Chapter 20
The fan does cause light chaff to fly away,
So shall th'ungodly, in Gods winnowing day.
OBSERVATION.
WHen the Corn is threshed out in the floor, where it lyes mingled with empty ears, and worthless chaff, the husbandman carries it out altogether into some open place, where having spread his sheet for the preservation of the grain, he exposes it all to the wind; the good grain, by reason of its solidity, remains upon the sheet, but the chaff being light and empty, is partly carried quite away by the wind, and all the rest separated from the good grain into a distinct heap; which is carried away, either to the fire of the dunghil, as a worthless thing.
APPLICATION.
MEn have their winnowing dayes, and God has his; a day to separate the chaff from the wheat, the godly from the ungodly, who shall both be held up to the wind, but only the wicked shall be driven away by it. Such a day God has in this world, wherein he winnows his wheat, and separates the chaff. There is a double fanning or winnowing of men here in this world; one is doctrinally, in which sense I understand that Scripture, Mat. 3. 12. spoken of Christ, when he was entring into his Ministerial work, His fan is in his hand, and he shall throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will brun up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The preaching of the Gospel is as a fan in Christs hand, and it is as much as if Iohn had thus told the Iews, that though there were the many hypocrytical ones among them, that had now a place and name among the people of God, and gloried in their Church-priviledges, yet there is a purging blast of truth coming, which shall make them fly out of the Church, as fast as chaff out of the floor. Thus Christ winnows or fans the world doctrinally: The other is judicially, by bringing sore and grievous tryals and sufferings upon the Churches, for this very end, that those which are but chaff, (i. e.) empty and vain Professors may be such winds as these, be separated from his people.
The Church increases two wayes, and by two divers means extensively, in breadth and numbers, and intensively, in vigour and power; peace and prosperity cause the first, sufferings and adversity the last; and well may a day of persecution be called a winnowing day, for then were the people of God tossed to purpose, as corn in the si[•]ve, though nothing but chaff be l[•]st thereby. Of such a winnowing day the Prophet speaks, Amos 9. 9, 10. I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth, all the sinners of my people shall die. (q. d.) I will cause great agitations and tossings among you by the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians, into whose Countryes you shall be disperst and scattered, yet I will so govern those your dispersions by my providence, that not one good grain, one upright soul shall eternally perish; but the sinners of my people, the refuse stuff, that shall perish.
To the same purpose speaks another Prophet, Zeph. 1. 1, 2. Gather your selves together, (or as some read) fan your selves, yea, fan your selves, before the decree bring forth, and the day pass as the chaff. He does not mean, that the time shall pass as the chaff, but there is a day of affliction and distress coming in which the wicked shall pass as the chaff before the wind; and yet notwithstanding, all these winnowings upon earth, much chaff will still abide among the corn; therefore God has appointed another day for the winnownig of the world, even the day of judgment, in reference to which it is said, Psal. 1. 4, 5. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away; therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; (i. e.) God has a day wherein he will fift the world, like corn in a sieve, and then the wicked shall appear to be but chaff, which God will eternally separate from his wheat. I will not strain the similitude, but fairly display it in these seven particulars.
The chaff and wheat grow together in the same field, and upon the same root and stalk. In this, wicked men are like chaff, who not only associate with the people of God, but oftentimes spring up with them in the same families, and from the same root, or immediate Parents, Mal. 1. 2. was not Esau, Iacobs brother; yet the one was wheat, the other chaff. Instances of this are infinite.
The Husbandman would never endure the husks, chaff, and dry stalks to remain in the field, if it were not for the good corns sake; he would quickly set fire on it, but that the corn is among it, which he highly prizeth; and be assured, God would never suffer the wicked to abide long in this world were it not for his own[••]act that were dispersed among them. Except the Lord had such a remnant dispersed in the world, he would quickly set fire to the four quarters, and make it like Sodom, Isa. 1. 9.
The chaff is a very worthless thing, the Husbandman cares not what becomes of it, and of as little worth are wicked men, Prov. 10. 20. The heart of the wicked is little worth. The heart is the principal part of the man, and yet that's but chaff, no worth in it; his lands, his cloaths, &c. are worth somewhat, but his heart is worth nothing.
Though chaff in it self be nothing worth, yet, it is of some use ot the corn whiles 'tis standing in the field; the stalk bears up the ear, and the chaff covers the grain, and defends it from the injury of the weather. Thus God makes wicked men of use to his people, in outward society; they help to support and protect them in this world, Rev. 12. 16. The earth helped the woman, (i. e.) worldly men for carnal ends helpt the Church, when a flood of persecution was poured out. The Church often helps the world, it receives many benefits from the people of God; and sometimes God overrules the world to help his Church.
When the chaff and wheat are both brought forth and held up to the wind in one sieve, they fall two wayes; the wheat falls down upon the floor or shee[•], the chaft is carried quite away: So although for a time godly and ungodly abide together, yet when this winnowing time comes, Gods wheat shall be gathered into his garner in heaven, the chaff shall go the other way, Mat. 3. 12.
If there be any chaff among the corn, it will appear when it is sifted in a windy day, it cannot possibly escape if it be well winnowed; much more impossible it is for any wicked man to escape the critical search of God in that day? the closest hypocrite shall then be detected, for God will judge the secrets of men, 2 Cor. 16. He will then bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the heart, I Cor. 4. 5.
Lastly, after corn and chaff are separated by the winnowing wind, they shall never lye together in one heap any more. The wicked shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, but themselves thrust out; there is no chaff in heaven.
REFLECTIONS.
AM I an empty vain Professor, that want the pith and substance of real godliness; then am I but chaff in Gods account, though I grow among his corn; the eye of man cannot discern my hypocrisie, but when he comes, whose fan is in his hand, then how plainly will it be detected? Angels and men shall discern it, and say, Lo, this is the man that made not God his hope; how shall I abide the day of his coming? Christ is the great heart-Anatomist; things shall not be carried then, by names and parties, as they are now; every one shall be weighed in a just balance, and a Mene Tekel, written upon every false heart; great will be the perspicuity of that trial, my own conscience shall joyn with my Iudg, and shall then acknowledg, that there is not one drop of injustice in all that Sea of wrath; and though I am damned, yet I am not wronged; the chaff cannot stand before the wind, nor I before the judgment of Christ.
Is there such a fanning time coming; why do not I then sift my heart every day, by serious self-examination? no work more important to me, and yet how much have I neglected It? O my soul! you hadst been better imployed, in searching your own estate in reference to that day, than in prying sinfully into the hearts, and censuring the conditions of other men; judge your self, and you shalt not be condemned with the world; the work indeed is difficult, but the neglect dangerous: were I within a few dayes to stand at mans bar, there to be tryed for my life, how busie should I be every hour of the day in writing to any that I thought could befriend me? and studying every advantage to my self? and yet, what a vast difference is there between mans bar and Gods? between a tryal for my life, and for my soul? Lord, rouze up my sluggish heart by awful and solicitous thoughts of that day, left I be found among that chaff, which shall be burnt up with unquenchable fire!
Fear not, O my soul! though there be a blast coming which shall drive all the chaff into hell, yet it shall blow you no harm. I know that when he has tryed me, I shall come forth as gold, Iob 23. 10. I confess I have too much chaff about me, but yet I am not altogether chaff? there is a solid work of grace upon my soul, that will abide the tryal: let the judgement to come be as impartial and exact as its possible to be, yet a grain of sincerity cannot be lost in it; for God will not cast away a perfect (i. e.) an upright hearted) man, Iob 8. 20. He that's appointed to judge the world is mine; and his imputed righteousness will make me full weight in the balance. Bless the Lord (O my soul) for sincerity; this will abide, when common gifts and empty names will flee as the chaff before the wind.
The Poem.
THe winnowing wind first drives the chaff away,
Next light, and hollow grains; those only stay
Whose weight, and solid substance can endure
This tryal, and such grains are counted pure.
The corn for use is carefully preserv'd,
The useless chaff for burning flames reserv'd.
No wind but blows some good, a Proverb is;
Glad shall I be, if it hold true in this.
O, that the wind when you to winnowing go,
This spiritual good to your souls might blow!
To make you pause, and sadly ruminate
In what a doleful plight and wretched state
Their souls are in, who cannot hope to stand
When he shall come, whose fan is in his hand.
His piercing eyes infallibly disclose,
The very reins, and inward parts of those
Whose outside seeming grace so neatly paints,
That with the best, they pass for real Saints.
No hypocrite with God acceptance finds,
But like the chaff dispers'd by furious winds:
Their guilt shall not that searching day endure,
Nor they approach th'assemblies of the pure.
Have you observ'd in Autumn, thistle-down
By howling Enrus scatter'd up and down
About the fields? even so Gods ireful storm
Shall chace the hypocrite, who now can scorn
The breath of close reproofs; and like a rock
Repel reproofs, and just reprovers mock.
How many that in splendid garments walk
Of high professions! and like Angels talk,
Shall God devest; and openly proclaim
Their secret guilt, to their eternal shame!
This is the day, wherein the Lord will rid
His Church of those false friends, which now lie hid.
Among his people. There will not be one
False heart remian, to lose our love upon.
O, bless'd assembly! glorious state! when all
In their uprightness walk, and ever shall.
O make my heart sincere, that I may never
Prove such light chaff as then your wind will sever.
From solid grain! O let my soul detest
Unsoundness? and abide your strictest test.
