Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Lt 58a, 1893

Rousseau, Sister

Wellington, New Zealand

July 24, 1893

Previously unpublished.

Dear Sister,

I have been thinking of you, and I want to say a few words to you this morning. I think of you oft, and would feel highly pleased to see you and to converse with you. I had written some lines to you, but was not able to finish it and will not look for it. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 1

I have been so pleased that you and your husband came to this far off country, and I hope you will be strengthened and blessed of the Lord and will realize His restoring power upon your body. I feel so sorry for you when I consider that you are frequently passing through scenes of suffering. You know others cannot appreciate this, but there is One who knows all about it. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 2

Let us unite our petitions as often as possible that Jesus the Mighty Healer will take your case in hand. He will do wonderful things for us if we will come to Him in faith. Let us draw nigh to God who knoweth our every weakness and every suffering and ask Him to make you whole. Will you not come as a helpless suffering child to Him, will you not ask God for Christ’s sake to heal you? Will you not believe that He will do it in accordance with His promise? Reach out to Him the hand of faith. Only believe and ye shall see the salvation of God, and the Lord can do all and more for you than you can ask or even anticipate. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 3

You long for physical strength, you love to work; indolence is not attached to you in any measure, and God knows all this. My heart longs to see you a restored woman. But very few understand what you suffer but Jesus does know, Jesus does pity, Jesus does love you and will hear your prayers. Come to Him with full assurance of faith, tell Him all about it and then grasp the promise, yes, but more firmly the God whose word is pledged. Come, my sister, just as you are with all your infirmities, only believe. We do not ask of God, as He is pleased to have us [ask], those things He is abundantly able to do for us. Look and live. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 4

Will not you and a few others unite together in special seasons of prayer that the Great Physician shall undertake in your behalf? He knows just how to remove your difficulties. Do come to Him with all your heart for health and healing of your infirmities. Press your petitions to His throne perseveringly, and believe it will be done. Jesus loves you; keep the soul in perpetual communion with God. It is a constant satisfaction that you are performing a work for Jesus. Divine wisdom will be given you. His Holy Spirit will pervade your mind as it is drawn out to Jesus. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 5

Whosoever drinketh of this water shall never thirst, it shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. He will make the soul’s jarring conflicts to cease; He will bring every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ. Jesus is all in all to you. A new life will be given you; and every hope become infused with a new life, and every purpose and plan and effort is instinct with power from Jesus Christ. My sister, Jesus knows that you have struggled against great difficulties; you have had much suffering, and I feel impelled to say to you, Have faith in God, for there is relief for you; only believe, only trust. Hang your helpless soul by living faith upon the world’s Redeemer; bodily and mental vigor He can and will bestow. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 6

You may be a great blessing to our youth. You may speak words to them full of hope, tenderness, and love. You may win them to Jesus, and He will give you His grace that you shall be like a tree planted by the living waters which bringeth forth the fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth, shall prosper. Do not for a moment feel that you are, because of feebleness and suffering, useless or nearly so, for it is not the truth. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 7

Ask of Jesus to bless you, and do not fail or be discouraged in continuing to ask. Jesus loves you, and the promise is made to those who ask that they shall receive. O, remember He is faithful that hath promised. Ask, and continue to ask, with persevering earnestness, and as you receive, for you surely will, for faithful is He that hath promised. You can lay your talents and your scholarship and your life at the foot of the cross. By the grace of God you can achieve something worth living for, for heaven’s divine resources are drawn upon by the prayer of faith. Seize upon the large supplies and be enriched by what you diffuse. My sister, my dear sister, will you cultivate faith in God who hath promised? 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 8

I think over and over how much good you may do, and every one connected with the school. There is an atmosphere which surrounds every one, and that atmosphere which is inhaled from heaven will leave a most healthful influence upon the hearts and characters of those with whom you are associated. There will be, and there is in the school obdurate souls. Pray for tact to persuade them; if you cannot have a personal influence over them and touch their hearts, then do not let them go, do not fail nor be discouraged, take them to the Lord in prayer; the poor sinsick souls need a physician. There is a balm in Gilead; there is a Physician there. We have a God whose arm is not shortened that it cannot save, whose ear is not heavy that He cannot hear. The Lord bless you, my dear beloved sister in Jesus Christ. I will stop now, for I go to ride. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 9

September 13

I have been searching for some little items written sometime since, but I find words written that are, I believe, that which you need. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 10

Today I was taken off from my writing to see a young Maori boy sixteen years old. He goes to Melbourne to the school. I wish you would speak a word to him now and then and help him all you can. Please do this for Christ’s sake. I feel a deep interest in the boy; he seems to be intelligent, and to be a Christian. I have offered to see him through school, loaning him money which he will repay again when he comes into possession of his means. We are most desirous to draw in all we possibly can of this race to become educated and trained to return as teachers to their Maori people. Christ died to redeem the entire race, and He will work through human agencies. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 11

The Lord Jesus intended much greater things than our eyes have yet witnessed. Everything has been done that a God could do, that their blood bought souls should not be in our Christian communities and live and die in their sins. We must have more decided, thorough, persevering, evangelizing—well-organized efforts put forth to save these precious souls. Is Satan always to triumph? No, no. God will work, and every human Christian agency must be aroused and consecrated to work with God to co-operate with the heavenly intelligences. Not one must be asleep now, not one must be careless and purposeless. We have something to do and a work which can in no case be neglected. Some are perishing, and we need everyone to be living missionaries for the Master. O, that everyone may have a mind to work. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 12

But why am I writing all this to you? The Lord bless you, my sister, abundantly is my prayer. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 13

Love to your husband and all dear friends. 8LtMs, Lt 58a, 1893, par. 14