By Alexander Smellie, 1899
"His winnowing fan is in His hand!" Matthew 3:12
The words are not words of terror alone. They do not tell me simply that He will separate false souls from true at last, those who have merely a name to live — from those within whom the power of godliness dwells and advances. That is solemn fact which I have need to lay to heart; but there is much more than that.
The words are words of richest comfort also. For the wheat and the chaff are within the same life of each of the redeemed — the life which the Savior is sanctifying from day to day.
Is this life mine? Then in my history, He will employ His winnowing and cleansing fan.
It is the winnowing fan of His testing and purifying providence.
It is the winnowing fan of His teaching and purging Word.
It is the winnowing fan of His sifting and sanctifying Spirit.
Through one agency and through another — He will busy Himself winnowing me, until all that is worthless and all that is evil have gone from me completely and forever!
He can be satisfied with nothing short of my absolute and stainless perfection.
It will mean a long, long patient process on His part.
It will mean an arduous and sometimes an agonizing discipline for me.
But by and by, the chaff will have disappeared from my soul. By and by, I shall be pure and ripe and precious wheat, which, in His great harvest — He will carry with joy into His heavenly garner!
It is a hope which may bring tears of gladness to my eyes!
It is an expectation to fill my heart with melody and music!
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