BROOKLYN, N.Y., OCTOBER 6TH, 1941
BROOKLYN, N.Y., OCTOBER 6TH, 1941
Mr. Percy Hardwick.
Beloved Brother, — Your letter of July 2nd has remained unanswered longer than anticipated but I was away to the West Coast on a trip covering seven weeks and this has interfered with my correspondence.
Your letter was much appreciated not only by ourselves but by many others in America and Canada who are always [p. 242] interested in an account from Great Britain. The prayerful sympathy manifested in you all by the brethren is quite touching. I feel assured that God has taken account of all this and has shown His hand during the current year in favour of the brethren in Great Britain. The respite which you have had from air attacks has been a source of constant thanksgiving. Recent revival of attacks cause concern but it is an open question whether they can be continued. I have constant assurances that God is acting in favour of His people in Great Britain, and generally that He is restricting the machine built for destruction so elaborately. His ways are in the seas and His paths in great waters, and He has an end in view beyond our comprehension. Thus patience is required and the good end of our God will gradually come into view. What has impressed one of late is that He is taking advantage of the present emergency to bring to light what He has on earth at the present time.
I thank you for your interest in the visit to New Zealand, which I had purposed, and I am confirmed that it was right to cancel or postpone it. The dear brethren in Auckland have put the matter on the basis of postponement and are hoping during the coming year that God might make the way to hold these meetings. I am doubtful, however, that the way will be open unless the war stops, as the meetings could not take on the character primarily intended; all this, however, will be made plain. My desire would be to visit Great Britain as soon as quiet prevails. Our visits to north-west Canada and western United States were most cheering. I am much impressed by the way God is bringing younger men forward to serve in the truth. We began with the Chicago district, then to St. James and Winnipeg, then to Regina, Maple Creek, Calgary, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria. The meetings in Vancouver were especially interesting and profitable. They lasted three days; besides addresses, we had five readings in Job. Attendance was quite good with a good interest throughout. After visiting Victoria we re-entered the United States and visited Seattle, Berkeley, Oakland, and then Los Angeles. On our way east we visited Gothenburg, Detroit, and Rochester. We met your dear father at Gothenburg and had a pleasant half-day with him and the brethren there. Your father was on the way to Berkeley to see your uncle there, who is ill, as you know. Your uncle has made great improvement but is obliged to remain in the house, his strength not being enough [p. 243] to enable him to attend the meetings and the like. His son Harland is a very promising brother and his wife is evidently going on in the truth also. I was impressed with the work of God on the Pacific Coast of the United States especially in Berkeley, Oakland, and Los Angeles. There is an item of considerable difficulty pending in Los Angeles but the Lord has made the position clear and I trust the brethren will have grace given them to deal with the brother in question according to the light furnished. San Francisco is very weak: the meeting is small and the material somewhat poor. There was a disposition to cease breaking bread on account of general weakness but I hear lately that they have decided with the Lord’s help to go forward.
I am thankful for your reference to readings in New York City. They seem to be enjoyed generally and regarded as helpful. I note your reference to Psalm 22 and shall refer to it later in this letter. We are now approaching another series of readings, the first due to take place October 7th, Tuesday. The subject is not yet decided upon but the connections of wells or springs with the assembly has been spoken of and is likely to be adopted. The Lord is helping generally in America although the conflict with the enemy is constant, especially in connection with looseness as seen in the use of radios, also as to mixed marriages and trade unionism. Your dear father has been of help generally. He returned here from South America in August and there has been much encouragement through him in these parts since that time. He is now in the west, as already mentioned, and expects to return via Canada.
AEM has been ministering acceptably in these parts and was helped at the special meetings at Detroit in the beginning of September. He is expected at special meetings in Toronto next weekend and at Council Bluffs at the end of the month. After my long trip west including Canada, I have felt unequal to these meetings this month. I hope, however, to attend special meetings at Indianapolis and then in December at Chicago. Our son Jim has been helped in taking special meetings and is invited to take special meetings in Los Angeles at the end of the year. Several others of the younger men are being used of God in this respect, especially Stanley McCallum, Detroit, J. W. Devenish, London, Ontario, A. Robertson, of this city, A. B. Parker, of this city; also L. E. Samuels of Winnipeg; and Dave Robertson of Vancouver. Of the older men J. Dean [p. 244] is appreciated, also A. N. Walker, C. A. Markham and C. H. Howell.
As regards Psalm 22: 21, I believe the remarks in the Notes you refer to are in accord with the truth. I give you the facts as I have them:
Septuagint version, “and regard my lowliness from the horns of the unicorns”.
Hebrews, Ariah, meaning, ‘to answer’, ‘respond’. Translated “heard” in A.V. many times.
AVR “Yea, from the horns of the wild oxen hast thou answered me”. Ellicott’s Commentary, ‘From the horns of the buffaloes hear me, i.e., hear me calling for help from the horns’. Alternative, ‘from the horns of the buffaloes save me, poor and humble as I am’.
J.N.D., Synopsis, Volume 2, ‘He is heard from the horns of the unicorns ... . He had secured the glory of God, had glorified Him when He could not be heard, and was heard and it was finished’. Collected Writings, Volume 17, page 65, ‘He has been heard from the horns of the unicorns, transpierced by the power of death, God’s judgment against sin being executed and passed’.
Note to Numbers 23: 22 doubtful. J.N.D. connects “strength of an unicorn” with Israel. It would seem that “answered” in Psalm 22: 21 implies that the Lord was heard ‘from’ . The context would confirm that the holy Sufferer was answered by being taken by the power of God from adverse conditions.
My wife joins in love in Christ to Mrs. Hardwick, yourself, your children and to all the brethren.
Affectionately in Him,
James Taylor.