John Trapp on Matthew 3:12

Verse 12. Whose fanne is in his hand] Though the devil and wicked men mightily strive to wring it out of his hand; for what, say they, need this shedding and this [illegible: 1 word]? This distinguishing and differencing of men into Saints and sinners? Are not all the Lords people holy? Is there any man lives and sinnethNumb. 16. 3. not? but yet there is as wide a difference between sinner and sinner, as is betwixt the bosome of Abraham, and, and the bellyLuk. 16. 26. of hell. 1. The godly man projects not sin as the wicked doth; but is preoccupated by it, against his generall purpose. 2. He [non-Latin text not transcribed]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. 1. arts not the sin that he acts: he sins not sinningly; he is not transformed [non-Latin text not transcribed] into sinnes image, as the wicked are, Mica. 1. 5. His 1 [illegible: 1 word]. 3. scum rests not in him, he works that out by repentance, that heEzek. 24. 11. committed with reluctance. 3. He is the better for it afterwards. His very sin (when be wailed and disclaimed) maketh him more heedfull of his waies, more thankfull for a [illegible: 1 word], more mercifull to others, more desirefull after the state of perfection, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. &c. Whence grew that paradox of M. Iohn Fox, That his graces did him most hurt, and his sinnes most good. Whereas wicked [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word]. men grow worse and worse, Deceiving and being [illegible: 1 word], 2 Tim. 3. 13. till at length by long trading in sin, being hardened by the deceitfulnesseHeb. 3. [illegible: 1 word]. thereof, they are utterly deprived of all (even passive) power of recovering themselves out of the devils snare; which is a conformity to the devils condition. This their covering therefore2 Tim. 2. 23. is too short. Christs fan is in his hand to take out the precious from the vile; and the Ministers of Christ must separate (as theJer. [illegible: 1 word]. Priests of old did) the clean from the unclean, drive the chaff one way, and the wheat another: For what is the chaff to the wheat, Ier. [illegible: 1 word] 28. saith the Lord? See this enjoyned them, Isa. 3. 10, 11. Zuinglius, as in his publike lectures, he would very sharply [illegible: 1 word] sinne; so ever and anon he would come in with this proviso,Scultet, arnal. Probe vir, haec nihil ad te, This is nothing to thee, thou godly man. He knew that he could not beat the dogs, but the children would be ready to cry, whom therefore he comforted. And he will thorowly purge his floor] That is, his Church, calledIsa. [illegible: 1 word]. 10. Gods threshing floor in Isaias, because usually thresht by God with the flail of affliction. That is one way, whereby the Lord Christ doth purge his people, and separate between the Sonne that he loves, and the sin that he hates. This he doth also by his Word and Spirit: Sanctifying them by his truth, [illegible: 1 word] Word is truth, Joh. 17. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are justified, but 1 Cor. 6. 11. ye are sanctified in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. Thus Christ purgeth his floor here incoatively and in part, hereafter thorowly and in all perfection. In all which we may observe (saith a Divine) this difference between Christ and the tempter. Christ hath his fan in his hand, and he fanneth us: the devil hath a sive in his hand, and he sifteth us. Now a fan [illegible: 1 word] out the worst, and keepeth in the best: a sive keepeth in the worst, and casteth out the best. Right so Christ (and his trials) purgeth chaff and corruption out of us, and rourisheth and increaseth his graces in us. Contrariwise, the devil, what [illegible: 1 word] soever is in us, he confirmeth it; what faith or other good thing soever, he weakneth it. But Christ hath praid for his [illegible: 1 word]. 22. 31. (though never so hard laid at) that their faith fail not, and giveth [non-Latin text not transcribed], [illegible: 5 words]. them in time of fanning, to fall low at his feet, as wheat, when the wicked, as light chaff, are ready to flee in his [illegible: 1 word], as murmuring at their hard measure, with those miscreants in the wildernesse. And gather his wheat into the garner] Mali in area nobiscum esse possunt, in horreo non possunt. The wicked may be with us in the floor, they shall not, in the garner: for there shall in no wise [illegible: 1 word] into the City of the lamb, any thing that defileth, or thatAugust. worketh abomination; Heaven spewed out the Angels in the first [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. act of their Apostacy; and albeit the devil could scrue himself into [non-Latin text not transcribed] of [non-Latin text not transcribed], [illegible: 1 word]. Paradise, yet no unclean person shall ever enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Without shall be doggs, and evil-doers; no dirty doggeRev. 21. 8. doth trample on that golden pavement, no [illegible: 1 word] is with that gold, no chaff with that wheat; but the spirits of just men made perfect, amidst a panegynis of Angels, and that glorious [illegible: 1 word], Heb. 12. 22. In the mean while, [illegible: 2 words] ego [illegible: 1 word] (may everyIgnatius. good soul say, with that Father) I am Gods wheat: And although the wheat be as yet but in the ear, or but in the blade, yet when the fruit is ripe, he will put in the sicle (because the [illegible: 1 word] is Mark. 4. [illegible: 1 word]. 29. come,) and gather his wheat into his barn, into his garner. It doth the husbandman good at heart to see his corn come forward,Spes alit agricolas, sed [illegible: 1 word] mea messis in [illegible: 1 word] est. though the harvest be not yet. But will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.] In reference to the custom of those countries, which was, to cast their chaff into the fire. But this (alas) is another manner of fire then that. A metaphoricall fire doubtlesse, and differs from materiall fire. 1. In respect of the violence, for it is unspeakable, 2. Of the durance, for it is unquenchable; 3. Of illumination, for though it burn violently to their vexation, [illegible: 1 word] it shines not to their comfort. 4 Of operation, for it consumes not what it burneth; they ever fry, but never die; vivere [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 2 words]; they [illegible: 1 word] death, but [illegible: 1 word] it not, as those Rev. [illegible: 1 word]. A just [illegible: 1 word] of God upon them; that they that once might have had life, and [illegible: 1 word] not, now would have death, and cannot.