stand, ye are shut out; and ye are reasoning and stumbling at the stone; while others (who are broken in spirit, and in meekness and humility led to try) find it a sure foundation, even a foundation of eternal life, for the true seed of life; and are built into the living city, which is made without hands, and without any of the tools of man's wisdom

EXTRACT

FROM QUERIES CONCERNING THE ORDER AND GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

IN a case of doubt or difference, which shall be the judge; the measure of life within, or the testimony of others without? Shall I judge as I feel the thing in the measure of my own life? Or shall I submit to others against my own sense and judgment, because I have an esteem of them, as being much above me in the growth, sense, and understanding of truth?

Ans. It is a great matter to judge aright, and to discern and know the measure of truth, the voice, motion, and judgment thereof, from all the enemy's false appearances,. and from all the deceits of the heart. This is most certain; Jerusalem (the heavenly building, the church of the first-born) is at. unity with itself. Truth is pure, eternal, unchangeable, always the same; the same inevery member, in every vessel, throughout the whole body.

And this I may say concerning its appear. ance in this our age, Was ever the like unity known and brought forth since the days of the apostles? How hath the Spirit been One, the demonstration and testimony of truth One, the doctrine One, the conversation and practices One in us all! Why, or how so? Because we have had our begetting, birth, and teaching from the same life, the same Spirit; (the same fountain springing up, and opening in us all, that have been gathered into its nature and power.) Now from this fountain, from this spring of life, never issueth any thing that is contrary to the life in any. Therefore if there appear a contrariety, there must be a waiting to feel who is erred from, or at least not yet fully gathered into, the measure of life. And such as are of an inferior stature and growth in the body, are (in an especial manner) to watch and wait in sobriety and fear, till the Lord clear up, and make things manifest; and likewise in the mean time to take heed of an hasty concluding, according to what riseth up in the understanding or judgment, though. with ever so great a seeming clearness and satisfaction, as if it must needs be of and from the life in the vessel.

It is not an easy matter, in all cases, clearly and understandingly to discern the voice of the Shepherd, the motions of God's Spirit, and certainly to distinguish the measure of life from all other voices, motions, and appearances whatsoever. Through much growth in the truth, through much waiting on the Lord, through much fear and trembling,-through

much sobriety and meekness, much exercise of the [spiritual] senses, this is at length. given and obtained. And yet there is a preservation in the mean time to that which is lowly and submissive, looking up to the Lord continually, and not trusting to its own understanding, sense, and judgment. But that which is hasty and confident, and so ready to plead for its own sense and judgment, according to the measure of life, as it calls it; that is commonly out, entered into the erring spirit, pleading and contending for it knows not what, and is very apt to judge and condemn. others in that very respect, wherein itself is most justly and righteously judged and condemned by the Lord, even by his pure life and Spirit in his people.

This then is in my heart to say in short to this objection: Let the measure of life judge. freely in thee at any time concerning any thing, and that judgment will stand for ever. But be thou wary, wait on the Lord, that thou mayest be sure thou dost not mistake in thy own particular, calling that life which the Lord and his people know to be otherwise. For if so, thou departest from the unity and bond of the Spirit, and from the true sense and judgment, and givest deceit an advantage over thee, even to lay a foundation of destroy.. ing thee. Likewise those who are to watch over thee in the Lord (to lay his truth before thee, to exhort and reprove thee, as occasion is) that they may give an account of thy soul to him, cannot do it with joy and rejoicing in his presence, but with grief and lamentation

of heart; which is not at all profitable, but very unprofitable for thee.

Now for a close: there are some considerations springing up in my heart concerning unity, which I find drawings here to annex, in true love and tenderness, for the use and service of others; which are as follow:

1. Unity in the spiritual body, which is gathered into and knit together in the pure life, is a most natural and comely thing. Yea, it is exceedingly lovely to find all that are of the Lord of one heart, of one mind, of one judgment, in one way of practice and order in all things.

2. The Lord is to be waited upon for the bringing forth of this in the body; that as there is a foundation of it laid in all, (the life and spring being over all) so all may be brought by him into the true and full oneness.

3. The Lord is to be acknowledged and praised in the bringing of it forth, (so far as it is brought forth) and to be waited upon for the further perfecting of it.

4. A watch is to be kept, throughout the whole body, and in every heart, for the preserving of it, so far as it is brought forth, that the enemy, by no device or subtilty, cause disunion or difference in any respect, wherein there was once a true unity and oneness. For the enemy will watch to divide; and if he be not watched against, in that which is able to discover and keep him out, by some device or other he will take his advantage to make a rent, in those that are not watchful, from the pure truth and unity of life in the body. For

he that in the least thing rents from the body (in any respect or particular which was brought forth by the life) he in that respect hearkens to another spirit, even the dividing spirit, and by its instigation rents from the life itself, and so doth not keep his habitation, nor his unity, with that which abides in its habitation.

Now it is also in my heart (for the perfecting of this close) to mention a few things, in the same love and tenderness, which I have found helpful to me towards the preserving of me in unity with the body. Perhaps it may please the Lord to refresh some others by the mention of them, and to make them useful and helpful to them also.

1. The first is, the pure fear of the Lord. This poiseth and guardeth the mind, keeping down fleshly confidence and conceitedness, (which is very apt to spring up) making it wary and considerate either of what it receives or rejects; of what it practiseth, or forbeareth practising; causing it to wait much, try much, and consult much with the Lord, and with his ministers and people, and preserves out of that suddenness and inconsiderateness of spirit, at which the enemy often enters. For truth is weighty, and will bear trial; and the more it is tried in the balance, the more manifest its nature and ways appear; but the enemy's appearances and likenesses are not so; but their deceit, by a thorough trial, comes to be made manifest.

2. The second is, humility of heart. This is very precious, and of a preserving nature.