The fiery trial no strange thing delivered in a sermon preached at Charlestown February…The fiery tryal no strange thing delivered in a sermon preached at Charlestown February…

4. There is a time of reformation expected, and waited for by the people of God, and it is hoped not to be far off; and this is the very way in which God hath purposed to bring it about: when the Lord speaks of the happy reformation of the people of the Jews, he propounds such a method as this ⟨p. 16⟩to do it in, Zech. 13. 8, 9. two parts therein shall cut off, and die, and the third part shall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire, &c. Gods work of reformation, as it is a glorious, so also it is a terrible work, a work which but a few will be able to endure: it is very probable that two thirds when they come near the fire, and begin to feel it scorch, will not bear it, but seek to avoid it: and thus we hear of many thousands in France that are daily renouncing the Protestant cause, and coming over to Popery, through fear and cowardice: and the other third part they must pass through the fire that they may be reformed, that when they are tried, they may come forth as Gold: and is there any strange thing in all this? hence therefore, that we may be settled and not shaken, let us carefully build upon these conclusions.

4. There is a time of reformation expected, and waited for by the people of God, and it is hoped not to be far off; and this is the very way in which God hath purposed to bring it about: when the Lord speaks of the happy reformation of the people of the Jews, he propounds such a method as this ⟨p. 16⟩to do it in, Zech. 13. 8, 9. two parts therein shall cut off, and die, and the third part shall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire, &c. Gods work of reformation, as it is a glorious, so also it is a terrible work, a work which but a few will be able to endure: it is very probable that two thirds when they come near the fire, and begin to feel it scorch, will not bear it, but seek to avoid it: and thus we hear of many thousands in France that are daily renouncing the Protestant cause, and coming over to Popery, through fear and cowardize: and the other third part they must pass through the fire that they may be reformed, that when they are tryed, they may come forth as Gold: and is there any strange thing in all this? hence therefore, that we may be settled and not shaken, let us carefully build upon these conclusions.