being, any creaturely agency of any kind, is clear from what is immediately appended to the city having "no TEMPLE;""And the city had no need of the Sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the GLORY of GOD did LIGHTEN it, and the LAMB is the LIGHT thereof."

This city itself could be no illustration of the Temple spoken of by the apostle, which he describes as being built on "Christ the Foundation," by the hands and agency of the apostles. But it may be said, the apostles are mentioned in connexion with the wall of this city. Very true: but can the wall be considered as any thing more to the city, than the outer court was to the Temple formerly. The correspondence seems clearly defined. The outer court of the Temple was for those who were not sufficiently purified to enter the Temple or its inner court; though permitted to worship in the outer.

of this glorious city we may perceive that though no creaturely representation is employed to designate the production of the city itself, which " was pure gold like unto clear glass;" yet "the wall of the city, great and high, had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, (or ministering spirits,) and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel." Here is denoted the agency of the twelve tribes amongst whom God had been pleased to place his Name, preparatory to that clearer revelation of HIMSELF to the world as this glorious city, by the Light which is yet to be revealed, when the city shall "descend from God out of heaven,"-" and the glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamb shall be the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the Light of it; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it."and there shall be no night there."

Blessed era! who can contemplate it without some cheering rays of hope, that "the thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes," that now are, and have latterly been in the

earth, are contributing at least some far distant preparation towards its approach. And now let us see the part assigned. to "the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

"The city lieth four square, and the length is as large as the breadth,"—"On the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates." Here is not only the equal means of access from every quarter, but by the twelve gates assigned to the twelve tribes, there are also "twelve Foundations in the wall; and in them the NAMES of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Mark twelve Foundations to the wall of the city; not the "one Foundation of the Temple, which is Christ ;" and moreover "God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of this city."

Such an incongruity, as making twelve foundations of the wall of the City into the one Sure Foundation of a Temple, is surely inadmissible. And as to the inscription of the names of the apostles upon those twelve foundations, it militates directly against J. W.'s position; for who ever heard, that any builders, or any distinguished individuals whose names were inscribed on the Foundations or other parts of the buildings, were thereby metamorphosed, and transformed into "the first course of Stones!"

Hence I conceive this very text, Rev. xxi. 14., proves beyond a question that the twelve apostles are there represented as Paul, in 1 Cor. iii. 5, 11., represents himself and Apollos, as "Labourers together with God;" or as being through God, not STONES, but "wise MASTER-BUILDERS;" and that only in the wall of the city.

Peter in his first epistle addressed to the "Elect through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of JESUS CHRIST," preserves a like position and office, for he does not bring himself in as any portion of the building. His exhortation is: "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be

ye have tasted that the LORD is gracious; to WHOM coming as unto a living STONE, disallowed of men, but chosen of God and precious, YE also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Not a word about the apostles being "the first course of stones;" but an entire and perfect unison with the language of his "beloved brother Paul, who wrote many things which the unlearned," in the school of Christ, "and the unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures;" for Peter says not we but YE are "lively stones, a spiritual house." In effect he repeats the language of Paul: "We preach not ourselves, but CHRIST JESUS the LORD, and ourselves, your servants for Jesus' sake."

In proof of this Peter adds: "Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on HIM "—not on us shall not be confounded." Throughout this passage, Peter says in effect: "We are nothing-Christ is all.”

Thus said the "early Friends" preaching Jesus, exalting Him not only above themselves; but above the Holy Scriptures, the blessed record of Him. And with this does the figure of the new Jerusalem accord.-The apostles have their names inscribed upon the Foundation of the wall, their labours having laid the precious stones with which "the foundations of the wall of the city are garnished;" but it is observable that amongst these the first foundation is Jasper, that unto which the "GLORY of God, and the LIGHT of this city is compared, in verse 11, and the superstructure of the wall is of the same: "The building of the wall of it was of Jasper; representing the glory of God; but not ascribing that glory to his blessed apostles, even as regards the wall of the city; for to build even this with "the glory of God," their ability as labourers must have been derived from God: whilst John says of the city: "I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming

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APOSTLES AND PROPHETS FOUNDATION.

CHAP. 2.

down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the Tabernacle of GOD is WITH MEN ”—thus coinciding precisely with "the new Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven."

Surrounded as we are at the present day with the obscurity which arose by the departure of the Christian Church, from true and living faith in the Son of God; and which obscuration, though we may humbly trust it is on the wane, yet still spreads a veil so thick over the minds of the Christian world, as to prevent their acknowledgement, if not their perception, of that "mystery which had been hid from ages and from generations," and which, though made manifest to the primitive saints, has since been too generally hidden again even from ages and from generations more-so that being encompassed as with this cloud, the minds even of those who are brought to a clear sense and knowledge of the RICHES of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ IN YOU the hope of glory;" can scarcely endure the contemplation of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, as she

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came down from God out of heaven;" much less can the carnal mind comprehend her glory, as set forth in the vision of the beloved disciple; or even conceive such a state of things relates to the tabernacle of God being with men;" though John heard it so proclaimed with "a GREAT VOICE out of heaven."

SECTION V.

On Perfection.

As most if not all the charges brought by J. W. against G. Fox, are more or less involved in the subject of perfection, or are noticed either specially or incidentally with reference to the opinions G. F. held on this subject, it may not be deemed unsuitable to concentrate the further notice that will be taken of those charges, under this head.

In page 301, J. W. says: "The absurdity of the pretension to perfection, is most strikingly shown in the case of George Fox, who in his Journal, under the date of 1648, writes thus: 'Now was I come up in spirit through the flaming sword into the paradise of God. All things were new, and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before; beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness, innocency, and righteousness, being renewed up into the image of God by CHRIST JESUS; so that I was come up to the state of Adam, which he was in before he fell.

"The Creation was opened to me, and it was showed me how all things had their names given them according to their nature and virtue. I was at a stand in my mind, whether I should practice physick for the good of mankind, seeing the nature and virtue of the creatures were so opened to me by the LORD. But I was immediately taken up in spirit to see into another or more stedfast state than Adam's in innocency, even into a state in CHRIST JESUS that should never fall.

"The LORD showed me that such as were faithful to Him in the Power and Light of CHRIST, should come up into that state in which Adam was before he fell. In which the admirable works of the Creation, and the virtues thereof may be known through the openings of that Divine Word of wisdom and power, by which they were made. Great things did the