BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 23RD, 1939
BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 23RD, 1939
Miss M. Lyon.
My Dear Miss Lyon, — Since hearing of your illness my wife and I have looked much to the Lord about you. The brethren in this district, too, who know of your affliction, join with us in prayer to God on your behalf. We hear of you also from many quarters in Great Britain, all expressing sympathy. All this indicates the place you have in the hearts of the Lord’s people, and, normally, the place we have in their hearts indicates the place we have in His heart.
Of course, all His own are loved by the Lord; but there are special ones — such as are loveable, because of similarity to Himself in spirit, ways and works. The three at Bethany were of these, and so are the two at 164 Haverstock Hill.
You are one of these latter and the Lord is thinking of you and calculating in regard of you — concerned that you should be for Him in your changed circumstances — those of severe suffering — what you were when in health and strength you served Him and His people in good works. These works are now necessarily restricted, but the love in which they were exercised is not restricted; and this in its outgoings to Him and His own renders you to Him peculiarly attractive. You are answering to His mind in your altered circumstances: they are formative, and He will spare nothing needed in them to conform you to His image. This process is of immense import, and the Lord in His priestly skill and grace will support you — in spite of the great pressure upon you — in spirit, soul and body until Hs great end is attained. With those of us all, your body is to be transformed into conformity to His body of glory, and hence the urgent necessity that the moral transformation should proceed now. “Our momentary and light affliction works for us in surpassing measure an eternal weight of glory”.
Our hearts and prayers are with you, dear Miss Lyon, in [p. 146] your great affliction, but we are comforted in the assurance that you are aware that He, whose you are, and who has all power, is doing His best for you, and hence that you are restful: that your soul is consciously set on your Rock, sensibly brought by Him into “a large place”. David in his song and psalm (2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18) speaks much of God as “my Rock”.
My wife unites in warm love in Christ to you, also to your brother, and all our families would join.
Affectionately in Him,
James Taylor.