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by him; on which account he was expelled the school.

Soon after he was proselyted to the strictest sect of the pharisees' religion, and professed himself a disciple of Moses. Being settled in this religion, he then took to studying architecture; and, being very fond of the Babel-builder's plan, he was put apprentice to a Babylonish architect, with whom he soon became a great proficient. It is thought the foundations of mystical Jericho were laid by him, and the gates set up by his direction. "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord that raiseth up and buildeth this city of Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it,” Josh. vi. 26. He afterwards went and settled in Damascus, a city famous for mud walls and sun-burnt bricks; nor can I learn that they have found out any better materials to this day.

In this city he learnt the art of daubing with untempered mortar, Ezek. xiii. 14; and mixed it with hay, straw, and stubble, 1 Cor. iii. 12; but not better cemented together than a bird's nest. However, many delighted in his work, because it was cheap, and a quick way of building; and many, at the house-warming, said, 'We shall die in this nest,' Job xxix. 18. But alas! they too soon found their mistake, for its sandy foundation was tried by the floods, and the superstructure by the wind Euroclydon; and, though many had boasted that

the sum they paid for the building was but small, yet the ruins were found to be great, Luke vi. 49. Some, who were very fond of him for his cheap way of building, called him Charity; and, because he would build with any materials, they called him Universal; so putting both together, he has been called by many Universal Charity; but his name is Love-Self; and he answers that name well, for every body that knows him is assured that he hates all but those that love and revere him. They were builders of this stamp that opposed Paul, that wise master-builder, and alienated the affections of the Galatians both from Paul and from his Lord.

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They zealously affect you, but not well. Yea, they would exclude you [from Christ] that

affect them," Gal. iv. 17.

Judge. You are sure all this is true?
Penetration. It is true, my Lord.

ye might

'Well,' said the Judge, thou hast proved him an impostor, a rebel, and a deceiver. Cryer, call forth Mr. Wise-master-builder.'

Judge. Do you know the prisoner at the bar? Wise. Yes, my Lord. I know not his nativity, but I know the man, and have suffered much by him; for many in my neighbourhood, who were just and liberal men, have employed me as a builder, and I have digged deep for a good foundation, and have built on the Rock, agreeable to the ancient laws and models, and have left the sovereign Lord of the universe to pick me out his own chosen materials, fit for the building: but

this man has backbitten me to them who employed me, and told them that there was no call to dig so deep; and, as to materials, they might be got nearer home; and, though it was built on a rock, yet he said that rock had often given way, and it was no safer a foundation than the sand. And, if the people would not listen to him, he has, in the dark, tried to pick away the foundation, and take away some of any materials, and thrust in others, which has caused some dangerous settlements in the building, and these have greatly weakened and shook other parts thereof, insomuch that it looked more like a ruinous heap than a building compact together; and, when he had made a breach in any of the walls, he would put in a little untempered mortar, telling them that they must be co-workers together with the Spirit; and that all men must exert the power they are possessed of, and that by the joint co-operation of divine Omnipotence and human impotence the foundation and the superstructure were to be cemented together. And he farther added, that, if this human power was in the least withdrawn from the building, the divine power was not sufficient to keep it up; for many, he said, had fallen from grace: but I never heard him say that any soul had ever fallen from free-will and human power; but that those who had relied upon the ancient report, namely, that Mercy's building was to be begun and finished, "not by might nor by power, but by my spirit," as the Lord of Hosts declareth, Zech. iv. 6; these, he said,

were already fallen into Antinomianism. So, according to his account, there is nothing pure, nothing divine, nor any omnipotence, but what comes from flesh and blood. This, my Lord, is what I have to say; and I believe it is the truth, and nothing but the truth.

Then said the Judge. A man's house is his castle; and it is clear that he has terrified and disturbed the whole family of God. If the foundations can be destroyed, what shall the righteous do? This man, by his untempered mortar, is one that follows his own spirit, not the spirit of truth; he makes breaches instead of closing them up; he sets people at war with God, instead of encouraging them to stand in the battle of the Lord. The whole current of the celestial laws are against him, which I shall select out of an act published in the land of the Chaldeans, in the thirtieth year of Israel's captivity, in the month Thaummauz, Ezek. i, 1, entitled, ‘An act for discovering, detecting, and reproving lying prophets.'

"And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord God; Wo unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle

in the day of the Lord. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith, and the Lord hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it, albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar; say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hail stones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? Therefore thus saith the Lord God, I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hail-stones in my fury to consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foun

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