ALL THE SAINTS

J. Taylor

The two epistles that specially develop the truth of the mystery, speak of love in those locally addressed, love to all saints. It is well to bear in mind that although there are perhaps only a few who are in the light of the assembly, the many are still to be regarded as of it, you never give them up in your affections. There is at present a great danger of going back to what earlier ministry delivered us from; that is, the setting up of a kind of model of the assembly. We should never relinquish the saints, whatever their state or associations may be; they are of the assembly. We are to hold all the saints in our affections; the Lord never gives them up. You do not know them all, but the Lord knows them, and you are with Him about it. We come together in the light of the assembly, but if we are intelligent we do not assume to be a company based on the model of the assembly.

You hold all the saints in your affections; you regret their absence; there are only certain ones available, and you go on with them; but the others must not be forgotten. It keeps you in the truth of the house, otherwise you are on sectarian lines. If you speak of receiving into fellowship, you are apt to convey the thought of receiving into a company, a company that has an ecclesiastical status. I prefer what was said this morning, someone desires to break bread with us. It is one more available. The attitude of your soul towards all is that they might be with you. Breaking of bread is the expression of fellowship; in that way you keep right in your soul. It is the assembly you are occupied with. You are going on with all that are available, not assuming that you have all, because you have not got all.

(Vol. 10, p.334)