QUEEN MARY, AUGUST 6TH, 1938
QUEEN MARY, AUGUST 6TH, 1938
Mr. E. McCrea.
Beloved Brother, — I am glad to have your letter of June 16th. I have been greatly pressed with work and have been unable to answer earlier.
I hardly know what to say about the hymn book. It seems to me to provide a fairly good supply of hymns for all services in the assembly. What is needed, of course, is spiritual intelligence as to how to use the book and, by careful examination, I believe you will find a good few hymns that can be used in relation to the new covenant.
As regards ‘God in the Absolute’ I hardly know what you have in your mind as to hymns to Him as such. As I understand, in our addressing God it should be either as known in [p. 126] the new covenant, as the Father and as God seen for instance, in 1 Corinthians 15: 28. God, as the Creator, of course, should have a place with us.
The above appellations refer to God as made known or related to us, and they cover the scriptural way of presenting Him to us. “To us there is one God, the Father” should steady our minds as to Him. The idea of absoluteness is that He is unrelated to anything in creation. He has to be thought of in this way, but in worshipping Him or serving Him in any way we should learn to hold Him in our minds as He is revealed in Christ. As creatures we are unable to go beyond this.
As regards the brother you refer to — if there is wilful conduct still unjudged it should not be allowed to stand. It should be dealt with in a disciplinary way by the assembly. Each sin or wilful act in anyone in fellowship in a locality should be taken account of by the brethren, so that I do not understand your allusion to iniquity coming to the full. Sin is sin even if it be not fully developed.
You will see that I am on my return journey after visiting England this year. I found great cheer among the brethren. There is steady headway in the truth in Great Britain.
I am thankful to hear of generally encouraging conditions in New Zealand. It has been a joy to meet lately several of our dear brethren of that Dominion.
Under God’s good hand, I hope to see the brethren in Auckland, at least, on my return to Australia at the special meetings in October 1939.
My wife unites in love in Christ to Mrs. McCrea and yourself and to all the brethren.
Affectionately yours in Him,
James Taylor.