BROOKLYN, N.Y., MARCH 4TH, 1948
BROOKLYN, N.Y., MARCH 4TH, 1948
Mr. Alfred J. Gardiner.
Beloved Brother, — I regret I have been delayed in answering your letter of February 13th, but I had not arrived in this country till the middle of last month, and then I had to come on into New York before your letter came into my hands.
I am thankful you are on the way to South Africa and I quite believe your ministry will be blessed of the Lord to the dear brethren in that country.
I find considerable encouragement in America since our arrival at San Francisco. I remained in the West Coast for a short time as the Lord had taken my brother, who lived in Los Angeles, to Himself, and I had the great advantage of being present in Los Angeles in time to have part in his burial. He was eighty-six years when the Lord took him, and there was a sense of support throughout at the burial.
As regards the subject of your letter, which refers to the Holy Spirit as spoken of at a reading in Newcastle, N.S.W., whether speaking to Him or singing to Him directly has part in the service of God. What is to be thought of at first is what is presented in Scripture on this great matter, and I believe your remarks in your letter, implying that inaudibility is intended, but rather that it should be a matter of spiritual impressions or enjoyment of ‘communion between the Spirit and ourselves’, are, I am sure, not sustained by what Scripture actually says, and this does not only refer to Numbers 21, but to several other passages. Numbers 21: 16, however,
[p. 400] directly refers to the Spirit typically, and this cannot be met properly by what you said on the point, as quoted above from your letter. Besides Numbers 21 there are such scriptures as were mentioned in the Notes at Newcastle, as Ezekiel 37: 9. The prophet is directed to “say to the wind”, etc., which word typically means the Spirit, indeed the word “breath” is used. The reference in the Notes to Genesis 24 is also important. I need not quote, but Abraham’s servant is addressed by Rebecca, and undoubtedly he is a type of the Spirit. What the Lord says in John 10 is most important on this matter, for the Lord says, “the scripture cannot be broken”.