The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 41
Upon the winnowing of the ſeed.
41. Med.
WHen the ſeed was thus threſht, or beat out, the next work was winnowing it, whereby the chaff and refuſe and lighteſt emptieſt part, was blown away with the winde, but the ſolid ſubſtantiall weighty grain was not hurt by it, but benefitted; it was refined and purified: I ſaw, what the furnace was to mettle, ſuch is the fan to the corn, that which ſeperateth, purgeth, and purifyeth it; this made me compare temporal with ſpirituals, and to conſider, that God hath many ways to purge and try his people, ſometimes he caſts them into the furnace of affliction, and trys them this way, others had trials of cruell mockings, and ſcourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and impriſonments, &c. Heb. 11.36. and ſometimes he trys them with the fan, to ſee what ſolidity is in them, the meſſenger of the Covenant ſhall come, but who may abide the day of his comming, or who ſhall ſtand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers ſoap, and he ſhall ſit as a refiner and purifier of ſilver, &c. then many a guilded piece will be found counterfeit, and many a glittering profeſſor found to be but a cheat, and much ſeeming gold prove to be but droſs and rubbiſh, but true gold neither fears the furnace, nor the touchſtone; here the ſincere Chriſtian and the hypocrite will be differenced, which now are hardly known aſunder, and will no longer ſerve to make up one heap of money; in this world they may grow in the ſame field, as did the wheat and the tares, they may lie together in the ſame mow, as the corn and the ſtraw, they may make up the ſame heap, as the wheat and the chaff, but they ſhall never lie in the ſame garner together, for this is reſerved for the wheat alone: here they may benefit one the other, as the ſtraw bears up the wheat, and the chaff and piles defend it from injury, and they are preſerved, ſecured, and fed for the wheats ſake, but hereafter the godly will not need their protection, and the other ſhall not have preſervation: here the earth helps the woman, and the innocent ſave the Iſland, Job. 22.30. and ſo both ſhall grow together till the harveſt, but then they ſhall be ſeperated one from another; now there are ſeveral fans, the devil hath his fan, Luk. 22.31. and the Lord ſaid, Simon, Simon, behold ſatan hath deſired to have you, that he may ſift you as wheat, but I have prayed, that thy faith fail not; he challenged him Goliah-like, to a ſingle combat, but without leave he cannot do it; 1 Pet. 5.8. be ſober, be vigilant, becauſe your adverſary the devil like a roaring lion walketh about, ſeeking whom he may devour: his end in ſifting is not to purify but to deſtroy; his ſieve holds nothing but refuſe, the beſt runs through; but Gods ſieve preſerves the beſt, and ſevers it from the chaff: there is a fan of ſcoffs, and ſcorns, which is in the hands of wicked men, the devils inſtruments, and much of the lighter chaff is blown away with the winde, and cannot ſtand before it, and there is alſo a fan of perſecution, and this though uſed by men, the devil guides and directs their hands, and this ſtronger blaſt carries almoſt all before it, the ſtony ground could not withſtand it; we have ſeen in our days very much of that which we accounted ſolid grain and principal wheat, hath proved chaff, and if this winde ſhould blow loud, it is like much more would fly; but there is another fan, and that is of errors, and hereſies, and this takes not away the chaff only, but ſome of the lighter ſort of corn, yea, and if poſſible, the very elect; this the Apoſtle warns profeſſors of, that they be not like children toſſed to and fro with every winde of doctrine, Eph. 4.14. and how many ſuch giddy hearers are there, that are caſt into what mould the preacher pleaſeth, and like glaſſes, are by the breath blown into any ſhape, but ere long Chriſt himſelf will come, with his fan, Mat. 3.12. whoſe fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff will he burn with unquenchable fire; heaven ſpewed out the angels for their apoſtacy, and no unclean thing ſhall ever enter there, nor dirty dog ſhall tread upon that pavement, nor droſs ſhall be mixt with that gold, no water with that ware, nor no chaff with this wheat, but for the chaff, it muſt to the fire, but not be conſumed, vivere volunt, mori neſciunt, they ſhall ſeek death but ſhall not finde it, Rev. 6.9. they that once might have had life, and would not, now they would have death, but cannot; oh my ſoul, are there trying times to come? wherein grace will be known from its conterfeit, and when the axe will be put to the root of the tree, and every one that brings not forth good fruit, ſhall be hewn down, and caſt into the fire? muſt the droſs be conſumed, and the chaff driven away, of the winde? look about thee, that thou be true gold, ſolid grain, and a tree of righteouſneſs, that brings forth good fruit, that thou exceedeſt all hypocrites in the world, and haſt ſomething they have not, and canſt do ſomething they cannot do, that thou maiſt be able to abide the refiners fire, and the fullers ſoap; that the houſe of thy profeſſion be built upon the rock, that no winde nor weather, ſtorms nor tempeſts, flouds nor waves of trouble, may moleſt thee; trouble will come, there is no prevention; ſometimes lighter afflictions, as ſmaller rain, and ſometime greater, as the overflowing of Jordan; amidſt theſe waves, thy ſhip had need be like the Ark, pitched within and without, yea, thou hadſt need to be ſhut in by God himſelf: A true Chriſtan is like Mount Sion, that cannot be moved, when he is founded upon this rock, nec flatu nec fluctu movetur, he need fear neither winde nor weather, if he fall, Chriſt himſelf muſt fall, and it is better fall with him, then ſtand without him: Chriſt lives in him, and while Chriſt that is the life of his ſoul lives, he cannot die; but if thy houſe be built upon the ſand, when the windes and waves come, and come they will, it will ſurely down, and great will be the fall thereof, becauſe irreſiſtable, and irreparable: O my God, are trying times coming? and muſt I be ſifted by ſatan? winnowed by the world, and fanned by Chriſt? who can ſtand in theſe trials, and bear up againſt theſe flouds, and waves without divine aſſiſtance? Lord, give me ſtrength from above, for vain is the help of man; make me ſolid grain that may abide the winde, true gold that may abide the fire, and build me upon that rock that is high, that no ſtorms nor tempeſts, may beat me down, nor all the flouds in the world may ever remove me.