PREFACE Sister Jane Roberts was the wife of brother Robert Roberts for 39 years, from April the 8th, 1859 to her husband's death in San Francisco in 1898. She was eight years older than brother Roberts which no doubt aided her in that mature spirituality which the young Scottish brother was so eager to find in a companion. Robert Roberts came down from Aberdeen in 1857 to the larger and more sophisticated city of Edinburgh, accompanying a brother Barker who had been appointed by the Aberdeen ecclesia as a delegate to an annual gathering of brethren in Scotland. The first acquaintance was one-sided, but it is of interest to relate as it reflects the minds of both Jane Norrie and Robert Roberts even at this early stage. A proposal had been mooted to publish some articles from Dr. Thomas' "Herald" in a tract form. Strangely there was some strong opposition to this, mainly expressed on the basis that the proposal breached Bro. Thomas' copyright! When all had voiced their opinions and no little confusion had resulted, the young teenager from Aberdeen timorously dared to speak (Shades of Elihu in Job 32:6- 12)! Sensibly he proposed that brother Thomas be asked himself if he had any objection, though noting that he scarcely could imagine that the Doctor would object to anything that would extend the knowledge of the Truth! Of this intriguing incident Bro. Roberts later comments:
Bro. Roberts visited Edinburgh twice more before they met, but it is obvious from the above that these two remarkable people had their hearts fixed with a common goal. It has often been commented that Robert Roberts revealed astonishing interest in Divine matters at an early age and a soundness of judgment well beyond his years. These qualities were never more significantly illustrated than in his choice of a companion for this life. He found the girls of his own age 'frivolous', and they on their part found him too taken up with the business of his Heavenly Father. When Jane Norrie came into his life he found remarkable and joyous companionship.
These words were written by brother Roberts in 1890, after 31 years of married life. He could clearly remember their acquaintance blossoming rapidly to "the tenderest relation". Here were two younger people properly prepared for marriage in the Lord in which the emotions though profoundly stirred, were subject to and beautified by the eternal truths that were the inspiration of both their lives. It is not surprising that brother Roberts should further write of the abounding success of this marriage:
Acquaintance with the life and work of Robert Roberts impresses us with the enormous vigour and volume of work that were seen in just one human life. And throughout all that a devoted sister kept up with him, positively stimulating his faith, revelling in his spiritual studies and cogitations, supporting him through the waves of ecclesial strife that swept across his path and succouring him in all the practicalities of this life. At the end of his life, Jane Norrie's husband would say very touchingly, "Although I have been married for 40 years I still have a sweetheart in my wife". - (Robert Roberts, p. 170) These quotations reveal the depth of mind of sister Jane Roberts. She was a true companion to her husband, a "help-meet" indeed! After his decease she continued to play an active and valued role in the Birmingham Ecclesia. Her devout way of life, exhaustive knowledge and warmth of practical love complemented a rich character in Christ. Much of brother Roberts' mind lived on in her and her counsel was sought by many. It was very common for candidates for baptism to be "taken through" under her thorough and competent guidance. The articles republished in this booklet constitute the quintessence of Sis. Jane Roberts' mind. It is felt that they have much to offer our sisters and young girls in assessing, in this so very different and ungodly age, the way of a woman of God. The reader will be impressed with her great attention to the Word of God; she literally embibed it seriously every day as the well- spring of her life. What a rich lesson lies in this for our sisters in this age of many attractions and vast propaganda through the various forms of media. Then the reader will be equally struck by her application of the Word in all the present chores of domestic life. Sister Roberts died in October 1919, surviving her husband by twenty one years and arriving at the "good old age" of 90, a mother in Israel and a great influence for good in the Brotherhood. Fourteen years before she had written to Bro. C.C. Walker, who succeeded her husband as Editor of "The Christadelphian", to outline some thoughts for "when I die" and her letter, published in the November 1919 "Christadelphian", is here reproduced:
Her requests were at the appropriate time fulfilled and two to three hundred brethren met at Witton where Sister Jane Roberts was laid to rest alongside the aged mother of her beloved husband, who had died 19 years before in her 93rd year. (Bro. Roberts was buried in Brooklyn, New York, near to the grave of Bro. Thomas). Amongst many letters of respect and affection for the life and ways of Sis. Roberts, the following one written to her daughter from Bro. A.T. Jannaway is chosen as a final summary.
The Study Service Committee are thankful to have the opportunity of publishing these writings of our esteemed Sister of old on the one hundredth anniversary of her first address to the young sisters of the Birmingham Ecclesia. The two addresses were delivered in December 1881 and January 1883 and published in serial form in "The Christadelphian" for 1882 and 1883 respectively. We express our thanks to the present Editor of the Christadelphian, Bro. Alfred Nicholls, for his willingness to see the work go ahead and trust, as he expressed it, that many will be helped by this publication.
The Committee, December, 1981. Christadelphian Scripture Study Service, |
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