N00264:58
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…
The fiery trial no strange thing; delivered in a sermon preached at Charlestown, February 15. 1681. Being a day of humiliation: / by Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston in New England. ; [Four lines of quotations]The fiery tryal no strange thing; delivered in a sermon preached at Charlstown, February 15. 1681. Being a day of humiliation: / by Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston in New England. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed for Samuel Sewall, 1682
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. That the fiery trial is intended only to try the Saints. it is not brought to destroy them, but only to refine and purify them: were believers thoroughly persuaded of what God meaneth, by these things, they would not be so liable to those frights and amazements which distract and disturb them: our Text fortifies this conclusion, restraining them to this proper end and purpose.
1. That the fiery tryal is intended only to try the Saints. it is not brought to destroy them, but only to refine and purifie them: were believers thoroughly perswaded of what God meaneth, by these things, they would not be so liable to those frights and amazements which distract and disturb them: our Text fortifies this conclusion, restraining them to this proper end and purpose.
2. That God overrules all instruments: yea, though, as they are rational agents, and causes by counsel of their own actions, they design nothing but mischief, yet he will use them as mere instruments in his hand, not to gain their own projected ends, but his, which they neither know nor design: they shall but do his pleasure, and not their own, Isai.10 7. Ah Assyrian! the rod of my anger: what can a rod do without an hand to manage it? no more can they but as God improves them: we look too much on men, and think their power is great, and rage implacable, and now what are we not to expect to suffer? but remember, their wrath shall but serve to praise God, and the remainder he will restrain.
2. That God overrules all instruments: yea, though, as they are rational agents, and causes by counsel of their own actions, they design nothing but mischief, yet he will use them as meer instruments in his hand, not to gain their own projected ends, but his, which they neither know nor design: they shall but do his pleasure, and not their own, Isai.10 7. Ah Assyrian! the rod of my anger: what can a rod do without an hand to manage it? no more can they but as God improves them: we look too much on men, and think their power is great, and rage implacable, and now what are we not to expect to suffer? but remember, their wrath shall but serve to praise God, and the remainder he will restrain.