ON BOARD R.M.S. BALTIC, OCTOBER 20TH, 1910

^[p. 95] ON BOARD R.M.S. BALTIC, OCTOBER 20TH, 1910

Mr. C. A. Coates.

Beloved Brother, — Miss Elwood mentioned that you had made enquiry as to my view of Hebrews 2: 12, and I think it well to send a line. It seems to me that to arrive at the truth we ought to seek to determine what the Lord had in His mind when He uttered these words. Did He take account of the assembly only in the light of God’s purpose or did He also include in His mind her wilderness circumstances? My conviction is that the latter was not in the Lord’s thought: that He contemplated the saints as gathered around Him, consequent on His death and resurrection, and so viewed outside of wilderness conditions. To apprehend the thing in a concrete way I think we have to go back to original conditions — we have to do this indeed to rightly understand any church truth. And I would say that when the saints came together in assembly, the Lord came to them and this was realised. The Spirit does not record or give examples of the inward working of the assembly, viewed in this exalted position, after Pentecost. I think it is left to intelligent affection to find out. The scene after the Supper, when they sang a hymn, is the closest analogy, as to singing, but this was before death and resurrection. They were then on Jewish ground, afterwards the disciples would be regarded as His brethren before the Father — now made known. But as to Hebrews 2, it is well to remember that it is not the unfolding of church truth, but to show the humanity of our Lord; therefore it is not a question of when He sings, but that He sings in the midst of the church. It is a characteristic function, as also the declaring of the Father’s name to His brethren. It seems clear that the primary thought of the church is that those who form it should be together and its distinctive privileges are thus enjoyed. This shall be true eternally — “caught up together”. Much may be said of the wilderness, as involving God’s ways, but it is incidental. But our wilderness position cannot be ignored, and I am sure it is not right to apply to us in it what Scripture connects with us only as viewed in the land.

I trust, dear brother, your health is much improved and that you find much cheer in serving Christ and His people.

Affectionately yours in Christ,

James Taylor.