EXTRACTS

God said, “when they shall blow with them, the whole assembly shall gather to thee at the entrance of the tent of meeting”. I wonder if every one here has responded? The trumpet blast has been going forth, and its intention is to gather all the assembly; every redeemed person on the earth is in view in this blast. It is not for a limited few of the assembly. If we sit down to the breaking of bread and some are absent, we miss them; if we love the Lord and if we love them, we feel their absence. The trumpets’ blast has been heard in our hearts, and we have responded, but we may well say in the language of the Lord in Luke 17, “Where are the nine?” Where are the many of those who owe their all to Christ and who have heard the blast but have not responded? The Lord would have all the assembly. It says, “all the assembly shall gather to thee”, that is, to Christ. Moses represents the Lord in His authority. We must recognise that it is the Lord’s supper, and that the Lord necessarily governs the assembly.

Indeed, the whole first letter to the Corinthians emphasises that. If I respond, I must recognise the principles that govern the house of God.

It is as if the Lord would say to us, Now what about your love? Have you come because you love Me? Yes; well, now I will give you a test. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”. We can put that test to the whole assembly. That is the test that is being put forward today, and it is a question whether we are answering to it.

J. Taylor (Vol. 15, p.64)

B.T.F.

Do you take Romans 7 as soul history?

J.T.

Yes. It refers to what goes on within. Chapter 6 adjusts you in regard to what is outside of you, a very difficult problem to solve how a Christian is to conduct himself in the world, in view of the fact that he is converted, has the Spirit of God, and has been baptised.

This chapter has regard to what is inside of one and which is therefore more complex. It is more difficult on account of the contracted area—you have to deal at close quarters.

Rem.

I suppose all of us who have had to do with God have sooner or later experienced something of what we get in this chapter.

J.T.

No one really knows deliverance, as we call it, without this experience. I use the word ‘deliverance’ to refer to what is inside—sin that dwells in man naturally. It becomes a difficult problem for our souls, and unless it is gone through, in some sense, the soul is not really free before God.

J. Taylor (Vol. 77, p.67)

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