TO THE FEMALE DISCIPLES IN THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE.
By B. F. Robbins
You will pardon my special address to you when I say it is because I have my fears that many of you who I believe are sincerely endeavoring to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, are lacking in that entire heart consecration to God and his cause which he requires of us all; and a want of the experience of the promise of the Father to his sons and daughters of the gift of his Spirit, the endowment of power from on high in order to their usefulness. The promise of the Father was as much to the female as male disciples of Jesus. "And on my servants, and on my hand-maidens, will I pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." Here in the precious promise there is neither male nor female, all are one in Christ Jesus. I know that the most of us have been gathered into the message of the third angel from the sectarian churches where we received our religious training, which we now, in the clear light of God's truth see was defective, both in doctrine and practice; and we are aware that in them the pride, and popularity, and conformity to the world, and worldly fashions tolerated by them, and besides in some of them the prejudice against woman's efforts and labors in the church, have crushed out her usefulness. This kind of training has in many of you caused tim-22idity, and discouragement, and the neglect of the use of gifts designed to edify the church and glorify God. Perhaps many of you feel the embarrassing influence of our former associations; for I believe it is so with some with whom I am acquainted, and to such, scattered abroad, let me speak a few words of encouragement and exhortation. Go with me in imagination to the gathering of the few disciples of Jesus on the day of Pentecost. There with their brethren in humble expectation sat the faithful Marys. They had followed their beloved Master in his sojourn here as the Man of Sorrows, and with unyielding love and unflinching constancy in the dark hour when all forsook him, they stood by amid scenes of ignominy, suffering and terror. They followed the footsteps of those who bore his lifeless form to the tomb, and their loving hearts prompted them to be first at the sepulchre on the morning of his resurrection. Now with their brethren in their assembly they wait the promise of the Father, the endowment of power from on high. And did not the tongue of fire descend alike upon them as upon their brethren? Assuredly it did. And think you that their Spirit-baptized lips were closed in silence in that solemn assembly? No: the servants and the handmaidens prophesied there as the Spirit gave them utterance. I have said there were gifts among you designed of God for the edification of the body of Christ, his church, and for his glory; and I have not misspoken. I shall always remember the fervent spirit of a young sister years ago, my most efficient fellow-laborer in the gospel, whose effectual prayers were my encouragement, and whose labors of love in the congregation were abundantly blessed in gathering fruit unto life eternal. And it is not egotistical if I say here that but a few months ago the testimony of a sister in a public assembly aroused me from a state of despondency and unbelief to humble confidence in God, which I trust has resulted in the consecration of myself, my all, a living, and I trust an ever-consuming sacrifice upon the altar which sanctifies the gift laid upon it. And O how providential that testimony. And that dear disciple will probably never know the influence of that testimony upon poor me until her humble faith is lost in sight, and her hope in eternal fruition. Can I, think you, despise or undervalue woman's gifts for usefulness in the cause of her Master? No: I mourn that in our social religious interviews she is so prone to inactivity and silence, in prayer and exhortation, when by divine grace she may be so abundantly qualified to edify and encourage. My sisters, do you say, I am weak and disqualified, I am doubting and fearful? Be as consecrated and faithful as the loving, blessed Marys. Let the consecration to God of your all be entire. Rest not until your all is in sacrifice laid upon the altar. Rest not until in perfect love you are consciously the Lord's, dead indeed unto sin and the vain show of earth, but alive unto God. Seek unweariedly the endowment of the promise of the Father, the power from on high, which is alike the privilege of both the servants and handmaidens of God. And has the hallowed fire touched your lips? Open them for Jesus, and in testimony everywhere of the truth and faithfulness of our covenant-keeping God. It may be an abundant source of strength to some of his tried ones amid the discouragements of earth. It may be it will lift up the hands that hang down, and strengthen feeble knees. At any rate it will win the commendation of the Master, "She hath done what she could." "O, that each in the day of his coming may say,
I have fought my way through;
I have finished the work thou didst give me to do. "O, that each from his Lord may receive the glad word,
Well and faithfully done!
Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne." Friendship, N. Y., Nov. 24th, 1859.