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being met, they are entirely suitable to be taken on in union

with Himself; that is what the Lord brings out. He brings out,

according to Luke 7, the personality that was there. He says to

Simon, “Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee”. Then He

brings out the parable of the two debtors and the creditor. “And

turning to the woman he said to Simon, Seest thou this

woman? I entered into thy house; thou gavest me not water on

my feet, but she ...”. Notice the emphatic “she”—that is

personality. She is standing out really; she is standing out in

these most unsuitable, uncongenial and difficult

circumstances, where she is criticised, where she is maligned,

but there she is, and in the estimation of Christ she is comely.

That is the idea; a difficult history; Simon could only bring that

out; that is all he can see; but in the estimation of Christ, in the

estimation of Boaz and others, “thou art a woman of worth”.

Beloved brethren, let us be encouraged that in the face of

history, and the breakdown, and the extension of the

breakdown in our personal history and our assembly history,

whatever it might have been, the fact is that the Lord is able

for it. Nobody else could take it on; nobody else could

take on the woman here; but the Lord is taking her on, and in

His estimation she is everything—“she”, He says, “she” has

done it all—“she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped

them with her hair. Thou gavest me not a kiss, but she from

the time I came in has not ceased kissing my feet. My head

with oil thou didst not anoint, but she has anointed my feet with

myrrh”. That is the “who”, beloved brethren, that is personality.

Now think of the fine work that is there in this woman, and

personality comes from new birth, and goes through, for this

“she” is not the side of history. I suggest to you she is

corresponding with the woman of Genesis 2, where it is not

the side of history.

So what is the Lord Jesus going to bring about, dear brethren,

in the assembly? He will bring about in the assembly absolute

correspondence with divine purpose, what the assembly was