MRS. ROBINSON wrote the foregoing account, she and her husband had been residing in the home of Elder and Mrs. Brooks for about a month. Early in September, Mrs. Brooks and her two children had gone to the home of friends on Georgian Bay so that she might have an opportunity to recuperate from a severe illness. After her departure, the Robinsons went to keep house for Elder Brooks. At the end of three weeks, Elder Brooks joined his wife, and the Robinsons were left alone in the house.
So it was that they had a blessed opportunity to wait on the Lord uninterruptedly. Mr. Robinson often attended the meetings at the East End Mission, which was about nine miles away at the opposite end of the city, but Mrs. Robinson remained at home as much as possible, waiting upon God. This secluded spot at 31 Ritchie Avenue, at the extreme western end of the city, had been prepared of the Lord, as it were, as a place where He could answer Mrs. Robinson’s prayer and accomplish His victories in her spirit, soul, and body at this time.
After telling the lessons learned in their faith life, Mrs. Robinson went on to give a little summary of her recent spiritual experiences.
“Saturday night, Oct. 5, Harry and I were both led out to talk together of a project that has been forming in our minds unknown to each other, about some literary work, but we have put it in God’s hands to lead us on if it is really of Him.
“Last Friday evening [October 4], spent evening in prayer and received a blessing. Jesus came very near to me. I have been longing and seeking for a fuller manifestation of His Presence. I do still. I praise God for what was granted to me and stayed with me since then; but I am waiting for a still deeper manifestation.
“O Lord Jesus, come quickly; reveal Thyself more fully; I long for Thee. The world has dropped away from me. Jesus is the fairest of ten thousand to my soul, the One altogether lovely. Yet He shows Himself at the lattice, and then is gone. 0O my Beloved, come in unto me.
“I at same time have been having a battle physically. Truly the test has been all the way round. However, I realize it is sheer unbelief keeping my body weak. I am not strong to walk or do physical hard work. And last week was unusually handicapped. Felt myself running down all week and Friday was ill. Seemed as if I might be going to have pleurisy. But the spiritual blessing I received Friday eve brought me so in touch with Jesus I took hold—touched His garment for deliverance—and praise God, He gave it, altho’ a cold still lingers—purely because of lack of faith for immediate and perfect deliverance. 0 God, increase my faith. Restore to me the simple, strong faith I used to have in Jesus, my Healer.
“I feel I would have had blessing in recording some of God’s dealings with us lately, but time has so flown. One day of much blessing was at Mrs. B—’s, where we tarried. There God gave me a new thought. But before this Mr. A— preached a sermon at Craig Mission on our reckoning ourselves dead—crucified with Christ at His crucifixion. This was a help to me.
“At Mrs. B—’s there was a discussion going on as to crucifying ourselves. It became so wordy and theoretical I was led to say, ‘But if we give too much time to thinking about crucifying ourselves, and are always pruning ourselves, will we not develop just another part of the self-life? Are we not rather to forget self and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and go forward in Him?’
“The one speaking said, ‘But we are told to deny ourselves.’
“‘Yes, but what is it to deny ourselves?’ spoke up an English lady. ‘How did Peter deny the Lord? He said, “I know not the man.”’ How God illuminated those few words to me. It has brought me into a deeper and sweeter experience.
“October 25. Friday again, and I am alone with God. That reminds me, I was baptized on Friday; and on this afternoon, since I have been alone, my baptism, so far as tongues are concerned, has been almost repeated. A spirit of prayer came over me that I might interpret. Immediately I began ‘chattering’ as one does getting the baptism, or rather getting the tongues. . . . I can’t but believe it is connected with my prayer, for it is like when one [is] getting a new language. Perhaps it is more abandonment I need.
“I intended going out today but am having such a good time with the Lord, will stay at home. Meant to go down and pay part of the rent. The Lord has again richly provided for us, and we are able to help the Brookses a little in return for their kindness. Certainly we do have a marvelous experience all the time.
“If we could feel perfectly satisfied, we are just where God wants us, all would be well. But we are in such a still place. Yet it is the seed down in the dark just now—fallen into the ground that it may die, I believe. Certainly God makes me to see how well He can get along without me in His management of the universe. Yet lest we should get altogether discouraged, He gives us some results.
“Have had a hard battle physically. Seemed to have such a weakness of right limb that I couldn’t walk at all. Have prayed much for healing. But at last I put it before the Lord and laid the responsibility on Him. I live one day at a time. Each day is His. It is His work to supply me with strength for that day’s duties. I step out in Him. If occasion comes to take a long walk, I take it; and marvelous has been the change since I go that way. Yet the weakness in my limb seems to remain. Even around the house I feel it. But I launch myself out in Him, and He supplies the strength.
“At this point, I remembered that Aunt Mattie might go with me to Mr. A—’s meeting this afternoon if I called on her. So I left writing and went, only to find her busy at work. I then went on car down to S—’s where Harry was. All the way down, the power of the Spirit was upon me; and when I got there, I could not understand why I came out. As I talked with them, they seemed miles away. I was somewhere up in the Heavenlies. I felt so strongly this way, Mrs. S— sent me to parlor, and I went to prayer alone.”
As Mrs. Robinson waited upon the Lord, she received “three new tongues during the course of the afternoon.” In the midst of this, she became aware that the Holy Spirit was also speaking through her in English. As she abandoned herself to the Lord, she noticed that she “was saying the English word, ‘Pay.’
“Immediately it flashed over me about the rent not yet paid. We had seven dollars but, because of other needs, planned to pay four dollars, but God spoke to me in [the] Spirit in morning and said we should pay five dollars, but I hesitated over it and compromised by saying, if Harry felt that way, it would be all right.
“I kept on in the afternoon saying, ‘Pay, pay.’
“‘Yes, Lord,’ I answered, ‘What shall I pay?’ I expected the completion of the word, ‘Pay rent.’ I received nothing more in English for some time. Then I began to make ‘m’ sounds and presently said plainly, ‘Money. Pay My money. A little after, ‘Pay My money to,’ and still later, as I prayed, ‘Pay My money to Brooks.’
“I had a wonderful experience during all this. The minute I began to get a sound, my imagination [would] run in ahead, and so the word would not be completed. And the Holy Spirit dealt with me as a foolish child. I have seen people try to put bits in horses’ mouths and wait until it wasn’t noticing and then slip it in suddenly. And so were these English words slipped in. I would be talking in tongues—new ones— so that I was very interested, and when I had momentarily forgotten the English message, in would slip the English.
“After getting [the] complete sentence, ‘Pay My money to Brooks,’ I came under [the] conviction that I was holding back what God had given for them, and I promised the whole five dollars.
“Then the Lord began to say through me, ‘Two dollars. Two dollars.’ This was very hard to understand, and I had to give it up and wait for God to make it clear.
“But this morning [Saturday, October 26], Harry and I received two dollars in a letter. At once I knew that also was for Brooks; and a moment’s thought convinced me the whole eight dollars we have in hand—or rather nine, but eight is due on rent—must go for rent. I prayed Harry would see it, too, and presently it flashed over him….By paying the eight dollars on rent, we have one dollar which we owe for milk and some change. So it is interesting to see what the Lord will do next.
“October 26. We have lately been meeting with the L— family Saturday nights—just Harry and I, and having a season of prayer. Since the night I talked in tongues at tea table, they have been earnestly seeking baptism of Spirit—whole family.... In [the] forenoon, Harry went over to see if we were expected. . .. We went over to Mr. L—’s and in evening we went to prayer. Very soon I began to ‘chatter’ in tongues. Mr. L— began to pray earnestly that I would get [the] interpretation, saying, ‘There may be a message for me, Lord.’
“At once the syllables became more pronounced, and I said in a short time, ‘Get low down, whole heart,’ several times. After a time I said, ‘Haughty,’ repeatedly, and, ‘Nine.~
“Later Mr. L— said (as I knew in my spirit it was) that the message was to him and that nine years ago he had received a similar message—that he was haughty and must humble himself with his whole heart.”
Thus the secrets of Mr. L—’s heart were “made manifest”, and he could not but be convinced of Mrs. Robinson’s ministry and report that God was in her “of a truth” (I Cor. 14:25).
This is the first recorded instance of Mrs. Robinson’s having had an experience like this—in which she gave a message under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to another person in English, by which the Spirit of God “made manifest” the secrets of a heart and brought to light things long hidden, things unknown to her, but well known to the hearer, and thereby made that individual know that the word spoken was not the word of a woman but, as it was in truth, the word of God. This gift was subsequently developed and brought into full perfection. Many are the people who were both convinced of the genuineness of her ministry in this way and received great help when they acted upon the reproof or admonition given as a result of such knowledge.
The day after this new experience, Sunday, October 27, Mrs. Robinson goes on to record:
“We spent the whole day at East End. Wonderful meetings all day. Power of God on me all day. In fact, have been living under a ‘shower’ for two or three days. Afternoon meeting was followed by a powerful seeking meeting, upon which the Spirit of God fell over whole house. Mr. Campbell got his baptism. Several were prostrated. Many weeping. It continued straight through until evening meeting.
“In evening Mrs. Hebden had one of her wonderful times. Interpreted everything she said, first time. She gave, or rather God gave through her, a powerful message to sinners, a warning. Then God pressed me to make the altar call. Many came to altar. Conviction was over house. After a long time of praying, pleading, singing, Mrs. Hebden said again, or rather the Spirit said in tongues and interpretation, ‘The meeting is past. The opportunity wasted. Farewell, sinner, farewell. Doomed, doomed, doomed.’ It was very solemn and awe-inspiring and terrible.
“Monday, October 28. The next thing the Lord did financially was to give us one dollar about two hours after paying rent [Saturday]. Next was fifty cents, next day. And next was ten dollars, today. What a wonderful Father.
“Tonight, we intended to go to East End, but Harry was tired and had a cold, and I felt little inclination to go. [As] I prayed about it, ... I said, ‘O Lord, how blessed it would be to ask You and just have You tell me.’.. . Then I began to say, ‘No, no,’ . . . I got up and went into another room and began to pray earnestly, for I do not want any delusion to get hold of me; and I spoke again, over and over, ‘Don’t go.’ Still I prayed and pled to be kept from error. I asked for a repetition, but instead I spoke the words, ‘Didn’t I tell?’ but finished question in tongues. This occurred several times.
“O my Lord and God, if Thou art going to put within me such a privilege, the right to have the Holy Spirit Himself give me direction, how marvelous, how wonderful it will be! Oh, keep me down, make me humble, keep me steady arid wise and patient. Let no flesh get in. Have Thy way, Lord, have Thy way....
“I thought Harry was going to bed early, and I was going to be alone with the Lord, but he did not until after ten, and I was feeling a little disappointed at not having my time with God; and the devil came to chafe me and make me feel as if I were guilty and ought to sit up. I wrapped myself up—only warm room is kitchen—and went to parlor and prayed and asked if I should sit up. Suddenly the answer came in English, in an indulgent tone as if to a foolish child, ‘Go to bed.’ Needless to say, I went.
“For months I have been praying for wisdom—the knowledge of God’s will—ability to know when He speaks to me. just before this new experience came to me, I was much before Him that He should enable me to know His will. But I have had such discouragements I could not understand.
But this would be a most wonderful way if He could trust me, and if it is His way of speaking to me.
“I have not recorded about our little Roman Catholic woman. A few days ago—a week or two—Harry and I took tea with Mrs. H-. She had a roomer, a young Mrs. L-, there. After supper we all had prayer, and Mrs. L- got under conviction. She cried and finally prayed long and earnestly, first in French, then softly in English, and then openly and boldly. Now she is coming right along to meetings, her husband with her. I had a talk with him last night. It is horrible the darkness the Roman Catholics are in.
“Tuesday, October 29. We washed and I worked quite hard all day. After a rest I planned to go to East End to workers’ meeting. This evening the Spirit said to me repeatedly, ‘Do go.’ I went to parlor for a little time alone with the Lord, and [was] there for an hour, which I thought was about twenty minutes.... I sang in tongues, also in English, ‘I love to do Thy will, O God.’ (This was the refrain.)
“October 30. Strange experiences multiply. . . . Last night I asked God what I should do today. He has been pressing me to work among girls in factory where Mrs. L- works. Mrs. L— told me to call at eleven and ask for Mr. A—. The two proprietors are Mr. Br- and Mr. A-. But last night when I asked God about today, at once came this message, ‘Go down town to factory at ten tomorrow.’ I then asked whom to ask for and was told to ask for Mr. Br-. This morning a card came from Mrs. Bi-’s asking me to go up to her place today at ten. I prayed and answer came quickly, ‘Go to factory by ten, then to Mrs. Bi-’s. I did this. Mr. Br- was kind and gave me permission.
“I then went to Mrs. Bi-’s. Mrs. H-, who has tumor, was there. I went under power of Spirit and talked much in tongues and gave a message to Mrs. H-, ‘Be patient. This is for Mrs. H-. Be patient. Don’t be patient with the devil. O, no, no, no, be patient.”’
In the midst of this new and strange experience, Mrs. Robinson questioned and hesitated, for things happened she could not understand at the time: “If God is speaking through me, I do not want any unbelief to stand in the way of His full work. On the other hand, God forbid the flesh should do anything, that any of my thoughts would intrude, and oh, that even one word of mine should be given as a message from God. O God, my God, deliver me from all that is not of Thee.”
With the record of this day’s events Mrs. Robinson stopped making any entries in her journal. Right at the most interesting, the most exciting, the most important time in her whole life and experience! Perhaps new experiences multiplied too rapidly for her even to record them. And perhaps the Lord did not desire her to do so, for they were too sacred and personal. Furthermore, even in her journal entries there is evidence of the truth of her own statement that she had it in her “nature to hold an absolute reserve of private experiences.” Therefore, the happenings of what in some respects at least was the most important month of her life, November, 1907, must be gathered from the brief references she made to them in letters, in sermons, in conversations with her most intimate associates, and by the outstanding change in her personal life and public ministry after the experiences of this month—a transformation which was recognized by all who knew her before and after these events.
For almost nine months now Mrs. Robinson had been praying, “Jesus, I must know Thee. I do want to know Thee.” Later she stated, “I cried out to God to let me get to the place where I should never, never have to do anything my way. I just said to God, ‘I would like to be perfectly “dead.” I just wish that there were no Mrs. Robinson at all. Oh, I would just like to be where the Lord would take me and change me until there was not one thing left like the old Mrs. Robinson. O Jesus, I wish that You would just come and I would just move out. I would just like . . . the Holy Ghost to take possession of my body.”’
The time was now at hand for God to answer this great cry of His seeking child. For her encouragement, perhaps also to spur her on for the final lap of this race, the Lord Himself gave her this message with its command and promise, probably on October 30th:
“Pray, My own daughter. The Lord will come to thee in all the fullness thou dost desire.
“Pray, My own, for the Lord will come to thee as thou dost desire, My daughter, in fullness of joy.”
After receiving this word from the Lord, Martha Wing Robinson’s praying became intensified manifold. In the following days and weeks she “agonized before God, and wept, and called upon God” as never before. How she longed to be utterly gone” and to have Christ Himself to live out His very own life within her!
At length, probably about the time of her thirty-third birthday, November 14, the Spirit of God came upon her, helping her infirmities. Now He Himself interceded through her with a petition of just three words: “Let me die.” Like the tick-tock of a great grandfather clock, so it seemed to her, this simple prayer ascended unceasingly from her heart to the throne of God for three days and nights.
On the evening of the third day Mr. Robinson decided to go to the East End Mission to hear a minister from England. After he had left, Mrs. Robinson prepared to settle down for another evening of prayer. The only comfortable room was the kitchen, heated by an old-fashioned coal stove. Therefore, before its opened oven door she placed a chair beside which she knelt.
Suddenly the prayer in her soul stopped! There was not a sound in her soul! Her whole being was enveloped in the great silence of God!
The fact was that, to change the figure, God’s hour had struck to answer her prayer and to come to her “in all the fullness” she had desired. She had “prayed through . . . believed through... obeyed through... loved through.” Inasmuch as she was “all obedience,” Jesus could reveal Himself to her and fulfill His presence in her very body and reign there as King.
The complete details of what followed on this memorable night are known to God alone. Even if they were available, it would not be lawful to utter them, much less to publish them. During those holy hours, however, as Mrs. Robinson was held in the mighty presence of God, the Lord Jesus Christ came to her and performed the miracle whereby she was set out of herself and into Himself. As for Mrs. Robinson, so oblivious was she of herself and so conscious only of Christ that at the time she did not fully realize what was happening to her. She knew only that He had come in to make His abode with her.
“I heard the Lord say something to me, which came in a simple way across my lips,” she later recalled, “and I never noticed He used my own lips. I was astonished that the Lord spoke out to me in words.” Suddenly Mrs. Robinson exclaimed, “Jesus, You are here, but where am I?”
Later Mrs. Robinson was to grasp the significance and extent of what had taken place during this blessed time. She had indeed “passed over into a change which was not like anything we had ever heard of. It included everything from head to foot. In a moment we were gone and a greater One was there. Entire spirit, soul, and body were in a new and divine control. We walked out of the natural into the spiritual in the body as well as in the soul.” Included in this change was the deliverance from those ills and infirmities which had harassed and hindered her during the previous three years.
It was indeed a new Mrs. Robinson to whom her husband came home to that night. She did not need to tell him about it; in fact, there was little she could tell him under the circumstances. Her new experience soon spoke for itself, for it could not but be obvious that Christ was mightily present in her so that even her bodily movements, as she performed her various household tasks, were controlled and directed by the One who was dwelling within her.
As for her feelings in the weeks which immediately ensued, Mrs. Robinson described them in these words: “We felt that we had died and Christ had come to dwell where we had been. We knew only God and were hidden away in God in such a tremendous mystery—the very presence of God came upon us, and we were just bowed before God in that wonderful experience. I felt my God had moved in and, as it were, had eliminated me. My mind did not seem to work at all — my spirit [seemed] off in heaven. It seemed that Christ was just borrowing, as it were, my body. Christ was living in me, and yet I did not seem to live at all. It was more wonderful than anything I had ever dreamed of. I would say it was just Himself.”
Now the Lord explained to her just what had happened to her that momentous night as “the mystery of the indwelling Christ.” “We found out it was a taste of something God is going to do in the last days.”
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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.