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 Charlstown, February…

2. It cannot rationally be looked upon as an unexpected thing. This will appear, (if laying aside all other grounds of it) we only consider that God hath forewarned his people of it, and told them that it shall be: for either we must think that he speaks not as he intends, and so would deceive us with vain fears, or else that he is ignorant of it, and so we must deny his supreme providence in all these events, or else we must take his predictions for evidence of the futurity of it: the Scripture frequently puts us in mind of, and counsels us to prepare for such times: it declares it not only as a thing possible, which yet should prevent our security; or probable, which yet will put a wise man upon expectation; but future, or a thing which must be, it was one of the last warnings ⟨p. 8⟩which our Saviour Christ gave to his Disciples, and with which he closeth up his last Sermon to them, just before he was taken from them, Joh.16. ult. In this world ye shall have tribulation. The Apostles of Christ looked upon it as a necessary Doctrine to be taught all the people of God, and were therefore careful to instruct them in it in all places where they came, Acts 14.21,22. That we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Paul ascertains Timothy, that it is a Catholic verity, a thing to be expected by all, as being equally extensive to a godly life, 2 Tim.3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. So that not to expect it, is an implicit denial, at least calling in question of the truth of the Gospel.

2. It cannot rationally be looked upon as an unexpected thing. This will appear, (if laying aside all other grounds of it) we only consider that God hath forewarned his people of it, and told them that it shall be: for either we must think that he speaks not as he intends, and so would deceive us with vain fears, or else that he is ignorant of it, and so we must deny his supream providence in all these events, or else we must take his predictions for evidence of the futurity of it: the Scripture frequently puts us in mind of, and counsels us to prepare for such times: it declares it not only as a thing possible, which yet should prevent our security; or probable, which yet will put a wise man upon expectation; but future, or a thing which must be, it was one of the last warnings