William Perkins on Revelation 1:15

Vers. 15. And his [illegible: 1 letter]eele like vnto fine brasse burning as in a furnace: and his voice as the sound of many waters.

The word in the originall signifieth Brasse that shineth, which for substance is pure and durable, a very choise and excellent kind of brasse. And hereunto Christs feet are compared, to signifie vnto vs his inuincible power, whereby hee is able not only to encounter with sinne, Sathan, and death; but also that hee hath alreadie entered combat with them, and hath bruised the heads of these his enemies. Yea hereby is signified, that hee hath not onely done these things in his owne person, but also will doe the same in all his members, by his inuincible power, vnto the end of the world. Which is a matter of exceeding great comfort to Gods church and people, neuer to be forgotten. If any man be exercised in any grieuous temptation of Sathan, hee must not be astonished and confounded therewith: but remember, that Christ our Sauiour hath the brasen feet, wherewith hee hath bruised the head of the serpent, and will (if hee seeke vnto him vnfainedly) bruise in him the serpents head: so by experience shall we find the benefit of his brasen feet.

If any be oppressed with the corruption of his nature, whether it bee in thoughts or affections: let him come vnto Christ Iesus, lay open his wants before him, shew his sinnes, and make knowne the strength thereof vnto him, and withall crie vnto him for helpe: and hee shall find by ioyfull experience, though they were neuer so many, or mightie, That the power of Christ in him, will vanquish, and subdue them all.

Againe, doth any feare the terrours of death (as all men doe by nature) let him consider, that Christ hath the feete of brasse, wherewith he did encounter with death vpon the crosse: and not content with that, went downe with him into his owne denne, and there did bruise his head, and subdue his power. Indeed if death were to encounter with vs in his full strength▪ it were a matter of feare: but considering that Christ hath bruised his head, this must stay our heart[illegible: 1 letter] against ouermuch dread. And as it serueth to minister comfort to the godly, so it is a matter of all terrour and woe vnto those that liue impenitent: for Christ hath feete of brasse to bruise the head of all his enemies, and such are all those that go on in sinne; vnlesse they turne, destruction will bee their end. Let euery one therefore looke vnto his soule, that hath led a course in any sinne. Let him forsake his old master Sathan, and the workes of darkenesse, and turne vnfainedly to Iesus Christ in the practise of faith and true repentance, and by all obedience in the duties of his callings. For howsoeuer the patience of God may stay for a time the execution of his iustice and wrath, yet in the end they shall feele by wofull experience the destroying power of these his brasen feet.

Burning as in a furnace. Feet ascribed to God and men in Scripture, doe oft time betoken their wayes: So here by Christs feete wee may vnderstand his workes and wayes. And whereas they are said to burne as in a furnace; thereby is signified the perfection thereof. All the counsels of God, with the execution thereof in the creation and gouernment of the world, with all his works therein, are all most holy & pure, like fine brasse purged in the furnace, Psa. 18.30.Psal. 111 7. The waies of God are vncorrupt, yea hee is holy in all his wayes.

The consideration whereof, must teach vs to conceiue and speake reuerently of all the workes of God, euen of those most secret & strange iudgements, whereof we cannot comprehend a reason. Yet because they proceed from God wee must acknowledge them pure and iust. In sundry points of religion there is a learned ignorance, whereof this is not the least, to hold our selues content, and to reuerence the workes of Christ, though wee see no reason thereof; nay, though to vs they seeme against all reason: for all the wayes of God are vncorrupt. Though the blind eye of men cannot discerne the light of the Sunne, yet the Sunne is full of light: so though our blind eyes cannot [illegible: 1 letter]e [illegible: 1 letter]old the puritie of Gods workes, yet they are all done in iustice and equitie, yea they are iustice it selfe: for his will is the rule of iustice. And we must not thinke that God doth a thing because it is good and right: but therefore is the thing good and right, because God willeth and worketh it. Examples hereof wee haue in. Gods word: Gen. 20. God commaunded Abimele[illegible: 1 letter] to deliuer Sarah to Abraham, or els hee will destroy him and all his houshold. In mans reason this might seeme vniust: for why should Abimelechs seruants be punished for their maisters fault. So [illegible: 1 word] 7. Achan sinneth, and all the hoast of Israell is punished. Dauid committed adulterie, [illegible: 1 word]. 12.18 and the child which he begat [illegible: 2 letters]eth. Dauid numbreth the people: but the people are smitten with the plague, 2. Sa. 24. All this to mans reason may seeme vnequall: yet being the workes of God, we are withal reuerence to iudge them most iust and holy. Againe, the Rom. 9. Scripture sheweth plainely, that God in his eternall counsell hath decreed to saue some, and to reiect others: and his reason mouing him thereto, is not any thing foreseene in them, but his will and pleasure alone. This in mans reason seemeth to be crueltie towards some: and therefore sundry men disclaime this doctrine as charging God with iniustice and tyrannie. But herein they greatly offend: for it is the manifest truth of God in his word: & therfore ought with reuerence to be acknowledged, though we can see no reason thereof, For who art thou oh man, that pleadest against God, Rom. 9.20.

And his voyce as the sound of many waters. The voyce of Christ is resembled to the sound of many waters for two causes. First, to signifie the loudnesse and greatnesse of it: the sound whereof hath bene heard through all the world in the ministerie of the Gospell. Secondly, to shew the power and efficacie thereof in the eares of his creatures: for such power it is of, that when the creatures were not, He but spake the word & they were made, He. 11.3. This powerfull voice of Christ, brought Iohn 11.43, 44. Lazarus out of the graue after he had bene dead foure dayes bound hand and fo[illegible: 2 letters]e. And by this voyce of Christ shall they that haue bene dead six thousand yeares before, be raised vp to life, The houre shall come, in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce: and shall come forth to iudgement, Iohn. 5.28, 29.

Hereby then we may see the great securitie and the deadnesse of mens hearts in this age. For though the powerfull word of Christ be daily sounded into the eares of many; yet it entereth not into their hearts. They liue securely in their sinnes though they be daily exhorted to repentance. But shall dead Lazarus start out of his graue when Christ saith, Lazarus come forth? Nay, shall they that were consumed to dust many thousand yeares before, at the hearing of Christs voyce rise out of their graues? And shall we which liue in body bee no whit affected with it in our soules. Oh fearefull death in sinne. And yet this is the state of all those that will not bee mooued to leaue their sinnes by the ministery of the word. It may bee the outward eare receiueth the sound, but the dead heart receiueth no instruction. We must therefore apply our hearts to this powerfull voyce of Christ; and leaue the sinnes wherein we haue lien dead, that so the quickning power hereof vnto saluation may appeare in vs.