This expansion from the tiny compass of the believer's heart to that glorious temple

that shall include "all the saints" leads on to the third and last step.

(3) That ye might be filled, completed, set in your place with a view to

that great rounding out of the purpose of the ages, which is expressed in

I Cor. 15: 24-28, "Then the end . . . . . that God may be all in all".

Without the last phase of God's purpose, viz. the dispensation of the mystery with its

church of the one body, Christ would be incomplete in His office as Redeemer and Head.

"The church which is His body" is the complement of that one who in turn completes all

things. It is a necessity, if heaven as well as earth shall be "filled out" and the rent

Here then is a prayer the magnitude of whose petition transcends all thought. Without

slavish repetition or bondage shall we not approach the Father with this threefold petition

more frequently? We shall, as we get to know the blessedness of our calling and its

privileges.

With the sublime conclusion of the prayer of Eph. 3: doctrine reaches its utmost

limit. The fulness of God as expressed in the love of Christ fills all breadth, length, depth

and height. Nothing more can be said. All that lies beyond that blessed time toward

which all scripture points is not a matter of present revelation, and therefore cannot be a

part of Christian doctrine. There is but one note possible, the note of praise, and it is

fitting that the section which commenced with the benediction, "Blessed be God Who

hath blessed us", should conclude, "Now unto Him . . . . . be glory". The doxology is

expanded to describe more fully (1) "Him" to Whom the praise is given, (2) The

medium through which the glory will be given, and (3) The duration of this praise.

think."--This is the character of the One to Whom such a prayer as that of Eph. 3: is

made. Great as is the request, the Father to Whom the request is made is greater.

Further, the suggestion is that even when we breathe these inspired petitions, we shall not

apprehend nor appreciate one half of the magnitude of our request.  For our

encouragement however we learn that our God does not limit His answers to our

understanding. He is able to exceed all our asking and all our understanding, and one of

the reasons, perhaps the great reason, is explained in the next clause:--

"According to the power that worketh in us."--In the opening of the prayer the

limitless source of supply is revealed--"according to the riches of His glory". In the

doxology the power to grant these supplies is revealed:--