it corruptions in Doctrine corruptions in Worship corruptions in Manners so to make a mixture which he doth in opposition unto that God who being himselfe a pure and simple Essence is most delighted in purity and simplicity Put these together and you see a first respect wherein the visible Church of Christ is compared to a floore A floore for mixture Secondly A floore Because here is the same Husbandry used that is in the Barne-floore Here is threshing here is fanning here is winnowing All these shall we find no where more frequent more ordinary then in the Church as if the Church were the proper element for every of these The Church is Christs threshing place O my threshing his fanning place his winnowing place No where shall we find the flaile the fanne the sive more buâ—â—â— then here The Worlds flayle Gods fanne the Devils sive the flayle of persecution the fanne of Affliction the sive of Tentation no where so busie as in the Church Well may the Church in all these respects be called a floore But I will confine my selfe to the Text Here is the fanne at worke What fanne why that fanne which is in the hand of Christ the fanne of the word This fanne is walking and working in this floore and not without some efficacie and power What ever the Husbandmans fanne doth in his Barne-floore that doth this fanne in the Church which is the proper place for this fanne to stirre and move in and in that respect againe fitly called a floore Here it is where Christ standeth with the fanne in his hand working upon his corne his Elect severing them from the chaffe of sinnefull corruption dressing them that they may be pure corne fit to be laid up in his heavenly garner The Church is a floore And in the second place Christs floore The visible Church is Christs floore His first by Guift Secondly His by Purchase 1. His by Guift Guift from God his Father who hath indeed given unto him the whole world Aske of mee and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy Possession All the Kingdomes of the earth are put into the hands of Jesus Christ as Lord paramonnt over them all Even Heathens and Infidels which know him not which never heard of his Name yet they are under his governement But the Church after a more speciall manner as being his peculiar Seigniâ—rie I have sâ—t my King upon my holy hill of Sion In the Church Christ hath a more peculiar interest The Church it selfe and all the members of it being given to him by God his Father I all the members of the visible Church they are also given unto Christ Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none save the Sonne of Perdition All the Apostles I Judas amongst the rest though a son of perdition lost in Gods decree and marked out for hell yet given unto Christ to follow him in an outward profession And thus are all the members of the visible Church even all that professe the Name of Christ they are given unto Christ And consequently the Church is His his floore His by Donation And secondly His by Purchase What his Father gave him he also bought and purchased Even as David purchased the Threshing-floore of Araunah the Jebusite that he might offer a Sacrifice upon it Thus Christ hath purchased this floore his Church not that he might offer Sacrifice upon it but that he might offer it up as a Sacrifice unto God his Father Take heede unto your selves and to the flock of God whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood The Church purchased with the blood of Christ True it is if we speake properly this purchase is peculiar unto Gods elect his Church invisible for whose sake Christ dyed But for their sakes from whom the Church taketh the denomination as being the better and most considerable part of it it is attributed to the whole Church even to the Church visible It is his floore by purchase Yet further in the third and fourth place It is his floore in respect of his presence his providence His presence in it his providence over it His presence in it which is continuall The Story telleth us of Boaz that he went downe to his floore and lodged there lying downe at the end of the heape of Corne Even â—o is Christ ever present in his Church There he lyeth downe there he lodgeth Shew me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou lyest downe at noone It is the Spouses speech to her welbeloved to which his answer followes If thou knowest not O thou fairest among women get thee forth by the steps of the flock and feede thy Kids by the Tents of the Shepheards Would we know where Christ feedeth lodgeth where he manifesteth his presence chiefely and principally upon earth It is in his flock by the Tents of the Shepheards In his Church in the midst of his Ordinances Christ is ever present in this floore manifesting his presence in it And fourthly Exercising his providence over it His providence first in watching then in governing 1. Watching in and over this floore To this end Boaz lay downe in his floore at the end of the heape of corne to watch it least it should be stroyed or stolne or purloyned away To this end is Christ present in his Church his floore viz. to watch his corne in it to defend his people against enemies without or enemies within to defend his Church against the open hostility of bloody tyrants and persecutors Beasts which would stroy this corne as also against the secret devices of cunning seducers Theeves that would stâ—ale away his corne deceiving the very Elect if it were possible To this end he watcheth in this floore watcheth and that not as Boaz did in his lying downe and sleeping there No The watchman of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth He exerciseth a speciall providence in watching over this floore 2. And secondly In ruling and governing it ordering all the businesses in it Even as the Husbandman ordereth all the businesse in his own floore giving direction to his servants for threshing fanning c. So hath Christ the ordering of this floore Not an Ordinance in his Church but is of his ordering and appointing He it is that ruleth the whole businesse of his Church both for substance and materiall circumstances prescribing Lawes to his Church governing it which he doth by his word Put these together and you see the doctrinall part of this first Branch of the Text opened and illustrated I see I must wade no further into it at present What use shall we make of this which hath been spoken As briefely as I may First Is the Church of Christ a floore in respect of mixture Here
What is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23. Gods truthâ—s as wheat sound and solid False Doctrines are as chaffe Such are corruptions in Doctrine and such are corruptions in worship and such are corruptions in Discipline all as chaffe that will not endure the Fanne of the word And from this chaffe shall this floore of Christ the Church be purged viz. both from corrupt men and from corruptions themselves 1. Corrupt wicked men Hypocrites and others they are in the Church as ill humours in the body In the body but not of it Joyning themselves to the mysticall body of Christ but no true Members of it And being such they shall be purged out Wicked men Hypocrites and others they are as Drosse and Tinne mixed with the good and pure mettall and being such they shall be purged out I will purge away thy drosse saith the Lord amongst other her corrupt Judges and Councellours which should be taken away Wicked men they are the Goates which now flock and feed together with the Sheepe Joyning themselves unto the people of God and having communion with them in many it may be in all the publike ordinances of God They are the Tares which grow up together with the wheat in the same field They are the chaffe which cleaving close to the Corne lyeth with it upon the same Goaffe upon the same heape Being so they shall be severed they shall be weeded purged out The Church shall be purged from corrupt men 2. And secondly from Corruptions themselves Corruptions there are and will be creeping in and cleaving to the state of the visible Church or Churches of Christ upon Earth Corruptions not only in manners which are personall but corruptions in Doctrine corruptions in worship corruptions in Discipline Church-corruptions Now from all these shall the Church be purged I will take away all your Tinne What ever it was that corrupted the state of that Church This will Christ doe for his Church under the Gospell He will purge away all her Drosse all her corruptions be they as I said in manners Doctrine worship Expresse and full is that of the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 36. 25. From all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you saith the Lord Cleanse them from their filthinesse from corruptions in manners â—hose spirituall pollutions and defilements From their Idols all corruptions in Doctrine in worship And let me adde also corruptions in Discipline too It is the Lords promise to the Church of the Jewes in that place fore-named Isa. 1. 26. I will purge â—â—ay thy â—rassv c. And I will restore thy Iudges as at the first and thy Counsellours as at the beginning And this will Christ doe for his Church under the Gospell He will restore her Judges as at the first and her Counsellours as at the beginning Restoring his Church to Primitive Order and Discipline purging out what ever corruptions are in this respect crept into it All this without question shall be done the Church shall be purged And throughly purged {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} perpurgabit Thus did Christ purge the Temple in the dayes of his flesh he made a thorough sweepage driving out all the buyers and sellers c. And thus will he purge his Church {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He will throughly purge it Purge out All corrupt men and All corruptions I will purely purge c. Repurgabo ut purificationem so Montanus renders the place I will diligently and throughly purge thee as the Fornace or fining pot doth the silver This is that which the Prophet Malachi tels the Church Mal. 3. where prosecuting the same Allegory he sets forth the sedulity and exactnesse of Christ in this purging of his Church He shall sit downe to try and to fine the silver hee shall even fine the sonnes of Levi and purifie them as gold and silver Marke it full expressions Christ shall purge and purifie his Church and this he shall do both diligently and throughly Diligently not cursorily He shall sit downe to try c. As a man that intends a worke seriously he sitteth downe to it Throughly he shall try and fine and purifie c. The Prophet multiplieth words heaps up expressions all to intimate the throughnes the perfectnes of this work Gods works they are all perfect works As for God his way is perfect Psal. 18. Such they either are or such they shall be before he leave them Such was his worke of Creation perfect at the first Every thing which he had made was very good i. e. perfect Such shall his worke of new Creation be the worke of Regeneration though imperfect at the first yet before hee leave it it shall be perfect He who bath begun â— good worke in you will perfect it saith Paul to his Philiâ—pians The new birth though at the first â—n 〈◊〉 yet it shall grow to a perfect man This will Christ doe as for every true member of his Church The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me saith the Psalmist Psal. 1â—8 last so for the Church it selfe The â—â—w Heaven and th◠〈◊〉 Earth shall be as perfect as the old ever was He that hath begun the good worke of restoring purging his Church will also perfect it he will purge it throughly purge it He will doe it Who Why that shall the Lord Jesus Christ There have you the answer to the second enquiry which I am fallen upon unawares He shall throughly purge his floore saith the Baptist The floore is His as I have showen you and being so he will take care as for other things so for the purning of it To this end God the Father the great Husbandman hath put the Fanne into the hand of this his Servant that he should dresse his Corne purge his floore To this onâ— amongst other hath he given all Power and Authoriâ—y to him as over the whole world so over his Church after a speciall manner that he should purge it And this he will doe which is properly his worke He is like a purging fire and like Fullers soape saith the Prophet Malachi speaking of Christ Mal 3. 3. He shall sit downe to try c. He shall make it his worke to purge the Church And indeed who but he should doe it I who but he can doe it The purging of the Church is a great worke So was the purging of the Temple a greater worke then it is ordinarily apprehended Temple purgatiâ— maximum miraculum saith the Father The purging of the Temple it was one of the greatest miracles that ever Christ did in the dayes of his â—lesh That a private person so he was then accounted and taken to be nay a despicable person of so inferiour a ranke the Sonne of a Carpenter should come into the Temple with a whip in his hand
as despicable an instrument rather to be scorned then feared and therewith should drive out all those no petty chap men Drovers and Bankers notwithstanding all their priviledges and protections which they had from the Masters of the Temple the chiefe-Priests c. as so many sheepe before him without opposition without contradiction what a worke Well may we say of it as Paul doth of the resurrection of Christ from the dead Hereby he declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God and that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with power mightily Whether there were at that time any Radij claritatis Rayes and beames of splendour and glory shining in and stâ—eaming from the face and countenance of our blessed Saviour striking an awfull dread and terrour into the beholders or no I leave it as I find it an uncertaine tradition or conjecture which may as safely or more safely be rejected then beleeved Non creditur quia non legitur But this we may say and make it good here were Radij divinitatis rayes and beames of Divinity a divine power put forth and manifested in this act The like we may say of this great worke the worke of Church-Reformation To purge the Church and that throughly from all corrupt persons and corruptions What a work To purge it from all corruptions You heard in the Chapter read even now what a stir what a tumult there was at Ephesus when once the great Goddesse Diana was but supposed to be touched What a dust it raised The whole City was in a confusion Now how many Diana's are there to be found in the Christian world Personall-Diana's and Church-Diana's All these must be not only touched but pulled downe and purged out And what hand but a mighty an almighty hand shall be able to effect this even the hand of Jesus Christ Againe To purge and cast out all corrupt men out of the Church what a worke a great worke first to discover them to find them out when once discovered a greater worke to cast them out And who but Christ can doe either of these Who but he can discover them Some so close so secret and hidden that their owne hearts doe not discover them much lesse can others Who shall doe it but he that is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he that knoweth and searcheth the hearts to whom all things are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nacked and open And who but he can cast them out being discovered That man of sinne that Antichrist of Rome long since discovered to be as the Father said of Marcian the Heretick Primogenitns Diaboli the eldest sonne of the Devill the Head of the Church malignant upon earth yet to eject to cast him out of the Temple of God where he sitteth as God what a stirre what a combustion hath it made doth it make and is yet like to make through the Christian world Tangit montes fumigabunt He toucheth the hils and they smoake Psa. 104. 32. Those seven Hils of Rome being touched how do they smoake How do they burn as if they would set all the world on fire Never did Aetna or Vesâ—vins those flaming Mountaines so terrible to the neighbouring Territories cast out such thunderings and lightenings such vollies of smoake and flames as those seven hils have done and at this day do to the terrour and amazement of all the Christian world Tantâ— molis â—rit. So great a worke is it like to be to disinthronize that same {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that great Antagonist of Jesus Christ that Lord Paramount that opposeth against and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God To bring downe that Antichrist and to cast him out of the Temple the Church of God his usurped possession which he hath held so long a time vi armis by force and might to cast out him with all his complices and adherents it is a mighty worke such a worke as who but Jesus Christ can be able to effect And he will doe it and that when the time commeth with great facility and case He shall consuâ—â—s him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming that is suddenly easily consume abolish him and together with him all other enemies of his Church whether open or secret A great worke I such a worke as if we had no other argument to prove it yet might we even from hence as a good authour observes upon the Text evince and demonstrate the Divinity of Jesus Christ that he is more then man truly God To purge the Church and to purge it throughly it is Opus plane divinum the worke of God and not of man So much judicious Calvin rightly observes from that fore-named place of the Prophet Isaiah Isa. 1. 25. where the Lord telleth his Church I will turne my hand upon thee and will purely purge away thy drosse c. Purgatio Ecclesiae propriâ—â— Dei opus The purging of the Church is Gods peculiar worke the worke of his owne hand I will turne my hand upon thee c. Certainly had not Christ bin more then man he could never have purged the Temple as he did And were he not truely God he could never purge this floore as it shsll be purged throughly purge it This hee can doe and this hee will doe But when will he doe it there is the third Quere It was a businesse of like nature that the Disciples were so inquisitive with our Saviour about Acts 1. viâ— When he would restore the Kingdom unto Israel If any shall make the like enquiry touching the purging of the Church when Christ will do it Let him rest contented with that satisfaction that the Text giveth him He will doe it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} perpurgabit He will throughly purge his floore This he will doe The purging of the Church as I told you is a great worke and therefore not the worke of a day to be done at once As it was with the building of the second Temple under the Law so shall it be with the purging of the Church under the Gospell I dare not goe so farre as to make the one a Type of the other but the congruity betwixt them with the allusion of the one to the other I cannot but acknowledge and approve That Temple was not built all at once as Solomons Temple was but by degrees Such shall the repairing and purging of the Church under the Gospell be Graduall not perfected all at once Christ in the dayes of his flesh he purged the Temple more then once three severall times three severall dayes so Chemnitius notes it upon that second chapt. of John First in the beginning of his Ministery afterwards once and againe a little before the end of his life as may be collected by comparing the foure Evangelists And as he