William Perkins on Revelation 1:17

Vers. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feete as dead: then hee laid his right hand on me, saying, Feare not, I am the first and the last. Verse. 18. And I am aliue, but I was dead▪ And behold, I am alive for euermore, Amen: And I haue the keyes of hell and of the earth.

Here Saint Iohn describeth Christ further by other Arguments: namely, by sundry actions of his. The first whereof, is a confirmation of Iohn, being sore afraid, set downe in this & the next verse. In which action note two things: First, the occasion therof: Secondly, the mean[illegible: 1 letter] of his confirmation. The occasion was Iohns exceeding feare, set downe in these words: And when I saw him, I fell at his feete as dead. The meanes of confirmation, as in the words following, Then hee layed his hand[illegible: 1 letter] vpon me, &c.

For the occasion. Iohns feare was exceeding great, and that of death: as appeareth by Christ his confirmation: wherein he telleth Iohn, That be liueth, and hath power ouer death. In this his feare note sundry points; The cause, the effect, and the kind of this feare. For the first: The cause was Christ his appearancen glo[illegible: 1 letter] ry and maiestie vnto Iohn, set downe in these words, When I saw him. Where we learne, that sinfull men since Adams fall cannot abide the presence of God. Gen. 2. Adam before his fall talked face to face with God without feare: but so soone as he had sinned, Gen. 3.8. bee fled away at the hearing of his voyce, and hid himselfe among the trees of the garden. This feare commeth by reason of mans guiltinesse before God. Hence Manoah sayd vnto his wife, Iudg. 13.2[illegible: 1 letter] Wee shall surely die, because wee haue [illegible: 1 word] seene God.

First, by this, The Vse. That no sinfull man can abide the presence of God, we are taught to labour to become new creatures, to haue the image of sinne defaced in vs, and the image of God restored in righteousnesse and true holinesse. True happinesse consisteth in fellowship with God: but wee can neuer haue true fellowship with him, while wee liue in our sinnes, 1. Iohn. 1.6. If wee say we haue fellowship with him, and walke in darkenesse, we lie. We therefore must labour to bee purged from our sinnes, and so his presence shall bee our ioy.

Secondly, this feare of Iohn at Christs presence in glory, teacheth vs. That the sight and presence of Gods maiestie is a most excellent meanes to humble a man, and to make him know himselfe to bee nothing in himselfe. When Abraham talked with God, the more hee beheld the maiestie of God, the more hee humbled himselfe, confessing at last, that he was but dust and ashes, Gen. 18.27. And Peter by a great draught of fishes seeing but a glimmering of diuine maiesty in Christ, could not abide it, but cried out, Depart from me, for I am a sinfull man, Luk. 5.8. And so the holy Angels when they stand before the maiestie of God are sayd Isay 6.3. to couer their faces and their f[illegible: 1 letter]ete with the[illegible: 2 letters] wings: to signifie, that they are nothing in regard of the exceeding Maiestie of God, and in themselues vnable to behould his glorie.

Thirdly, hereby wee are taught to acknowledge Gods great goodnesse towards vs in the ministerie of the word: wherein hee vouchsafeth to speake vnto vs, not in his owne person, as hee did in mount S[illegible: 1 letter]rra, which would bee so terrible, [illegible: 1 word] none could abide it▪ but fauorably & familiarly by the ministerie of men that are like vnto our selues. Many abuse this mercy of God, and despise the word because of the messenger: but wee must learne by this bountie of God, to receiue the word with all reuerence as from the Lord.

Lastly, in this exceeding feare of Iohn, who was an Apostle and a very godly and righteous man; wee learne that the most holy man that is will be astonied euen to death with the presence of Gods glorious maiestie. And if no man, be he neuer so holy, can stand before Gods presence, much lesse can the most righteous workes of any man endure the triall of his iudgement: if his person cannot abide his presence; his workes will neuer beare his iudgement. For the person must first bee approoued before the workes be accepted. Therefore damnable is the doctrine of the church of Rome, which teach that such as in themselues are sinfull men must stand before Gods iudgement seate bringing with them works of grace, as meanes of their iustification, and part of satisfaction to Gods iustice. It is a doctrine of desperation: for how can our works be perfectly holie, seeing our persons are but sanctified here in part? And who can thinke that the infinit iustice of God can bee satisfied by the imperfect righteousnesse of man?

II. point. The effect of this feare in his body, He fell downe as dead at his feete: This was no small feare but exceding great, astonishing his senses and laying him downe as dead. Physitions say, and that truly, the mind followeth the temperature of the body. But hence we may as truly say, That the body followeth the disposition of the mind; for the affections of the soule wil worke vpon the body like vnto strong diseases. Iohns feare casteth his body into a sound: And so horrour of conscience when the heart is cold will make the body hot, and the intrals to roule in the body. The same may be sayd of anger, 1. Reg. 21.4. When Ahab could not obtaine Nabals vineyard, he layd him downe on his bed in displeasure, and was almost dead: Euen so will other affections worke vpon the body.

Hence wee learne that the bodies of men being diseased must not alwayes be cured by bare physike, but somtimes by curing of the mind and ordering of the affections: for when the distemper of the body ariseth from the disorder of the mind, then till the mind be well composed and setled, physicke will little auaile.

III. point. The kind of this feare is insinuated in these words, he fell at his feet, Wherby the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand, that this was a religious reuerent feare, which hee bare to Christ: For this kind of prostrating the body betokeneth humilitie; and argueth a reuerent estimation of the thing feared.

Hence we are taught, when we come into the presence of Christ, we must prostrat our selues as Iohn did, and looke that we be striken with a religious feare of his maiestie. If any shall thinke that Christ is now ascended into heauen, and therefore we cannot now fall down at his feet as Iohn did. I answer, though Christ be now in heauen, yet hath he his feet vpon earth, at which we must fall downe. In the old testament the mercy-seat was the pledge of Gods presence: and therefore it is called Gods footestoole, Psal. 99.5. before which the Iewes were to fall downe. Well, though the mercy-seat be now taken away, yet some thing is instead thereof: For wheresoeuer Gods people assemble themselues in the name of God, there is his footstoole: and therfore in the assemblies of Gods saints we must cast downe our selues before Christ Iesus, and do all duties vnto him with all feare, awe, and reuerence of his maiestie.

This feare of Iohn, though it was holy, yet is it tainted with some sinne and corruption: for it was an immoderat feare of death which made him thus astonished and affright. Whence wee learne that the most holy affections of righteous men are not per[illegible: 1 letter]ectly holy, but mixed with imperfection according to the measure of their sanctification, which is alwayes in part in this life. Whereby it appeares that no man hath in him a filiall feare of God alone, but some seruile feare (whereby wee feare God for his iudgements) is mixed therewith. And thus much for Iohns feare which is the occasion of his confirmation.

Now followeth the meanes of his confirmation in these words, Then he layd his right hand vpon me, saying, feare not, I am the first and the last: and I am aliue, but I was dead: and behold I am aliue for euermore, Amen: and I haue the keyes of hell and death. Here note two things, first, the time when Christ vsed these meanes for Iohns confirmation: secondly, the means themselues. The time is noted in this word, then, that is, after his presence had stroken a feare in my heart, which made me as dead; then the Lord vsed meanes to comfort me. The meanes of comfort and confirmation are then vsed when the party is humbled. And thus the Lord dealeth with all his seruants in the matter of their saluation: First, he bruiseth their stonie hearts, and woundeth their sinfull soules, before hee powreth in the oyle of grace. First, a man must bee a lost sheepe, and then Christ findeth him and layeth him on his shoulders and bringeth him home. And indeed they that would feele sound comfort by Christ, must first be humbled in themselues. And the reason why men reape so little comfort either by the word or sacraments, is the want of true humiliation before they come, whereby the soule is fitted for grace and consolation.

II. point. The meanes vsed by Christ to confirme Iohn, and they are two. First, a sensible signe, He layd his right hand vpon me. Secondly, comfortable words, Feare not.

Here first obserue in generall Christs gratious dealing with Iohn: he vseth not one meanes apart, but in great mercie, that he may throughly confirme Iohn, he giueth him both a signe and words. And so hee hath alwayes dealt with his seruants: When he called Moses to bee a deliuerer of his people. First, hee gaue him his word; saying, I will be with thee, and then a signe, saying, Vpon this mountaine shal ye serue God, Ex[illegible: 1 letter]d. 3.12. So when he would confirme the heart of Esay. 7. Ahaz against his enemies, he first giues him a promise of deliuerance, verse. 7. then biddeth him aske a signe, vers. 11. And for this cause Christ in the publishing of his Gospell, added signes and miracles vnto his word, that the truth thereof might be fully confirmed. And so in the worke of our saluation, besides his mercifull promises which were sufficient in respect of his fidelitie; he giueth vs further signes and seales to support our weaknesse, and to confirme our faith in the assurance thereof, euen the vse of the holy Sacraments.

This teacheth vs that Christ hath a speciall care ouer his church and people, in that he doth so condescend and abase himselfe vnto their weaknesse, adding vnto his word, which of it selfe were sufficient, signes and tokens, that by both he might more euidently giue that assurance, which by one alone our weaknes would not so well conceiue.

Againe, in this meanes of confirmation note the order which Christ vseth: First, he giueth him the signe of his presence: Laying his hand vpon him, to assure him of protection frō al danger of death. Thē he giueth him his wrod, bidding him not to feare. Hence▪ we may learne that the assurance of Gods presence and protection, is a souerigne remedie against all feare: when Moses feared the great calling he was sent about, to take away that feare, the Lord saith, Exod: 3.12 I will be with thee. Hence Dauid saith, Psa. 23▪40 He will not feare though he walke through the valley of the shadow of death, because God is his stay and comfort. Wherefore it concerneth vs to labour to be assured not onely of Gods presence, but of his prouidence and speciall protection: And so in all dangers both of life and death, wee shall haue stay and comfort for our soules.

The Lord hauing vsed these two meanes to confirme Iohn, both a signe & his word: doth yet further condescend vnto Iohns weaknesse, and establisheth his owne word by two reasons. The first in these words, I am the first and the last. Christ is the first; Because nothing was or could bee before him: The last, because nothing is or can bee after him. These two titles are giuen vnto Christ to expresse his Godhead and eternitie, as before wee haue heard, verse. 8. Now here they are againe set downe, to giue vs to vnderstand that hee hath in his owne power the beginning and end of all things: and therefore is able to protect his seruants from all dangers, and from death: and will make good vnto them all his promises vnto eternall life.