John 1:1 - 3, 14, 19 - 37; John 3:25 - 31; John 21:19 - 23; Revelation 22:20

I wish to speak of the Person of Christ, of John's witness and, finally, of the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who spoke the words, "Amen; come, Lord Jesus".

When reading the gospel of John, whatever part we are reading, we should never lose sight of the first three verses, which assert in unequivocal terms the deity of Christ. As we proceed in the gospel we find Him in a subject position, speaking in the perfection of manhood here, and we delight in all that is expressed in Him thus, but we must never leave out of our minds those first three verses. The Person we are contemplating in perfect manhood, in perfect obedience, is there described. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things received being through him". These are amazing statements. He never began to be, He always was; but all things began to be through Him and without Him not one thing began to be which exists. That is a sobering thought for all of us, because each one of us here began to be through Him. If we think of this, can we do other than worship Him? These verses state in a most emphatic way that He is the great I AM, the great self-existent One. All else owes its existence to Him.

Similarly, in reading the book of Revelation, in whatever way the Lord may be presented, we must never overlook one of His final assertions in the book. He says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end", Revelation 22:13. The One who said it is the One who said, "Behold, I come quickly", Revelation 22:12. If we hold this truth in our minds we shall be preserved worshipfully in relation to the Person of Christ. It will not detract from the reality of His manhood, because, if such a Person is found in figure as a Man, He must be absolutely perfect in the condition into which He came. He could not be other than absolutely perfect in any position or relationship He might be pleased to take up. Thus, if the Word became flesh, as He has done, and if He became dead, as He has done, and if He is now living to the ages of ages, as He is, we see in Him manhood in absolute perfection, without a flaw in any way; and we delight in Him as Man because all our blessing depends upon His having become flesh, His having become dead, and His living again to the ages of ages. But, while we delight in every feature and every glory that attaches to Him in manhood, if we remember who He is, we shall be preserved from ever bringing Him down in our minds to our level. We shall be preserved from taking advantage of the condition into which He has been pleased to come (and I do not refer only to His condition when here in humiliation, but also to His glorified condition), to deprive Him of the honour and glory due to Him in Deity. If we fail to give Him the homage that is due to Him in His Person, which

involves prostration before Him, we shall surely make shipwreck.

So, if we consider the way He is presented to us -- "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father)" we see sonship in Him in perfection and uniqueness. He is the Son, and He is referred to as "the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father". He has been pleased to raise us up, as it were, to the level of association with Him, but never to the level of equality with Him. Impossible! We are brought into the relation of sons, but never to be on equality with Him, dear brethren. He is the Son, and the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father. He says at the close of the gospel, "I ascend". Who else could say that? "I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God". Marvellous thing that He should say, "go to my brethren". He is pleased to raise us to that status, to acknowledge us as His brethren. Through divine grace we are men of His order, born of God, born of the Spirit. So He says, "go to my brethren", but let us not bring Him down to our level. He is the Firstborn; He is the One who can say, "I ascend to my Father (that is unique to Himself) and your Father, and to my God (unique to Himself) and your God". If we think of Him as singing praise in the midst of the assembly, let us not in our minds, bring Him in any way down to our level. If He is singing praise in the midst of the assembly, He is doing so as the One who is Head of the assembly, and Head over all things to it. Even the persons

who are types, David and Solomon, had their own distinction. It was David who said in the first instance, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee", Psalm 22:22. But was there equality between David and the people? Not at all. David was outstanding in kingship, in headship, and in directing the whole service as in the midst of the assembly of Israel: and so was Solomon. Think of Solomon the King! There was no comparison, even in the type, between the King and the assembly of Israel; and we must keep this in our minds and hearts. The Lord is pleased to say, "I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the assembly will I sing thy praises", but He is not on our level. Far greater is He than David, far greater than Solomon; we cannot measure His greatness.

Scripture is careful in referring to His manhood; and we need to be careful, not in any way to limit Him to manhood. Scripture speaks freely of His manhood; for Jesus is truly Man. He Himself says, "but now ye seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you", John 8:40. Scripture also speaks of "the man, Christ Jesus", and yet the Spirit of God guards the truth of His Person with care. The Lord Jesus delights to call Himself the Son of man, as we know, but in the description in the first of Revelation it says, "one like the Son of man", and so in Ezekiel "a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it" (chapter 1: 26), that is, upon the throne. I am not wanting to weaken the truth of the manhood of Christ at all, only that we need care not to bring Him

down to a mere human level. Though we are men of His order through grace, we shall never be more than men. But the Lord Jesus is unique because of who He is. We shall never be more than men, the most blessed of men, glorified men, nearest of all creatures to Him. But let us not take advantage of that nearness to belittle the unique glory that is His, or, in any way, to speak in uncomely familiarity to Him or about Him. In Philippians 2 it says that Christ Jesus "did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God". In the gospel of John He made statements which implied equality with God. In fact He says to His enemies, "Before Abraham was, I am", John 8:58. We are free to speak of Him as Man because He is the true Man, but, in a passage which is stressing His Person, it says, "taking his place in the likeness of men; and having been found in figure as a man", this because His Person never changed. The condition is changed; He was here in flesh in humiliation, He is now in glorious manhood in another condition, but His Person is unchanged all the way through and that is what we have to hold in our minds and hearts. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and to the ages to come", Hebrews 13:8. However highly we are raised up by God and ennobled, we are still men and only men. He is the Man Christ Jesus, but who is He? He is the great I AM. Thank God He has taken His place in the likeness of men in humiliation here, and now as Man in glory. We can never thank God enough for it, but let us render to Him at all times the honours that are His.

Now I go on to speak of the witness of John. He is

not called the baptist because this gospel is not stressing his service but the person. John is brought forward as a sample minister, though he does not belong to this dispensation. He becomes an example for us of the features of a true minister of Christ. The Word had become flesh. What was required in a minister of such a One? It is set out in John, a man sent from God. That is the first requirement in the minister -- that he should be sent from (or "from with") God. "The Word was with God, and the Word was God". If a man is sent from God, he will have an understanding -- in so far as the creature is able -- of the greatness of the Person to whom he is bearing witness.

So John, when they come to him, makes nothing of himself at all; and, dear brethren, that is the point for us in these days. This is not the time to make anything of men, as men. We are reaching the end of the dispensation. John's gospel was written for the end, and the great thing is to make everything of Christ; that is the point for the moment, so that He might shine in all His radiance before the hearts of the saints. Let no one get in the way to prevent the shining of Christ undimmed upon the saints: "his countenance as the sun shines in its power", Revelation 1:16.

They come to John and say, "Thou, who art thou?" He could have said quite truly, I am a man sent from God, but he "acknowledged and denied not, and acknowledged". How definite he was about it! There was no hesitation, not a little bit of reserve that would claim just a little recognition, just a little flattery, a little place. Nothing of that kind at all!

He "acknowledged and denied not, and acknowledged, I am not the Christ". As if to say, Do not look at me: I am only here to point you to Someone else. "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he says, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No. They said therefore to him, Who art thou?" The answer literally is, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness". That is all he was; just a voice. The voice would not get in the way of the glory of Christ's shining; it is persons who get in the way. John was just a voice, and the Lord would help us to be like that, dear brethren: to be voices to point to Christ, so that there might be nothing to obscure His shining; that the saints might not be occupied with the vessel, but with the One to whom the vessel bears witness.

So he says, "I baptise with water. In the midst of you stands, whom ye do not know, he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose". He was not worthy to be a slave of such a Person! It was the slave's duty to unloose the sandal, and here is a man who said, I am not even worthy to be a slave to the Person I am bearing witness to. If we have an appreciation of who Jesus is, this will be the language of our hearts. We are not even worthy to be slaves! Think of who the Person is! Who am I to be the slave of One like that? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... and the Word became flesh". John would have counted it the greatest honour to be allowed to stoop down and unloose the Lord's sandal. That is the spirit in which we are called upon to take up our witness. This is the witness of John. Are we

going to be behind John? We are more favoured than he: we know the Lord better than he did; are we going to be behind him in our witness? Are we to obtrude into the picture? Or are we taking the view that we are not even worthy to be slaves? Thank God we may be slaves! The Lord will accept us as His slaves, but we could not say that we are worthy of it. If we think of the Lord as the great Warrior, coming forth riding upon a white horse, and "upon his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords", who would not count it an honour to unloose the thong of His sandal? What a mercy it is that we are allowed to be His slaves! What an honour! What a privilege!

So John's witness goes on. He says, "Behold the Lamb of God". He knows how to present the Person effectively in a way that would be most calculated to reach the heart and meet the need. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". Who else could do it? Who else but the One who is the I AM become flesh for this great sacrificial work? John says, "He it is of whom I said, A man comes after me who takes a place before me, because he was before me". Colossians says, "He is before all, and all things subsist together by him. And he is the head of the body, the assembly", Colossians 1:17, 18. Who would not worship Him?

Then, "John bore witness saying, I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptise with water, he said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on

him, he it is who baptises with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God". Now you have another title; John's witness is that He is the Son of God and that He baptises with the Holy Spirit. He brings in life for men, but as for Himself, the Spirit descends as a dove and abides upon Him, indicating the Spirit's delight in this blessed Person. I love to think of what it means to the Father and to the Spirit that the Word has become flesh, and that Jesus is now a glorified Man. I delight to think of what it means to the Father to have One, who in manhood is the Son of His love, the delight of His heart, the image of the invisible God; the glorious Centre of God's universe! And then what it meant to the Spirit, and what it still means to the Spirit; the affections of the Spirit so drawn out that He descended and abode upon Him!

What a witness this was on the part of John! A witness to the greatness of the Person and to men coming into the greatest possible blessing through Him; the sin of the world to be taken away, and men to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.

Then, in chapter 3: 28, he says, "Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him. He that has the bride is the bridegroom"; he brings out another great title, the Bridegroom. How wonderful that a divine Person should in manhood be the Bridegroom! How attractive to our hearts! How did John know about the bride and the Bridegroom? He was let into the secret: he was the friend of the Bridegroom. Bondmanship leads to friendship. He did not count himself

worthy to be a bondman, but the Lord, the Bridegroom, made him His friend, and John, I suppose, knew about the bride and the Bridegroom before any other human being. He says, "He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom; this my joy then is fulfilled". His whole heart's satisfaction lay in the fact that the Bridegroom had come and that He had the bride. He, the friend, had heard His voice, and he says, "He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all".

That is the word for us, dear brethren, "He must increase". That is the word for the close of the dispensation. The Lord is about to come, and the Spirit's concern in present ministry is surely to cause His glory to shine in its radiance before the brethren, and that nothing should obstruct the shining. "He must increase, but I must decrease". It is a question of the Christ shining directly into, and capturing, every heart in view of the rapture, in view of the appearing, in view of the Bridegroom having the bride. Are we going to distract attention from the Bridegroom? John the baptist did not. Think of obtruding ourselves between the bride and the Bridegroom, and thus robbing the Bridegroom of His portion! Who could think of such a thing? It would be abhorrent to John the baptist. How much more so should it be with us who form part of the bride. We should not only emulate John the baptist, but go beyond him in self-effacement, in our concern that the Bridegroom should have the bride without any obstruction or

distraction whatever. We want every eye and every heart to be fixed on Him, "He must increase". Let Him do so, dear brethren, until He comes and fills us for all eternity.

Now I pass on to the other John, the disciple that Jesus loved. We have been occupied with him as the bondman in Revelation, as it says at the beginning of the book, "he signified it, sending by his angel, to his bondman John". What a favour it would be if the Lord could speak of any one of us like that! John wanted no other place. He never calls himself an apostle. I am not suggesting that either Peter or Paul called themselves apostles for any selfish reason. They certainly did not; they both called themselves bondmen and put the word 'bondman' in front of 'apostle' when using both; but John never speaks of apostleship. He is just "his bondman John", and because he was Christ's bondman he was, in a peculiar way, His friend. The John we have spoken about already was the friend of the Bridegroom, but the John we are speaking about now, was, in a special way, the friend of Christ. That is what is implied in the passage we have read. "Peter, turning round, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned at supper on his breast, and said, Lord, who is it that delivers thee up?" In chapter 13 it is also said that he was in the bosom of Jesus. That is the place of friendship. Friendship with divine Persons is a wonderful thing; it is altogether on a different level from friendship as commonly spoken of amongst men. Friendship, in the divine sense, means a bosom friend; the secrets of the bosom are confided to such. How is it the Lord

can confide secrets to persons? Because they are truly bondmen: He can trust His bondmen, He makes them His friends.

So here it says, "the disciple whom Jesus loved". That is how John refers to himself. Jesus loved all the disciples, but this one knew His love in a surpassing way. As a matter of time, this was written after the Revelation. He is the bondman in Revelation, but in writing the gospel he says, "the disciple whom Jesus loved". It is referred to four times. Three times he uses the basic word for love as here, 'the settled disposition', but on one occasion he uses the love of friendship -- "the disciple to whom Jesus was attached". The remarkable thing is that, at the end, Peter turns round and sees this one following. What a remarkable thing! John had been following all the way and Peter looks round and sees him following. It was so evident that he was following that Peter took account of it. Here was one who was following. The Lord Jesus had said to Peter, "Follow me", and Peter looks round and sees someone doing it: John was doing it. So Peter says to the Lord, "Lord, and what of this man? Jesus says to him, If I will that he abide until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me". Those are the last words of the Lord in this gospel That would be the Lord's command to each one of us here, "Follow thou me". Who could think of disobeying a command like this when we think of who He is! Think of those first three verses of the gospel again, and of whom it is saying, "Follow thou me". Do not look at other people: do not be concerned with what others do: "Follow thou me". But John was already

doing it, and the Lord said, "if I will that he abides until I come, what is that to thee?" Now John is the one who abides till the Lord comes; not personally, of course. John has gone to be with the Lord. He abides in his ministry, but that is not the only point here. The main point is that persons of this character are going to abide until the Lord comes, and the question is, Are we in this matter? There will be persons until the Lord comes who are like John; there will be such until the end. The point for you and me is, Are we this character -- persons who assume no official position or place, but love to be His bondmen -- persons who are conscious of His love, disciples whom Jesus loves, following all the way?

That kind of person will be here when the Lord comes, and the word to each one of us at a time like this is, Am I among those who are marked by such features? So, at the end of Revelation when the Lord speaks His last word, "He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly", there is the bondman, the one who tarries till He comes. He is there and says, "Amen; come, Lord Jesus". That is the language of the heart of every bondman.

I earnestly desire that the word shall remain with us, dear brethren; firstly as to the minister and what is incumbent on the minister in these last days. I do not wish to limit that to a class; but let each of us, in anything we seek to do for the Lord, do it in such a manner that He shall shine before the affections of the saints, that He shall have the bride undividedly for Himself. Then, secondly, as regards our personal exercises and relations with the Lord, let us each be a

John, one who claims nothing and desires nothing but the place of a bondman, and, therefore, one that enters in a peculiar way into the love of Christ, and into the secrets of His heart, and who is ever looking up and saying, in response to his Lord and Master who says, "Yea, I come quickly", "Amen; come, Lord Jesus". May it be so for His Name's sake!

RICHES OF GLORY

Romans 9:22 - 26; Colossians 1:24 - 28; Ephesians 1:17 - 19, 22 to "feet"; Ephesians 3:14 - 19; Philippians 4:19, 20.

One is impressed, dear brethren, with the way Paul speaks of wealth. When we think of wealth or riches material things come into our minds, but when Paul speaks of riches he has not mere material things in mind at all, but riches that are durable, eternal and abiding; and the Spirit of God would help us to have these riches in our minds and thoughts that we might seek after them and be delivered from materialism. One of the great dangers of the present age is materialism. Communism is a system which is wholly materialistic and we need divine grace to be free from the trend of the times lest our minds and thoughts become engaged with what is simply material. God has put within our reach the true riches. Wisdom says she gives durable riches and righteousness to those who love her (Proverbs 8:18), and these are the things to go in for.

Paul speaks of riches in more ways than one. In Ephesians 1 he speaks of "the riches of God's grace which he has caused to abound towards us in all wisdom and intelligence". He brings that in in connection with redemption. Think of the riches of God's grace! In the next chapter, he speaks of the "exceeding riches of God's grace" which He is going to display in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

In his doxology in Romans 11 when he thinks of God's wisdom and knowledge, he says, "O depth of riches". But the passages I have read all refer to "RICHES OF GLORY". It is a remarkable expression. We have been speaking of divine glory and the glory of God radiates in the face of the Lord Jesus, it is all there; He is "the effulgence of God's glory and the expression of His substance". All that can come into expression has come into expression in the Person of Jesus. It required a Man if God was to be expressed. If the invisible God was to come into expression He must come into expression in one who was His image, and man, as an order of being, was made in God's image and glory. God's purpose in making man was to have an order of being capable of expressing Him in all His attributes. It is wonderful to keep in view the purpose of God in making man. "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" Genesis 1:26. If God was to be adequately and completely expressed it required that the Son should come. In the 1st of Hebrews the theme is the Son. "God has in these last days spoken to us in Son". God Himself has come into Manhood, and known under that Name, the Son, and it says of Him that He is "the effulgence of God's glory and the expression of His substance". It says elsewhere He is the image of the invisible God. Truly Man! He must be Man to be God's image, and yet to be a complete expression of God, He must be God. He is the image of God because He is God, and therefore the radiancy of glory in His face is complete. But it may be known through others.

The glory which shines in Him will be diffused through the assembly, which is His fulness. All is derived from the Man; the woman is the glory of the man. What God had in His mind in purpose comes to full fruition in Christ and the assembly. The full riches of God's glory is radiant in the Lord Jesus Christ, radiant in His face, and we, as beholding that glory with unveiled face, are transformed "into the same image, from glory to glory even as by the Lord Spirit". How great this is! Wealth of glory is there in that Person, shining out, and that wealth becomes available to the universe in the way the outshining becomes effective in the objects of His purpose, "vessels of mercy before prepared for glory".

And so the initial thought which Paul brings in as to "riches of glory" is that "God, minded to shew his wrath and to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory". There is glory in all its wealth in the face of Jesus, but the very wealth of that glory becomes manifest to the universe in the way that God, on account of His glory being established in Christ, can take up vessels like ourselves, and thus make known the riches of His glory to the universe. It is not that we add anything to the glory that is in Christ; but the wealth of it comes into expression in that He can take up persons like ourselves as vessels of mercy. God's rights in mercy are based upon the fact that His glory has been upheld and established in the Person of Christ and is radiant in His face. By

that Man God has rights in mercy over all men and He exercises those rights in His call, as this chapter shows in verse 11, "that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works but of him that calls". So God is free to call according to His purpose -- in His infinite mercy He has called you and me. We are vessels of mercy, and in calling such as we -- worthless creatures in ourselves -- and preparing us for glory. God manifests the wealth of His glory that He can do such a thing.

It is important to see that in this chapter, the clay is fallen humanity, not innocent humanity but fallen humanity, and that none of us had any rights. Everything rests on the sovereign mercy of God -- His rights in mercy. We had no rights, and because He has fallen humanity to deal with He may "endure with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction". It does not say He fitted them for destruction, but He endures with much longsuffering to make His power known. Like Pharaoh of old, we find rulers raised up that God might show in them His power. But others, made of the same clay, are taken up in mercy. We are vessels of mercy, I wonder whether we have each learned to regard ourselves as "a vessel". It is a question of the Potter and the clay and the vessels. If God has exercised His rights in mercy and called you and me it is in order that we might be vessels, and a vessel is something that is to be filled. God is preparing us to be filled with glory. We are being formed morally and transformed with a view to our place in the great vessel in the day to come. But then, Peter speaks of

saints even now "rejoicing with joy unspeakable and filled with the glory". According to our measure, God's thought is that we should already be filled, so that there is a present making known of His glory in these vessels of mercy. According to Romans 8, we are already called, justified, glorified. You say, how can that be? Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Vessels of mercy, but think of how God fills them! He comes into them Himself, vessels which, to begin with, were just the clay of fallen humanity. God begins to operate, He calls, He works by His Spirit. There is the work of God there, and then God Himself comes into the vessel by the Holy Spirit. How much it has cost God to lay a basis whereby He can show the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy! If we understand that, we shall have no reserves in committing ourselves to God. In His mind we are each a vessel, and if we understand that we shall hold ourselves as vessels for God to fill. He fills us with the Spirit, He fills us with the glory, and Romans shows how these vessels of mercy are secured. In chapter 6 we are brought to yield ourselves to God as alive from amongst the dead. That is like Matthew 5, 6 and 7. But in Romans 12 we have a vessel. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God". When it says "body" it is a vessel that is in mind. We must begin with the members in chapter 6, every member yielded to God -- the tongue, the ear and the eye all yielded to God as instruments of righteousness. It is in view of having a vessel, the believer's body, holy and acceptable

to God. What glory there is to God even now, in that He has persons who belonged to the lump of clay, fallen humanity, and now their bodies, instead of being instruments of sin, which could incur only wrath from God, are a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him in the power of the Spirit of God indwelling.

All this is to prepare us for our place in the great vessel. The great vessel is not a vessel of mercy. Those who form it are all vessels of mercy, but the great vessel is not called a vessel of mercy. It is a vessel of divine workmanship in which all of us as individual vessels are to find our place. According to Romans 12 we present our bodies with a view to finding our place in the one body in Christ. That is the great vessel, and that is what Paul has in mind in Colossians.

Colossians deals with Paul's ministry of the assembly, and he speaks of the assembly as "Christ's body". "I rejoice in sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the assembly". The assembly is called a vessel. Peter saw a vessel like a great sheet, descending out of heaven, and Paul was the minister of the assembly and in that connection he says, "To whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations which is Christ in you the hope of glory". Romans and Corinthians speak of the Spirit in us. Romans 8 does say "if Christ be in you". It is just touched on. The great theme of Romans is the Spirit in the individual, and the great point in l

Corinthians is the local assembly as the vessel of the Spirit, which is a greater matter than the individual. But in Colossians it is a question of "Christ in you". If the Spirit is in us it is with a view to Christ being in us. Christ in persons involves formation, and if the Spirit is given His place Christ will indeed be in us. "If any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is not of Him"; but if the Spirit has free course in us individually and collectively we shall have some understanding of the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, "which is Christ in you, the hope of glory". It is a glorious matter that God should have among the Gentiles a vessel of which it can be said "Christ in you". Paul says it was given to him to "complete the word of God". This means that his ministry unlocks the meaning of the scriptures, it unlocks the meaning of the types. Without Paul's ministry we would not understand the types. They find their answer at the present time in the fact that there is a company on earth in whom Christ is. If you take the first type -- the woman was taken out of the man, she was derived from the man, and so, at the present time, in this great vessel, the assembly, we have a vessel which is derived from Christ. It says in this epistle "the body is of Christ". What came out previously was the shadow. Eve was but a shadow, the tabernacle was but a shadow -- types of the assembly; but now the reality is here. We have a vessel now which is not the shadow of what was to come but it is the real thing for Christ is in the saints.

What riches of glory there is in this, that God, having established the outshining of His glory in

Jesus, has brought to pass a great vessel which is derived from Christ, which is truly His body, and is the answer to all the types of old that relate to the assembly. There is nothing more important, for young people especially, than to get hold of the idea that the real thing is here, that of which the Old Testament gave only types and shadows. It exists among the Gentiles, -- soon to be displayed; but it is glorious already. "The riches of the glory of this mystery ... which is Christ in you the hope of glory". The hope of glory is the expectation of the day of display when it will no longer be mystery; but there is already glory attaching to it, riches of glory. It is a great thing to be in this glorious vessel. Paul laboured to present every man perfect in Christ. He wanted every believer to find his or her place in that vessel. I would ask every believer, Have you found your place in the great vessel. First you must learn that you are a vessel and hold yourself as a vessel. If you do that you will very soon find your place in that great vessel -- "one body in Christ". Paul's concern was to present everyone in their place in Christ, their divinely appointed place in this great vessel. He toiled with that in view, "combating according to his working which works in me in power".

I pass on now to Ephesians, chapter 1 where it speaks of "the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints". This brings in the fulness of what God has in the saints. Colossians is the actual position at the present time among the Gentiles. It is a great position; riches of glory attach to it, but in Ephesians

we are outside the realm of time and locality. He is praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him, being enlightened in the eyes of our hearts so that we might know -- that is conscious knowledge -- what is the hope of his calling. It is the whole matter that is spread out before us, not the present provisional position, but the whole matter. "The hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of his power towards us who believe". What a range of things! Dear brethren, it is only in the measure in which we answer to Romans as to being vessels ourselves, and answer to Colossians in the sense of merging in the great vessel in so far as we are able now in this present provisional aspect, that we shall have a heart to take in what is presented in the 1st chapter of Ephesians. You must know something of what is substantially existing at the present time to be able, in your spirit, to take account of the whole thought of God. Fellow-believers who never touch the truth of the assembly in its concrete form down here know nothing about Ephesians. You must touch the thing concretely down here to be able to take in abstractly the vast complete view according to divine purpose. Otherwise, as I say, you have not a heart to take it in. If the eyes of your heart are to be enlightened you must have a heart able to take in the whole scope, "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints". That involves "the church complete and in His beauty dressed", and it involves the whole of

heaven and earth brought into blessing and into response to God, under the influence of Christ and the church. That is why the passage ends with Christ at the right hand of God, and refers to Him being "Head over all things to the assembly which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all". Think of the vastness of God's inheritance, and all this flows out from the fact that God's glory has been secured in a Man, and is shining in the face of a Man, and the riches of it will be seen universally in this universe of bliss of which I have been speaking. The riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints will be manifest -- Christ and the assembly giving light and influence and direction to the whole universe, men and angels, principalities and authorities all now under proper divine influence through the Man on whom God had bestowed every official dignity, the Christ.

But then in chapter 3 it speaks of "the riches of the Father's glory". Paul says, "I bow my knees to the Father". The universe of bliss is before His heart, but His heart is going out to the Father, of whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. He is going to the source of things -- the Father. What liberty Paul had with the Father in these great matters! How much do we pray to the Father about the greatest matters? This is the greatest prayer uttered by any apostle; the only prayer in scripture which exceeds this one, is the Lord's own prayer in John 17. Think of the liberty Paul had with the Father! He speaks to the Father of the riches of His glory. What can we say to the Father about that? Think of the wealth of the

Father's glory. There is something peculiarly attractive about the Father's glory. If we think of the glory of God we think of the way God has met the moral issues that have been raised in the universe, and how in meeting them He used the occasion to bring into display all that He is in His nature and attributes, all shining in the person of the Lord Jesus. But when we think of the glory of the Father I think it brings to our minds divine purpose, conceived in love before the world began, carried through indeed on the basis of divine righteousness with glory bright -- but nevertheless conceived before any moral issue had ever been raised. It was a purpose which was essential to satisfy affections that were there in God and a desire to be known in the most intimate relationship. Do you want to be exceedingly rich? I would say, Go in for some appreciation of the glory of the Father. So, he says, "He would give you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell, through faith, in your hearts". The Trinity are brought in here; the Father according to the riches of His glory strengthening us with might by His Spirit with a view to the Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith. If we understand the Father's glory we shall have Christ as the Centre of our affections. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. The Christ is the One upon whom every honour has been put because He is so delightful to the Father's heart. He is the Head and centre of the scene which is essential to the Father's affections. If the Father has named every family it is essential

that all these families should surround in a concentric circle this glorious Man, so that all are under His impulse and direction. Thus the whole scene is secured and maintained in delight for the Father's heart. So the Father strengthens us that the Christ might dwell in our hearts by faith, and that we might know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge with a view to our being filled to all the fulness of God.

We began with the thought of vessels, and this is the climax -- filled unto all the fulness of God. God Himself made known in this most blessed way through the manifestation of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit -- filled to all the fulness of God. You can understand in the light of that how the assembly becomes a vessel fitted to ascribe glory to God as the remaining verses of the chapter show. Every person in it is filled unto all the fulness of God.

Well, now my last passage deals with circumstantial matters. We have spoken about them today. In the last chapter of Philippians Paul is speaking about his circumstances. None of us have had such variation in circumstances as "our beloved brother Paul", a beloved apostle, but he is our beloved brother. He says, "I have learnt in those circumstances in which I am to be satisfied in myself, I know both how to be abased and how to abound. In everything and in all things I am initiated both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer privation. I have strength for all things in him that gives me power". What a model! Here is a man who knows what real wealth is. He is not dependent on material things for his happiness. He is in a Roman dungeon and

he says, "I have learnt in those circumstances in which I am to be satisfied in myself". He was the wealthiest man in Rome -- a prisoner in the Roman prison, but the richest man in Rome, just as when he was brought before King Agrippa he was the richest man in the whole company. There was the pomp and splendour of Agrippa's court, but he as much as says to Agrippa, I would not change with anybody, "I would to God both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as I also am, except these bonds". Acts 26:29. So Paul had learnt in whatever circumstances he was to be content in himself. He knew the Father, He knew the Son as the Christ and the Son of the living God, and he knew the Holy Spirit. He knew what riches in glory meant, and he was indeed the richest man in Rome. But then the Philippians ministered to him, and the result is in verse 18, he says, "But I have all things in full supply and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things sent from you, an odour of sweet savour, an acceptable sacrifice, agreeable to God". It was not merely that he was glad to have some food and clothing brought to him, though no doubt he needed if. "I am full", he says. A little love from the saints filled the great heart of the apostle, and then he says, "But my God shall abundantly supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus". How anxious we often are about the details of our path. How much anxiety may turn us away from the main thing in life, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Let us admit, dear brethren,

perhaps in every week of our lives, how much we are distracted and turned aside by over-occupation with secondary things! Not so Paul: "This one thing I do" he says earlier in the epistle "I pursue". First things were always first with him. Circumstances were secondary, but why should we allow undue anxiety in the light of a passage like this? "My God shall abundantly supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus". What are the resources? "According to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus"; in that blessed Man and the system of which He is Centre. It is according to that that He enters into our circumstances and abundantly supplies all our need. He may not give you all you would like to have as to your natural desires because it would impoverish you spiritually. He wants you above all things to be spiritually rich, to know what His riches in glory are. If you know that you will be really rich. In the way He deals with your circumstances He always has His eye on the main thing, and that is your spiritual progress. He will meet your circumstances according to His riches in glory. You may have in mind a career down here. I a m not saying you should not have that in mind, subject to God's will. But it may absorb you. You may have in mind more than food and raiment. You may want to get on, as they say, in the world, but God is concerned that you should get on in the true sense, that you should move on to apprehend His "riches in glory in Christ Jesus". He wants to make you a really wealthy man, to give you a really successful career, and in doing it He will abundantly supply all your

need here, in a way that is best for you. He was doing what was best for Paul. We can afford to trust Him, and that brings us back to what we began with this morning -- the sermon on the mount. Philippians would link with the sermon on the mount, that we might learn to trust God in our circumstances here. It is in these circumstances we prove in a rich way the tenderness of the Father's care. When Paul says "My God", he is not limiting his thoughts. His God was the God he knew, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But mark his note of worship, after speaking of what is circumstantial, he says, "But to our God and Father be glory to the ages of ages".

May the Lord help us in these matters, that we may get an impression of the riches of God's glory for His name's sake!