John Trapp on Zechariah 13:9

Verſe 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire] Few they were, but not faultleſſe: they muſt therefore thorow the fire, that there they may leave their dreggs and droſſe behind them. For Quod ignis cſt auro, lima ferro, ventilabrum truico, lixivium pa[illegible: 1 letter]no, ſal carni, hoc tribulatio eſt viro uſto, ſaith Corn. a Lapide upon this Text: that is, what the fire is to the gold, the file to iron, the fanne to wheat, the ſope to clothes, the ſalt to fleſh, that is tribulation ſanctified to a righteous man. God is ſaid to have his fire in Zion, and his ſurnace in Jeruſalem, Eſay 31.9. to carry his thorow fire and thorow water, Pſal. 66.12, from above to ſend fire into their bones, Lam. 1.13. to put them to the fiery tryall, 1 Pet. 4.12. yea he himſelf is a Refiners fire unto them, and Fullers ſope, Mal. 3.2. (ſee the Note there.) He knowes them to be right gold, which will endure the ſeventh fire (Alchymy gold will not ſo) and therefore he puts them to't: that the tryall of their faith being much more precious then that of gold that periſheth, though tryed in the fire, may be found to praiſe, and honour, and glory, 1 Pet. 1.7. himſelf, mean-while, goeth with them into the fire and pulleth them out as a brand, Zech. 3. Non ſic impij, Pſal. 1. not ſo the ungodly. True it is, the tryall of their works alſo ſhall be by fire, 1 Cor. 3.13.Deut. 32.3. and they ſhall give an account one day with all the world on a light flame about their ears, 2 Pet. 3.12. Then ſhall they find, that the law they are judged by is a fiery law, the tribunall is of fire, Ezek. 1.27. the Judge a conſuming fire, Heb. 12.28. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. his attendants Seraphims, that is, flaming creatures, Heb. 1.7. his pleading with ſinners in fire of flame, 2 Theſſ. 1.7. the place of puniſhment a lakeof fire fed with a river of brimſtone, Iſa. 30.33. a formidable fire it is, fed with tormenting temper, and kindled by Gods own breath inſtead of bellows. Bellarmine is of opinion, that one glimpſe of this fearfull fire were enough to make a man not only turn Chriſtian and ſober, but Anchoret and Monk, and to live after the ſtricteſt order that can be. Pope Clement the fifth, upon the death of a Nephew of his and one of his Catamites, ſent his Chaplaine to a Conjurer,Jac. Ren. de vit. Pont. 159. to enquire how it fared with him in the other world. The Conjurer ſhewed him to the Chaplaine lying in a bed of fire in hell; This news ſo affected the wretched Pope, that he never held up his head, but (Nabal-like) died within a few dayes after it. But oh what a dreadfull ſhreek gave his guilty ſoul, to ſee it ſelf lanching into an infinite Ocean of ſcalding lead, and to think that it muſt ſwim naked therein for ever.

and will refine them, as ſilver is reſined] This is all the hurt he doth them by the fire; he hides pride from them, Job 33.19, &c. and divides betwixt the ſinne which he hates, and the ſonne whom he loves. For by this the iniquity of Jacob ſhall be purged: and this is all the fruit, the taking away of their ſinne: which they may very well ſpare,Eſay 27.9 and never hurt themſelves. Surely, as one poiſon is antidotary to another: ſo is affliction to ſinne: when ſanctified, it is no more penall, but medicinall; not a curſe, but a cure. As oil of ſcorpions is good againſt the biting of ſcorpions. As the wine wherein a viper hath been drowned cureth a leproſie. As the juyce of hemlock (a deadly plant) heals hot corroding ulcers, and aſſwageth the inflammation of the eyes: Or, as Rhubarb, though full of choler, doth mightily purge choler. Moſes neglected to circumciſe his child (as we do our hearts, it is ſuch a bloody work) till God met him and would have killed him. David could never ſee the beneſit of affliction, till God by thoſe ſharp waters had cleared up his eye-ſight. Geheza's leproſie cured him: his white forehead made him have a whiter ſoul. Surely, as the fining-pot is for ſilver, and the furnace for gold, ſo is affliction to the ſoul. Corrections of inſtruction, are the way of life, Pro. 6.23. But he that refuſeth correction deſpiſeth his own ſoul, Pro. 15 32. Winds and thunder clear the air (whereof they are the beeſoms, ſaith Ruperius) ſo do croſſes the ſoul. [illegible: 1 letter]f the outward man decay, the inward is thereby renewed: and the winter of the one,2 Cor. 4.16 is the ſpring of the other. As the viper when he is laſhed, caſteth up his poyſon: ſo doth the good ſoul when afflicted, purge it ſelf from all filth of fleſh and ſpirit, ſtriving to perfect holineſſe in the fear of God. Theſe Jews after they had been in the Babyloniſh furnace for idolatry, hated and feared that ſinne as much as the burnt child dreads the fire. They would die any death rather then admit an idoll. Joſephus tells how ſtoutly they oppoſed Pilate, and Petronius, that would would have ſet up Ceſars ſtatue in their Temples, offering their throats to the ſwords of the ſouldiers, rather then they would endure that idoll in Gods houſe. What God is now doing with them, and for them, in this long time of their ſad deſolation and diſperſion, who can tell? There are that think, that after much purging and proving, as here, God will gather a Church of them to himſelf: according to that which followeth; They ſhall call upon my name, and I will hear them, I will ſay, it is my people, &c. And that upon their profeſſion of Chriſt, ſhall come the ſoreſt time of affliction that ever was, chap. 14.1, 2. when Gog and Magog with all his troops, and armies ſhall compaſſe the beloved city, Rev. 20.8, 9. But the Jews ſhall get a glorious Conqueſt: for God himſelf from heaven will miraculouſly fight for them, verſe 3, 4, 5. together with all the holy Angels, the miniſters of his judgements, verſe 5. Sure it is, that the Turks fear ſome ſuch thing as this: and therefore they cannot abide that any Jew amongſt them ſhould turne Chriſtian. In the yeer 1528. a certain Jew dwelling in Conſtantinople became a good Chriſtian, and was baptized: which the Turks underſtanding were vehemently exaſperated againſt him for it; fearing leſt his converſion ſhould prove prejudiciall to their Mahometan religion, and therefore they apprehended and cruelly murthered him.

and try them as gold is tried] viz. that when I have tried them, they may come forth as gold, Job 33.10. Hence Gods people fall into manifold temptations, Jam. 1.2. they fall, they go not into them ſtep by ſtep, but are precipitated, plunged into them: and not into one of them, or a few, but into manifold temptations, or trials: yea fiery trials, ſo afflictions are called, becauſe thereby God proves what is in his people, Deut. 8.16. Rev. 2.10. Not to better his own knowledge of them neither; for he knows all things, and is intimo noſtro intimior nobis, Job. 2.25. Act. 1.24. Heb. 4.12. Artificers perfectly know the nature and properties of their own works, and ſhall not God ſee, Pſal. 94.9, 10. But tentat ut ſciat, hoc eſt, ut ſcire nos fac[illegible: 1 letter]at, Auguſt. he trieth us. 1. That he may make diſcoveries of himſelf unto us, eſpecially of his power and goodneſſe: and ſo get him a name, as Eſay 63.11, 12, 13. 2 Cor. 12.9. Elias would have water poured upon the ſacrifices, yea the Altar covered therewith, that Gods power might the more appear, in conſuming it with fire from heaven, and the people thereupon might cry, Iehovah he is God, 1 King. 18.39. Iehovah he is God: think the ſame here. 2. That he may make diſcoveries of us to our ſelves, and to others; who are apt to misjudge and undervalue us: as not onely Satan did, Iob chap. 1.9. but even Elihu, alſo (though otherwiſe a good man, and the beſt of his friends) chap. 34.36. But when they ſee our holy carriage under the croſſe, they can ſay of us as that Centurion did of our Saviour, Luke 23. Verily this was the Son of God: and as one Culocerius in the Church-hiſtory, when he ſaw the piety and conſtancy of the Martyrs, he cryed out, Verè magnus eſt Deus Chriſtïanorum, The Chriſtians God is a great God indeed. But as by afflictions we are made known to others, ſo to our ſelves much more. We are apt either to over-value, or elſe to under-value our ſelves, till put to the triall: as is to be ſeen in the hiſtory of Saunders and Pendleton. Hard weather tries what health; wind and ſtormes what ſap: withered leaves ſoon fall off. Rotten boughes with heavy weights quickly break. Woodden veſſells, ſet empty to the fire, ſoon break and leak; not ſo veſſells of gold and ſilver. The beſt divination what men are is at the parting-way, as Ezek. 21.21. When the fire comes to green wood, it will appear what's within: when the pond is empty, what's in the bottom. It is not known what corn will yeeld, till it come to the flail: nor what grapes, till it come to the preſſe. Grace is like the ſtone Chryſolampis, quem lux celat prodit obſcurum, which ſhine brighteſt in the dark. The skill of a Pilot is unknown but in a tempeſt:Solinus. the valour of a Captain, but in a battle: the faithfulneſſe of a wife, but in an aſſault. The wicked tried are found to be but reprobate ſilver: or at beſt, but Alchymy-gold, that endureth not the ſeventh fire. They are [non-Latin text not transcribed], as Crocodiles, Chameleons, Bats, Spunges, &c. They murmure when tried, as Pſal. 78.40, 41. Or curſe, as Micah's mother, Iudg. 17. Or fret, and howl upward, as Wolves when hunge-rbit, Eſay 8.21. Or faint in the day of affliction, as Saul, who lay upon the ground like a beaſt, 1 Sam. 28.20. Or Nabal, who lay in his bed like a block. Or deſert God and his cauſe, as thoſe Renegado's, Dan. 11.32. and thoſe in the Palatinate, who fell to Popery as faſt as leaves fall off the trees in Autumne. Many titular Chriſtians amongſt us, were, in times of peace, but as wolves in a cage, but as lions tamed by art: they wanted nothing but liberty and opportunity to ſhew their wolviſh and worrying natures, which now theſe late ſhedding and diſcriminating times have ſufficiently diſcovered. Have all theſe workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up Gods people as they eat bread, and call not upon God? They ſhall call upon my name, and I will hear them. Pſal. 14.4. No time for hearing of prayers and obtaining of ſuits like that of affliction. Thoſe are molliſſima fandi Tempora, the time of affliction is the very time of ſupplication: then our hearts are largeſt, then Gods ear is openeſt. Then the ſaints may have any thing for asking, Pſal. 50.15. and 91.15. Thus Lot had Zoar at his requeſt, Deut. 29.23. Paul had all the ſouls in the ſhip given him, Act. 27. Jacob greatly fearing to be bereft of his Benjamin prayed, God give you bowels of mercy before the man, Gen. 43.14. He prayed it, and he had it, ver. 30. For Ioſeph made haſt: for his bowels did yern upon his brother, &c. God reſerves his beſt comforts for the worſt times: as the feaſt-maker kept his beſt wine till the laſt, Ioh. 2. as the mother brings forth her conſerves and cordials, when the child ſis at ſickeſt, Iſrael was never ſo royally provided for, as in the wilderneſſe. I will bring her into the wilderneſſe and ſpeak to her heart, Hoſ. 2.13. As a bone once broken is ſtronger after ſetting: and as lovers are never greater friends then after a falling out: ſo is it betwixt God and his people. Affliction exciteth devotion,-as the bellows doth the fire, and excited devotion prevaileth much, Iam. 5.16.

I will ſay, It is my people and they ſhall ſay, The Lord is my God] by a gracious complyance they ſhall with higheſt eſtimations, moſt vigorous affections and utmoſt endeavours beſtow themſelves upon that God that hath ſo farr owned and honoured them as toſt rike a covenant with them: the fruits whereof are ſure mercies, compaſſions that faile not, all the bleſſings of this and a better life. A covenant is the collection of many promiſes; as a conſtellation is the collection of many ſtarrs: and though it be (in ſumm) but one promiſe, I will be thy God, yet it is ſuch an one as comprehends all: and is therefore fifteen times, at leaſt, mentioned in ſcripture. It is the ſubſtance of the Covenant of grace, ſaith Junius: the ſoule of it, ſaith Pareus: the head or top of it, ſaith Muſculus: Deus meus & omnia, ſaith Luther, God is mine, all's therefore mine. But then, as God muſt be our All-ſufficient, ſo we muſt be his Altogether: and when he cryes out, Who is on my ſide, who? One ſhall ſay I am the Lords: and another ſhall call himſelf by the name of Iacob: and another ſhall ſubſcribe with his hand to the Lord, and ſurname himſelf by the name of Iſrael Eſay 44.5. O it is ableſſed ſigne that God hath choſen us firſt 1 Ioh. 4.19. when we chuſe God as Pſal. 73.25. ſincerely avouching him for our God. Sincerity (or Evangelicall perfection) is the only abſolute condition of the Covenant of grace Gen. 17.1. God and the Saints have ever judged of men by this: Judge me, O Lord, according to mine integrity, ſaith David, The promiſes are made to it Pſal. 119.1. Mat. 5.8. Gods eye is upon it as in David the man after Gods own heart. He bleſſeth the little that ſuch have, as in Nathanael, Cornelius, the Eunuch. He paſſeth by their infirmities, as in Aſa 1 King. 15.14. and accepteth their ſervices nevertheleſſe. as 2 Chron. 30.19, 20.