petitions of this prayer.

The first petition, `what is the hope of His calling', looks back to the

will of the Father (Eph. 1:3-6), the second, `what the riches of the glory of

His inheritance in the saints', looks back to the results of redemption, as set

forth under the heading `the work of the Son' (Eph. 1:7-12), where the

inheritance is first mentioned.  When we were examining Ephesians 1:11 we

discovered that the true teaching of this passage was not so much that we had

obtained an inheritance, as that we had been taken to be an inheritance (see

pages 141-147).  The possibilities that such a calling opens up are

overwhelming.  To obtain an inheritance in the high glory of heavenly places,

where Christ sits far above all principality and power, staggers the

imagination, but `what (is) the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the

saints' is left unexplained.  The apostle transfers the question to the section

dealing with prayer.  We cannot appreciate it while remaining in the `Muniment

Room', we can only learn something of its wonder in `The Chapel of

The answer to the question `what the riches' is not found written on the

page of Scripture, but is rather written on the tables of the heart.  The eyes

of the `heart' must be enlightened; the renewed mind must readily `acknowledge',

if this truth is to be received.  While `inheritance' is the theme in general,

it is the `riches of the glory' of the inheritance that is the particular burden

of the prayer.  The following are all the references to `riches' in the Prison

`God, Who is rich in mercy' (Eph. 2:4).

(adverb) `Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly'

(Col. 3:16).

`Forgiveness ... according to the riches of His grace'

(Eph. 1:7).

`What (is) the riches of the glory of His inheritance'

(Eph. 1:18).

`The exceeding riches of His grace' (Eph. 2:7).

`The unsearchable riches of Christ' (Eph. 3:8).

`According to the riches of His glory' (Eph. 3:16).

`According to His riches in glory' (Phil. 4:19).

`What is the riches of the glory' (Col. 1:27).

`Unto all riches of the full assurance' (Col. 2:2).

It will be seen that we have riches of mercy and of grace issuing in salvation,

and riches of glory, related to our inheritance, to the spiritual anticipation

of some of its glories even now (Eph. 3:16), the supply of all needs, and the

special character of the Mystery (Phil. 4:19; Col. 1:27).

Three passages out of this series stand out as a unit.  The prayer of

Ephesians 1:18, the prayer of Ephesians 3:16, and the making known of the

peculiar character of the Mystery (Col. 1:26,27).  These we will set out more