cendiaries against the
kingdom of Satan! If we will indeed appear zealous for the Lord, let it
not seem strange if the adversaries of reformation say of us, as they said
of the apostles themselves, "These that have turned the world upside down
are come hither also," Acts xvii. 6. Yet it shall be no grief of heart to
us afterward, but peace and joy unspeakable, that we have endeavoured to
do our duty faithfully.

Passively also the application must be made, because the sons of Levi
must, in the first place, go through this refining fire themselves, and
they, most of all other men, have need to be, and must be, refined from
their dross. I find in Scripture that these three things had a beginning
among the priests and prophets: 1. Sin, error, and scandal, beginneth at
them, Jer. l. 6, "Their shepherds have caused them to go astray;" xxiii.
15, "From the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the
land." 2. Judgment begins at them, Ezek. ix. 6, "Slay utterly old and
young,--and begin at my sanctuary." 3. The refining work of reformation
beginneth, or ought to begin, at the purging and refining of the sons of
Levi; so you have it in the next words after my text, and where Hezekiah
beginneth his reformation at the sanctifying of the priests and Levites, 2
Chron. xxix. 4, 5, &c. But as it was then in Judah, it is now in England,
some of the sons of Levi are more upright to sanctify themselves than
others. The fire that I spake of before will prove every man and his work.

I am sorry I have occasion to add a third application. But come on, and I
will show you greater things than these. What will you say, if any be
found among the sons of Levi, that will neither be active nor passive in
the establishing of the church-refining and sin-censuring government of
Jesus Christ, but will needs appear upon the stage against it. This was
done in a late sermon now come abroad, which hath given no small scandal
and offence. I am confident every other godly minister will say, let my
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth before I do the like.

I have done with that which the text holds forth concerning reformation.
The second way how Christ is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's
soap, is in respect of tribulation, which either followeth or accompanieth
his coming into his temple. Affliction is indeed a refining fire: Psal.
lxvi. 10, "For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver
is tried;" ver. 12, "We