I want to get before our hearts, beloved brethren, if I can, distinctly and clearly, what the interests of the Lord Jesus Christ are upon this earth today. We need to be clear about it; for if we don't know what His interests are, and where they center, we cannot act, individually or collectively, consistently with those interests and in suitability to Him. Scripture tells us that God loved the world:'' For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). I'm sure we are all familiar with and delight in that blessed truth. It lets us see where the love of God was centered. God loved the world. It is not some special individuals in the world, but the world itself-the world, looked at in its concrete form-the whole world. It takes in all, and shuts out none.

Then, for the display of that love, and the carrying out of the purposes of God's heart, the Lord Jesus came down here saying, " Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God; " and by His one perfect offering of Himself on the cross, He glorified God about the whole question of sin, and opened up a righteous channel for God to act consistently with all that He is in Himself, and take poor sinners into favor and give them a new life and nature and eternal blessings with Himself. All that is very blessed indeed, and our hearts know it in some little measure, thank God. We have learned how He has satisfied His own heart in the way He has taken to satisfy ours, and we have found our rest in it. It says, "God so loved the world." It never says Christ loved the world. Nor does it say God loved the Church. It says, "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." If we want to know what are Christ's interests to-day, where the circle of His interests lies today, we have the answer in this beautiful passage before us-it is the Church. The Lord thinks everything of the Church. The circle of His interests all centers there. He loved it, and gave Himself for it. He is engaged in active service on high to day on behalf of it, and He is going to take it to glory to be with Himself by and by, and then bring it back and display it in all the brightness and splendor of His own glory, with which He will adorn it, when it will shine forth as the Holy City, New Jerusalem, having the glory of God-the Bride, the Lamb's wife.

It is an immense thing for our souls to get hold of that, and find ourselves in the p6wer of it:especially is it needful for those who are young in the truth and ways of the Lord. It is a great thing for us all to see that the affections of the Lord's heart flow out at the present time to His Church, and not to the world. The second psalm says, "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession." But the Lord has not asked for that yet. He says in John 17:, " I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me out of the world." By and by He will ask for them, and God will give the world to Him, and as Son of Man He will possess everything. Son of Man is the widest title the Lord has, and as such He will possess and reign over all things.

In connection with His love, there is a very beautiful passage in John 14:, last verse:"But that the world may know that I love the Father," etc. You see He is in the fullest fellowship with the mind of His Father, and He goes forth to accomplish His will and prove to the world that He loved His Father. And how did He prove it ? He said, "Arise, let us go hence;" and He went to the cross, and there laid down His life; and thus, in the very sorrows and agonies of death itself, He proved His perfect obedience, and devotedness, and love, to His Father.
Then there is another view of it which we had before us already:"The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me " (Gal. 2:20). Here it is seen in its individual character. We are each privileged to say it; and how blessed to be able to say it! "The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me." That is how it is seen, told out to each one of us; in going down into death itself-nothing short of it-in order to meet and put away forever everything that was against us, and thus win the affections of our hearts by that marvelous revelation of the love of His own heart.

But what we have in Eph. 5:is neither His Father, nor individuals; it is the Church. "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." It is the Church as a whole, and His love is seen in the same blessed way; never stopping short of death-"He gave Himself for it." Blessed Savior!

We have another picture of it-you remember it, perhaps-in that beautiful passage in Matt. 13:45, 46. A certain merchantman was seeking goodly pearls. And "when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it."It was just one pearl! But He knew its value! How wonderful to think of the Lord selling all that He had to buy it! That is just another way of reading, "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it!"The pearl is the Church; it is the one thing of value to Him, and all His affection and interests center in it. He will have other interests on earth by and by; but meanwhile they center in the Church. The Church had its commencement, as we were seeing this afternoon, on the day of Pentecost-that was its birthday. Of course, there were saints prior to that. There were saints from Abel downwards, but they do not form any part of the Church. It is formed by the Holy Spirit indwelling each individual and uniting us to each other land to Christ the Head in heaven. It is "the Church which is His Body" (Eph. i, 33);and which will be displayed as His Bride in the day of glory (Rev. 21:).He gave Himself for it. He is sanctifying and cleansing it. He will present it to Himself by and by, and it will be the object of His love for ever and ever. All His interests center in it, and every one has to get to know that in his own soul, so that we may come into the power and enjoyment of it. I cannot be in the power or the joy of it, if I don't know it. How gracious of the Lord to make it known to us, in order that we may be in His mind about it!

It is a sorrowful fact that the majority of the Lord's people have not the slightest idea about it. If you doubt it, talk with them. You will soon see they know nothing about it. They simply say, "He saved my soul, and I'm going to be in heaven when I die. " And I say, Thank God for that! That is a great thing to be able to say! Some will add, " And now we must work for God, and do all we can to get others saved." Very blessed thing, surely! But is there nothing more than that ? Surely there is; and He would have us in communion with Himself about that which lies nearest His heart, and thus be able to act intelligently and consistently with it.

It may be objected, Surely the Lord died for more than the Church. Does Scripture not say He tasted death for every man? Certainly it does. "He tasted death for every man." We cannot be too clear as to the extent, the far-reaching extent, of the death of Christ. There is such value in the blood of Christ that it gives God title to bless all men. But we know, alas, that all men will not be blessed- many refuse it. It is only those who receive Christ that find the blessing; and it is they who constitute the Church; and it is that Church that He loved and gave Himself for. That is the pearl of great price; and however much it may be tarnished and encrusted with sin, He is going to make it just what His loving heart would have it-all He wants it to be; and then present it to Himself in all the glory He can put upon it and clothe it in, to be with Him in His Father's house forever. Is it not wonderful!
Then we have the way He takes in order that His thoughts about it may be accomplished. He has "given gifts to men " (Eph. 4:8); "set some in the Church" (i Cor. 12:), and for the benefit of the Church. "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." He has made the fullest provision for it so long as it is here. The evangelist goes and gets the stones out of the quarry, and the pastor and teacher square them and fit them into their place. Thus there is the Spirit guiding and controlling, so that every member of the body, and every joint and band, adds its share to the building up and edifying of itself in love. Nothing is left to human wisdom to invent as an improvement on the divine plan. Christ is the Head of His body, and He by His Spirit guides every member of it, and knows just what is needed so long as it is here in the place of need.

Thank God, there are some to be found who have grasped the truth, and seek to answer to the mind of the Lord, and are acting on these divine principles. We do not say we are the Church:we must never be so presumptuous nor so foolish as to say such a thing. We are a testimony to the ruin of the Church and in the midst of that ruin are seeking to carry out the principles flowing out of what it is; and we find the favor and blessing of the Lord in doing that. We seek to be in fellowship with the mind and heart of Christ; and if we seek souls, it is that they may be added to the Church. If we meet saints, we seek to instruct them with a view to their intelligently apprehending their place in the Church and acting consistently with it. We do not seek to restore anything, but in His presence, and according to His mind, seek to act with Him and for Him.

Just a word or two more. What is it the Lord has before Him in the future ? He is going to present the Church to Himself, "a glorious Church; not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but holy, and without blemish." Is not that a precious thought ? It lets us see who He is. Who could do that but a divine person ? Alas, there are many spots upon the Church just now-the marks and defilements of the journey and our failures in it. Then, there will be no spot. Wrinkles are the signs of trouble, and care, and worry, and old age. Just think, dear brethren, the Lord is going to present us to Himself without a trace of any of these! He will have no spot, no wrinkle, no furrow, on the brow of His Bride when He presents her to Himself. Blessed, precious Lord!

Yes, we are to be the true Eve of the last Adam. Eve was not presented to Adam as his body, but as his bride and wife; and while we are the body of Christ, we are to be presented to Himself, and by Himself, as His Bride; and we are to share with Him not only all His loving heart can give to us, but delight ourselves in viewing glories that are peculiarly His own, and because they are His own.

In Rev. 21:the Church is seen coming down out of heaven as the bride, the Lamb's wife, and figured as the holy city, New Jerusalem, "having the glory of God." As a light-bearer on the earth, the Church has sadly failed. The history of the seven churches in Rev. 2:and 3:makes that clear. The Church did not display Christ; nay, she glorified herself. But in the eternal state, all the blessed results of His work will be seen, and she will be seen then setting forth in every conceivable way all the perfections and glories of Christ. The light of the city is simply reflected light, and every precious stone that sets it forth is but different views of His glory. He is everything, and shines forth in all. May our hearts enter into it more fully, dear brethren, and live in the power of it, thus answering here and now to His heart, for His glory and praise. W. Easton
New Zealand