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near the Lord, what we say has moral force about it. The

Lord’s voice here is a voice like many waters—it has divine

majesty. He is King above all kings. There never can be a

voice heard after His, and so if we are near to Him we may

make a suggestion in the company of our brethren which

carries weight.

Then “having in his right hand seven stars”. The stars we read

later are the angels of the assemblies. They represent the

responsible element found there. All are responsible, but all do

not take up the responsibility. You will never have influence

unless you are prepared to take up the responsibility. The Lord

will help those who are prepared to do so. So Chloe had the

moral feature of an angel, a star. Even young believers may

be concerned as to these matters and pray about them and

the Lord will give help to take up the responsibility. Chloe was

the means of recovery. The Lord has such a person in His

right hand. It is necessary for these moral qualities to be found

in us if we are to take up matters relating to the assembly.

Then we have, “his countenance as the sun shines in its

power”. This gives a sense of all-pervading influence. Nothing

is hid from the heat of it. The sun moves all nature by its

immense influence. The Lord is presented thus in the

transfiguration in Matthew. It says, “his face shone as the sun”.

Would you like to have influence?

You will have it only as you are under His influence. It is not a

position, or an office, or a gift—it is a quality, a question of fact.

A man of influence is such. It is dangerous indeed if used in

the wrong way. Think of Absalom. How awful to think that one

might influence the people to draw them away from Christ.

Look at 2 Samuel 15: 4–6. There is nothing more dangerous

than an Absalom spirit—the bringing in of natural and personal

qualities which have power. Absalom was the most attractive

man in Israel naturally. What I refer to answers to that brought

before us in the Epistle to the Colossians 2: 4, “I say this to the

end that no one may delude you by persuasive speech”. The