London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our…

Afterwards Pila•e sitting in his Tribunal-seat, ⟨p. 40⟩was very careful to call all the Jews together before him, as though there he would have given them an Answer; when upon the sudden a Company of armed Soldiers (for so it was provided) compassed the Jews about with a triple rank: the Jews were hereat amazed, seeing that which they expected not; then Pilate told them, that except they would receive the Images of Caesar, he would kill them all: and to that end made a sign to the Soldiers to draw their Swords. The Jews, as though they had agreed thereto, fell all down at once, and offered their necks to the stroke of the Sword, crying out, that they would rather lose their lives, then suffer their Religion to be profaned. Then Pilate admiring the constancy of the people in their Religion, presently commanded the Statues to be taken out of the City of Jerusalem. All the hurt the fire did the three Children (or ¹rather Champions) was to burn off their cords. Our lusts are cords of vanity, but by fiery trials God will burn them up. Zecha. 13. 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them, as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. The best of men are but men at the best, they have much corruption and dross in them, and they need •efining; and therefore God by fiery trials will refine them, •ut not as dross or chaff which are burnt up in the fire, but •s silver and gold which are purified in the fire: he will so •efine them, as that they shall leave their dregs and dross behind them. Look what the fire is to the gold, the file to the Iron, the fan to the wheat, the soap to the clothes, the salt to the flesh, that shall fiery trials be to the Saints: But what shall be the fruit of their refining? Answ. They shall call on my Name, and I will hear them. I will say, it is my people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God. By fiery trials God will purge out our dross, and make virtue shine. All the fiery trials that befall the Saints, shall be as a potion to carry away ill humours, and as cold frosts to destroy the vermin, and as a tempestuous Sea to purge the wine from its lees, and as the North wind that dryeth up the vapours, that purges the blood, and that quickens the spirits, and as a sharp Corrosive to eat out the dead flesh.