so that he attain unto a right knowledge of God and of the Messiah promised and typified by the Sacrifices of Aaron by whose Blood and thro' whose Righteousness only Justification is to be had for without Christs Blood there is no cleansing from Sin and filthyness neither of Heart nor Life for young nor old It is not only to direct young Men to reform their Lives and Ways according to the Precepts of God's Word nor to think by any degree of moral Righteousness or inherent Holiness they could be cleansed no no but to take heed according to the mysterious and sublime Doctrine of God's free grace in Christ Which was the only way of Salvation as well under the Law as under the dispensation of the Gospel Sirs this was and still is Christs Fan namely the glorious Doctrine of God's Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Christ's blood and it was by this fan Christ cleansed that Jewish floor to which my Text primarily refers For the Jews were his floor in which was abundance of Chaff and now Jesus Christ was come with his fan in his hand to purge this floor and evident it is his holy Doctrine severed or separated the Wheat from the Chaff and by this means was the Wheat gathered into Christs Gospel-Garner and the Chaff blown away for as Chaff cannot endure the wind of the fan so could not those unbelieving Jews and hypocritical Pharisees endure Christs holy and heavenly Doctrine See Joh. 6. 52. to v. 60. How can this Man give us his flesh to eat They thought he spake of a Natural eating of his flesh as we eat the flesh of Beasts or Fish His Doctrine was not understood by them Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you ver 53. Now the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is no other thing than the receiving Jesus Christ by Faith for Righteousness and eternal Life Believing in Christ coming to Christ looking to Christ leaning trusting or staying on Christ receiving of Christ and eating of Christ imply one and the same thing It is our going out of our selves to him or feeding by faith on him or resting or relying on his Merits on his Obedience in his Life and in his Death for Justification and eternal Life without any Works done by us or any Righteousness wrought in us as the Apostle speaks But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness But this mysterious and sublime Doctrine the Jews could not bear but it was such a Fan as fanned them all away that believed not For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God They thought their own personal and inherent Righteousness was that by which they must be justified accepted and eternally saved they had meat of their own to eat and therefore saw no need to go to their Neighbours door for it they were full and increased in Goods and thought they had need of nothing And hence the Doctrine of Justification by the Righteousness of Christ alone was rejected by them it was not understood by them that Christ's flesh should be Meat indeed and his blood Drink indeed was a strange Doctrine in their apprehensions they could not conceive how such things could be as Nicodemus spake of Regeneration Nor can any Man whatsoever who will receive no point of Faith but what his natural reason can comprehend and thus this Doctrine of our Lord Jesus was a Fan in his hand and it fanned away all the Chaff of that mighty Jewish floor even all that received not that Doctrine or who believed not in Christ received not Christ by Faith for righteousness and eternal life Nay it was such a Fan that it fann'd away some of Christs Disciples not such who were his Disciples indeed but many that followed him and who are said to believe on him they believed he was the true Messiah had some kind of faith tho' not the Faith of Gods Elect Many of his Disciples when they heard this said This is a hard saying who can bear it It seemed hard to them because they could not comprehend it by their own carnal reason From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Such a Fan was this Doctrine then and such a Fan it is now that it may be said to make a discrimination between the pure Wheat and the Chaff for no doubt all that receive not this holy Doctrine whatever fair shew they make in the flesh are but Chaff in the sight of God and will be found such at the last day Nor ought they to be suffered to abide in Christ's Garner on Earth as they shall not be gathered into his Garner in Heaven but be esteemed as Chaff or drossy professors whatsoever their conversations may be I mean such who eat not Christs flesh and drink not his blood i. e. wholly feed not upon Christ rely not alone upon the Merits of a crucified Christ or seek not Justification by his Righteousness only but go about to bring in their own Works and inherent Holiness with Christ's Merits in point of Justification in God's sight But to proceed But like as a Husbandman hath more Fans than one even so also in the Second place Jesus Christ hath another Fan also and that is I doubt not likewise intended here viz. The dispensation of God's Providence for this was as a Fan in Christ's hand by which he fann'd away those unbelieving Jews and so purged his floor I mean the time was now come that their national legal and external Church-State must be pulled down and dissolved the Dispensation was changed the Priesthood changed and right of Church-membership changed they having Abraham to their Father or being the Seed of professing Parents would do them no good nor avail them any thing Because the Covenant of Peculiarity God made with him and his natural seed as such as to the Date of the Duration thereof was now run out and expired the Ax being now laid to the root of the Tree ver 10th So that unless they receive Christ believe in Christ and are found gracious persons fit Wheat for Christs spiritual Garner or Gospel-Church which is built up of lively stones as Chaff the Gospel-dispensation like a Fan purges them out as indeed it did and blew them all away And we are not alone in respect of this great Truth for many of our worthy Brethren who in some things differ from us assert the same particularly Reverend Mr. Cotton who speaking of this Text Mat. 3. 10. saith The first is the root of Abraham's Covenant which this people much trusted upon and of that it is which John Baptist speaketh Now is the Ax laid to
Wheat Evil and ungodly Persons as well as Believers gracious and true Religious ones and the truth is there is more than one floor of this sort in our days For First If we cast our eyes abroad we shall soon espy a very great old and decayed Barn that hath a mighty floor or heap of People in it called Christians and Reformed ones too But it is to be feared when Jesus Christ comes with his Fan to fan and purge this floor he will find it almost all Chaff ' Tho' I doubt not but in this great heap there will be found some Wheat or godly Christians but like as when a man comes into a Barn and views a floor of Corn newly thrashed he at first sight can hardly see or discern any thing save a heap of chaff so it is here Do but view the National floor and you cannot but say Sure 't is a heap of filth a heap of Chaff for what an evil polluted and abominable Company of People are in this floor are there worse or more notorious more loose light prophane unbelieving and ungodly Wretches living on the face of the Earth yet call themselves Christians and members of Christ and despise nay reproach others as if they deserved not that Name I question whether there were worse in Sodom than some are who belong to this floor Turks and Pagans abominate some of those actions and deeds of Darknessthat are among them behold their hellish Debauchery 1. See what a heap of prophane Swearers and cursed Blasphemers are here who daily belch out most abominable Oaths calling upon the holy and patient God to Damn them every day you may hear them as you walk along the streets nay their very Children by the Example of their wicked Parents learn to swear and curse as soon as nay before they can speak plain 2. Then O what a great and a filthy heap of beastly and brutish Drunkards are in this floor also who shew their Sins as Sodom and hide it not many of them go reeling along the Streets and some spuing as they go foaming out their own shame and little think what Poyson they drink to their own precious and Immortal Souls whilest they Tipple down their glasses of Wine and strong Drink and this they do without all fear of humane or divine Laws having no dread of present nor future Punishment tho' God positively theatens them and all other ungodly Persons with the loss of Heaven and the Torments of Hell-fire for no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. yet they dread it not 3. Behold also in this floor a third Sort even as bad or worse than the other two viz. Unclean Persons or vile filthy and impudent Whores and Whoremongers who are the shame of this City and Nation What a multitude of common Harlots are here among us besides Secret ones who are beheld by him whose eyes are like a flaming fire Alas they cannot hide their filthiness from his eyes yet without fear how do they sin 'till some bring Rottenness on their Carkasses a Curse upon their Estates Poverty on their Families and Hell upon their own Souls for he that commits Adultery with a Woman destroys his own Soul 4. There is also another part of this floor that are Chaff which the fire of Gods wrath will Consume and burn up viz. all tho proud and haughty ones This Sin reigns at this time to such a degree that we may fear some sad and fearful Judgment is near Pride goes before destruction and a haughty Spirit bfeore a fall Behold the strange Dresses and high Heads which clearly represents the Vanity and Haughtiness of the Heart The shew of their Countenance testifies against them Women go to the Assemblies of religious Worshp as if they went to Play-houses and tho' God hath shewed in several poor Animals his great Wrath and displeasure against this filthy Fashon or high and shameful Head-dresses yet they will not reform nor leave them off Nor is this sin only found among those of this floor this heap but also amongst others who would be thought more pure and of a finer sort but let them know the Fanner will suddenly come with his Fan in his hand the day comes shall burn as an Oven and all the proud and all that do evil shall be stubble c. 5. What a cursed heap is there also of Atheists and Graceless Wretches who contemn God and all Supernatural Revelation of the Divine Being and Religion these despise and ridicule the holy Gospel or at best will acknowledge no other Worship nor Religion than what the old Heathens owned and were taught by the Light of Nature The preaching of the Cross or of a Crucified Christ is to these foolishness others that can't believe nor will receive that Doctrine that comports not with their own carnal reason What believe they can be justified by the Righteousness and Obedience of another and their own Inherent Righteousness no part of their Justification before God! This is a strange Doctrine For there are of this sort in this heap such as are grievously corrupted and erroneous carried away with Arminianism Socinianism and Antitrinitaism and disallow of the chief Corner-stone God hath laid in Sion For if Christ be not the most high God God by Nature Coequal and Coeternal with the Father and one in Essence 't is Idolatry to yield divine Worship and homage to him for that glory God will not give unto another The gods-that have not made the Heaven and the Earth even they shall perish 6. What abundance of carnal Worldlings covetous and Earthly-minded Wretches are there also whose gain is their Godliness who value no Religion but what suits with their filthy Lusts some of these set up for Preachers meerly for their Earthly gain and make a Trade of it living prophane and ungodly Lives being Guilty almost of all maner of gross and abominable Sins preferring humane Rites and Ceremonies above Christs Institutions and a Form of Godliness above the Power of it 7. Besides what a heap have we among us of Traiterous blind and deceitful Persons who seek to betray the Protestant Interest and all our Civil and Religious Liberties into the hands of the common Enemy who neither Fear God nor Honour the King As also what a multitude of Thieves High-way-men House-breakers and bloody Villains skulk and hide themselves in this heap The very mentioning of these things is enough to grieve and wound our very Souls considering how good and gracious God hath been to us in this Land and what a Nation this hath been and what Wonders the Almighty hath formerly and of late times wrought for us I mean for the Land in general May we not fear that the Fanner will come with his Fan and sever the Chaff in his direful Indignation from the Wheat and let the Fire of his Anger seize upon it and burn it up what can we expect
would have all men to be saved it is true said he God would have all the Elect to be saved he would not have damn'd Reprobates to be saved I am one of that Number I know it for I willingly denyed Christ and I feel that he hardens me and will not suffer me to hope Being asked whether he did believe that Doctrine to be true for which he was accused before the Legate he aswered I did believe it when I denyed it but now I neither can believe that nor the Doctrine of the Roman Church I believe nothing I have no Faith no Trust no Hope I am a Reprobate like Cain or Judas who casting away all hope of mercy fell under despair and my Friends do me wrong that they suffer me not to go to the place of Unbelievers as I justly deserve The mercy of God said he is exceeding large and extends to all the Elect but not to me or any like me who are sealed to Wrath I tell you I deserve it my own Conscience condemns me what needeth any other Judge if Peter grieved and repented it was because Christ beheld him with a merciful Eye and in that he was pardoned it was not because he wept but because God was gracious to him but God respects not me and therefore I am a Reprobate I feel no Comfort can enter into my Heart there 's place only for Torments and Vexings of Spirit I tell you my Case is properly mine own no Man was ever in the like plight and therefore my Estate is fearful And then roaring out in bitterness of Spirit he said It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Some said with a whispering Voice that he was possessed he over-hearing it said Do ye doubt it I have a whole Legion of Devils that take up their dwelling in me and possess me as their own and justly too for I have denyed Christ Christ will not be denyed no not in a word and therefore it is enough in Heart I never denied him He said when asked that he knew there were worse far worse pains than those that he then suffered for the wicked shall rise to their Judgment but they shall not stand in Judgment this I tremble to think of yet I desire nothing more than that I might come to that place where I may be sure to feel the worst and to be freed from fear of worse to come Being bid to believe the Truths he had denied he replied I cannot God will not suffer me to believe them nor to trust in his mercy what would you have me to do I would but I cannot tho' I presently be burnt for it I find I can neither believe the Gospel nor trust in Gods Mercy I have sinned against the Holy Ghost and God by his immutable Decree hath bound me over to perpetual Punishment God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth God hath taken away from me all power of Repentance and brings all my sins to remembrance and guilty of one guilty of all therefore it is no matter whether my sins be great or small few or many they are such that Christs Blood nor the Mercy of God belongs not to me he hath hardened me I find that he daily more and more doth harden me and therefore I am without hope I feel it therefore cannot but despair I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am never was any man alive a spectacle of such exceeding Misery I know that Justification is to be expected by Christ and I have denyed and abjured it to the end I might keep my frail Life from Adversity and my Children from Poverty and now behold how bitter my Life is to me and God only knows what will become of this my Family but sure no good is likely to betide it but worse and worse and such at length as one stone shall not be left upon another Said he The Spirit of God often admonished me when at Cittadella I did as it were set my Seal the Spirit of God often suggested to me Do not write Spira do not Seal yet I resisted the Holy Ghost and did both and at that very time I did evidently feel a wound inflicted my very will c. David was Elected and dearly Beloved and tho' he fell yet God took not utterly away his holy Spirit and therefore was heard when he prayed Lord take not thy holy Spirit from me But I am in another Case being for ever accursed from the presence of God neither can I pray as he did because the Holy Spirit is quite gone and cannot be recalled O that I might feel but the least sense of the Love of God to me tho' but for one small moment as I now feel his heavy Wrath that burns like Torments of Hell within me and afflicts my Conscience with pangs unutterable Very Desperation is Hell it self you perswade me to believe how fain would I do it but I cannot Then violently grasping his Hands together and raising himself Behold said he I am strong yet by little and little I decay and consume and my Servants would fain preserve this weary Life but at length the Will of God must be done and I shall perish miserably I see said he my Damnation and I know my remedy is only in Christ yet I cannot set my self to take hold of him Such are the Punishments of the Damned they repent of their loss of Heaven they cannot amend their ways Now also Belzebub comes to his Banquet you shall see my End and in me an Example to many of the Justice and Judgment of God What Hell can be worse than Desparation or what greater Punishment than the gnawing worm and unquenchable Fire Horror Confusion and which is worse than all Desparation it self continually tortures me and now I count my present-Estate worse than if my Soul were separated from my Body and were with Judas and the rest of the damned therefore I desire to be there rather than alive in the Body God hath taken Faith from me and left me other common Gifts for my deeper Condemnation by how much the more I remember what I had and hear others discourse of what they have by so much the more is my Torment in that I know what I want and there is no way to be relieved Thus spake he the Tears trickling down professing that his Pangs were such as that the Damned in Hell endure not the like Misery That his Estate was worse than that of Cain or Judas and therefore he desired to dye yet Behold said he the Scriptures are accomplished in me They shall desire to dye and Death shall fly from them SOME PASSAGES Of the Fearful Estate of John Child MR. John Child was a Preacher and when he was young a very zealous Asserter of the Doctrine of Gods Free-Grace Namely of Personal Election and of the Saints final Perseverance and was a
but some amazing and fearful Judgments from the Lord unless a National Repentance and Reformation like that of Nineveh doth speedily prevent it Secondly There is another Heap that may be called Christs floor tho' not so big as the former and tho' they seem to be more refined yet if we consider them all together for they are too much divided amongst themselves what abundance of Chaff is there here also Are there not many amongst these as bad as others viz. People of ill and corrupt principles bitter and censorious Spirits and of scandalous lives What Malice Envy and Hatred do they discover one against another because of their differing Sentiments in and about some principles of Religion rendering their Brethren odious to the World Back-biting Reproaching and Scandalizing each other to the great dishonour of God and shame of their sacred profession one while charging and condemning the Innocent and yet acknowldege not their Evil and at another time striving to vindicate and clear such as are greatly guilty before God both which are abominable and hateful in his sight who will judge righteously and render to every man at last according to his Works Certainly there is sarcely a worse Sin than the Sin of Backbiting he that hates his Brother Robbing him of his good Name out of Malice and Envy is a Murtherer and no Murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him 1 John 3. 17. such who are destitute of Christian Love and Charity or hate their Brethren clearly shew they act contrary to the divine Principle of Grace nay of Morality and so are void of that sacred Life Nature and Image of God For as love to the Bretheren is an Evidence of our being the Children of God so he that is possessed with Wrath Envy Malice and Hatred shews he is one of the Children of the wicked one who is called the Accuser of the Brethren Clear it is that this is a Diabolical Sin and renders such in whom it is found like to the Devil In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Nay this great evil and wickedness is a sad sign that such are given up and left of God as not retaining God in their knowledge as the Apostle speaks of the Gentiles who when they arrived to some degree of knowledge of God yet did not glorifie him as God but violated his Law written in their Hearts Therefore 't is said that God gave them up to vile Affections and they were filled with all Unrighteousness Fornication Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Murther Debate Deceit Malignity Whisperers Backbiters Despiteful Proud Boasters c. No doubt but that the Sin of Backbiting Wrath Malice and Envy is as bad if not worse than Fornication Swearing or Drunkenness and lamentable it is to see this Sin found among some who account themselves no small persons for Knowledge Zeal and Piety in these days But alas alas how sad and deplorable is their Condition and vain that profession they make of Religion let them repent of this their great wickedness and get a changed heart Moreover are there not in this floor others who are proud earthly carnal and covetous Persons they are called Nonconformists but 't is not so far as they ought from the Sins and Pollutions of this World they conform to them in their detestable fashions and covetous practices Do not many of them appear to love Sons and Daughters more than Christ or his sinking Interest they can lay out plentifully to feed and cloath their own Children whilst their bowels are shut up against the poor Members of Christ or Children of God they 'll spare more to gratifie the Pride and base Lusts of their Children than they will spare to supply the necessities of the poor Saints or to support the Interest of Christ and his Gospel Many pounds shall go for the first use when a Shilling is thought a great deal with some of them for the second they think nothing too much to enrich and uphold their own Families whilst the Family of God suffers want and the Cause of Christ languishes in their hands O how little does the power of Grace and true Godliness shine amongst this sort what formality and lukewarmness is there in these days amongst such who are called Saints and holy Brethren This it is true may be called Chirists Floor especially but abundance of Chaff no doubt will be found in it when the Fanner comes to fan it Look to it you Sinners in Sion Fearfulness will e're long surprize the Hipocrite Who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire who amongst us shall dwell with Everlasting Burning Isa 33. But so much as to what is meant by Christs Floor Quest 2. What is intended by the Fan Answ A Fan is a certain Instrument which the Husbandman uses to cleanse or purge his Corn from the Chaff evil Seeds and all filth whatsoever And this Instrument he holds in his hands and uses upon his Knees by which he tosses up the Wheat and Chaff together And then shakes it to and fro moving all at once by which a wind is made and the Chaff is blown away and the Wheat separated and purged from it Now John Baptist alludes to such an Instrument as this Quest But what is meant by Christs Fan in a spiritual sense what is signified hereby First I answer By Christs Fan is meant his Word his holy Gospel especially the Doctrine thereof 't is by this he cleanses and purges his floor Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you Now the unclean person the Traytor Judas is gone out from you Thro' my Word i. e. through my Doctrine you believing in me and receiving me by Faith for Righteousness and eternal Life 'T is said Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Eph. 5. 26. Cleansing here imports the means by which it is wrought or the Instrument namely the Word of the Gospel especially the Promise of free Justification and Sanctification by Christ received thro' Faith which Baptism was a Sign or Symbol of see 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your selves in obeying the truth thro' the Spirit c. This was done in subjecting themselves to the Faith of the Gospel to which the purifying of the heart is ascribed principally in Justification whereby the guilt of Sin is purged away as appertaining to the conscience he alludes also to the sanctifying power and virtue of the holy Spirit Compare this with Psal 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way that is the way of his Heart and also the way of his Life The answer is By taking heed thereto according to thy Word that is let him take heed according to that holy doctrine taught and held forth in God's Word