William Perkins on Revelation 1:3

Verse. 3. Blessed are they which reade, and they that heare the words of this prophesie, and keepe those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Here is the seuenth and last argumēt whereby this Reuelation is described, to wit, the fruit, effect, and the profit which comes of it, euen true happrnesse. This prophesie concerneth the present and future state of the Church: the reading and hearing whereof ioyned with carefull keeping, bringeth with it true blessednesse, that is, fellowship with God, and life euerlasting.

In this argument we may obserue, First, the end of this booke, and so of all other bookes of Scripture, viz. [illegible: 1 letter]o bring men to happinesse, to fellowship with God, and life euerlasting. These things were written (saith S. Iohn) that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ, and so beleeuing, might haue eternall life. Iohn 20.31. Againe, hee declared to them the word of Christ, that by it they might haue fellowship with God the father, and with his sonne Iesus Christ. 1. Iohn. 1.3. In which fellowship is true happinesse: Christ himselfe sayth: Search the Scriptures, for in them you thinke to haue eternall life. Iohn. 5.39. And in this they differ from all other bookes and writings of men, for mens writings bee penned either by the light of nature, and so be erronious, and misse the end of true happinesse: or els they be penned by them which haue direction from the word, and so all the truth they haue, leading to true happinesse, is borrowed hence; when as the Scriptures of themselues doe directly guide men thither.

From the consideration of this blessed end of holy Scripture, wee may obserue, first, That the opinion and practise of the church of Rome is damnable, who barre the people of God from reading and hearing the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue. For in depriuing them of this meanes (as much as in them lieth) they barre them of their saluation, and they doe directly crosse the purpose of S. Iohn, who doth therefore pronoūce him blessed, that shall heare and reade this booke, with conscience to keep and obey it, that he might allure and draw al men to doe it with delight.

Secondly, we are hereby admonished with all care and diligence to reade and meditate in Gods word: That place before named is most excellent: Search the Scripture, Iohn 5.39. Euen as wee would search for gold or some precious thing which we would fain find. (So the word imports.) And he addeth the reason: For in them you thinke to haue eternall life. The same is wisdomes counsell, Prou. 2.4.

But some will say, I cannot reade, I was neuer brought vp in learning, and therefore I cannot search. S. Iohn cuts off his excuse in the next wordes, saying, Blessed he is also which beares the wordes of this prophecie. As if he should say: though hee cannot reade, yet if hee heare and keepe it he is blessed. Here then i[illegible: 1 letter] the dutie of those which cannot read the Scriptures, they must procu[illegible: 1 letter]e others to reade vnto them, and by hearing and keeping they shall be blessed.

Thirdly, by this scope and end of Scriptures, wee must learne to carrie in mind this plaine difference between the bookes of God, and writings of men: Gods word bringeth a man which keep[illegible: 1 letter] it, to happinesse; but mans writings of, themselues cannot doe so, vnlesse they haue light from the word of God. If this distinction were imprinted in our harts, we should not bee so delighted as many are, to heare or speak the words of God mixed with the wordes of sinfull men, specially in the publicke ministerie. In former times the Lord forbad his owne people to sowe their field with mingled seede, [illegible: 1 word] to make them garments of diuerse things, as of linnen and woollen, Leuit. 19.19. And no doubt the same God doth mislike, that the pure seed of his word should be mingled with the sayings of erroneous and sinfull men, when the same is sown vpon the furrowes of mens hea[illegible: 1 letter]ts.

Secondly, in this seuenth Argument wee may obserue the right manner and way of hearing and reading the Scriptures: a point worthie all serious consideration. I[illegible: 1 letter] stands in two things: First, we must set downe with ourselues a certaine end, why we reade, and heare the Scriptures, which is, that we may attaine to true happinesse, standing in fellowship with God, and life euerlasting. This end must bee the motiue to induce vs to heare, and reade the word of God, and when this ta[illegible: 1 letter]es place in our hearts, it wil be of force to make vs reade, and heare with care and conscience which beseemeth Gods word. Secondly, wee must keepe in mind the things wee reade or heare; so fayth the text: And keepeth the things which are written: which word imports, that by diligent obseruation, wee should lay them vp in our hearts. This is a weightie dutie, and seriously commended vnto vs of God. Bind vp the testimonie, seale vp the law among my disciples, Isay. 8.16. And Marie is therefore commended, because she kept in her heart the words of Iesus, Luke 2.19.[illegible: 1 letter]1. It was Dauids practise: I haue [illegible: 1 letter]id thy saying in my heart. Psal. 119.[illegible: 2 letters]. And hereto [illegible: 1 letter]endeth Christs encouragement, pronouncing them rather blessed, which heare the word and keepe it, than those which bare Christ, and gaue him sucke. Luk. 1[illegible: 1 letter]. 27.28. And Iames calleth it the ingraffed word, Iames 1.21. because it should abide in our hearts like a syence in a stock, and neuer be remooued, but there grow, and fructifie vnto life eternall.

Now because this is a point of great difficultie, and the want hereof the cause of so little profiting after much hearing and reading: I will therefore shew how (by Gods grace) in hearing and reading the word of God, a man may keepe the same in memorie.

First, a man must learne the grounds or elements of religion, commonly called the Catechisme, for they are the foū dation of all knowledge: without which a man shall neuer vnderstand the Scripture to his comfort, nor keepe the same in memorie. The Apostle sayth the Hebrewes were dull of hearing (the deepe things of God in Christ) because they had not well learned the first principles of the word, Hebr. 5.11.12. This all ignorant persons should well obserue, specially the aged, that they may find in themselues the cause of their ignorance and dulnesse, euen want of knowledge in the Catechisme. They thinke it a disgrace to bee brought vnto it now they are old: but if they would not be euer learning, and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth, they must lay in themselues this good beginning, and learne the principles of religion.

Secondly, wee must not rush vpon Gods holy ordinance, but before we either come to heare, or reade, with reuerence prepare our selues thereto. Most men at this day vse to prepare thēselues before they come to the Lords table; and so they ought to doe before they come to heare the word: for God ordained both for this end, to bee meanes to bring men to true happinesse: they differ onely in this, that the Sacraments are the visible, and the Scriptures the audible word of God. At the giuing of the law, The people that must [illegible: 1 letter]eare it, were sanctified three dayes before. Exod. 19. And when they did offer sacrifice, or eat the Passeouer, both priests and people must bee sanctified: and the same thing for substance must we perform before we come to heare the word of God. This preparation stands in two thing[illegible: 1 letter]: First, wee must put out of our hearts al by thoghts, all delights, and cares of wordly affairs, and set our hearts (as Ezra did) to seeke the law of the Lord, Ezra 7.10. Secondly, we must make our earnest prayers to God, that he would open our eyes, that wee may see his will; soften our hearts, and make our eares attentiue, as L[illegible: 1 letter]diaes were; and also giue vs grace to embrace his word, and keepe it: for Christ is the onely doctor of the heart by his spirit, without whose inward teaching wee can neuer learne vnto saluation.

Thirdly, when we are about the holy exercise of Gods word, the frame of our heart should be thus disposed.

I. It must bee an humble heart: for the Lord resists the proud, and giues grace to the humble, Iam. 4.6. Them that be meeke, will he guide in iudgement, and teach the humble his way, Psal. 25.9. A proud heart is so stuffed with selfe loue, that there is no room for the word of God to lodge in. But the heart that is lowly in it selfe, through the conscience of sinne, that is the heart in which the Lord by his graces will take vp his abode, Isay 57.15.

II. It must be an honest heart; such as hath no manner of purpose to liue in any one sinne whatsoeuer, but (though it feele corruption in it selfe) is resolued to please God in all the wayes of his commandements, and that continually: such an heart haue the good hearers, resembled by the good ground, Luke 8.15. As on the contrarie, that is a wicked heart, which resolueth to cherish, though it be but any one sinne whatsoeuer.

III. It must bee a beleeuing heart. The old Iewes heard the word, but it profited them not, because they mingled it not with faith [illegible: 1 word] their hearts. Hebrew▪ 4.2. where he compares the heart to a vessell, in which there must bee both the word, and faith: these two must be mingled together, and then it will be a word of power, of life, and saluation. Therefore when we heare the threatenings of the law, or the promises of the Gospell, we must labour to resolue our hearts of the truth thereof. But incredulitie wherby men except against the word, as not pertaining vnto them, is the mother of forge[illegible: 1 letter]fulnesse. The old world knew nothing of the flood, because they did not beleeue, Matth. 24.39.

IV. It must bee an hearing heart ▪ such as is pliable to the word: Sacrifice and burnt offerings (sayth Dauid) thou wouldest not, but mine eares hast thou prepared, Psal. 40.6. As if hee should say, beside those bodily cares which thou hast giuen me by creation, thou hast bored new cares in my heart, so as I can by thy grace attend and listen to thy word. And when God saith Seeke ye my face, this hearing heart will answere, I seeke thy face O Lord, Psal. 27. vers. 8.9.

Fourthly, after we haue heard or read the word, we must become doers of the same, euen in the duties of our vocation. We see euery man more skilfull in the works of his owne trade, by reason of his dayly exercise therein: euen so the constant practise of Gods word will make vs expert in it, and cause vs to keepe it in perfect memorie. And these are the right meanes to become good hearers and readers of the word of God.

Thirdly, this benediction pronoūced vpon them that heare, read, & keepe the prophecies of this booke, serues to induce euery child of God (as much as in him lieth) to keep in memory the whole word of God, but specially these prophecies of things to come that concerne the state of the Church; for therefore did God reueale them, that they might bee remembred. When the Angell had told Daniel the state of the church, from his time to the comming of Christ; hee bids him, Shut vp the wordes, and seale the booke, till the end of the time, Dan. 12.4. meaning, that he for his own comfort should hide them in his heart. And Christ sayth to his disciples, When ye see the abhomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniell the Prophet: let him that readeth, consider it, Matth. 24.15. Behold I haue told you before, meaning things to come verse 25. shewing, That hee would haue his children to marke, and remember those weightie things that are foretold, concerning the state of the church.

For the time is at hand. Here is a reason of the former benediction, for seeing the time of the accomplishing of this prophecie, is at hand, & must shortly be fulfilled: therefore those be blessed which reade and keepe the same in memorie. And it is an answere to a secret obiection; for they might haue said, we need not to reade or remember this prophecie, seeing it shall not be fulfilled in our dayes; but he addeth: The time is at hand, wherein they must be fulfilled, and therefore it must bee marked. These wordes for substance were in the first verse; where it is said, The Reuelation was of things that must shortly be done. And here they be repeated againe. Whereby hee would teach vs, That these prophecies containe weightie matter, to be deepely considered, and earnestly thought on. And S. Iohn repeates the same for two causes: first to awake the members of the church out of the sleepe of security, and make them stand vpon their watch continually: for though they cannot fall into the dead sleepe of sinne, yet the slumber of securitie may ouertake thē: the wise virgines slumber, as well as the foolish, Matth. 25.5. And the spouse of Christ, the true Church, confesseth, That shee sleepeth, though her heart waketh, Cant. 5.2.

Secondly, to confirme and hearten the church, and all true members of Christ, against the afflictions to come: for herein is the common saying true, He that is forewarned, is fore-armed.

Now in these words (The time is at hand) Christ would teach vs to obserue, That whatsoeuer thing may befall the members of Christ in this life, whether afflictions, temptations, death, or the last iudgement it selfe, all will come shortly. This consideration ought to take place in our hearts, being of great vse in our liues: as to stay vs from many sinnes, so to mooue vs to doe all things with good conscience. And the want hereof is the cause of much euill: The bad seruant beates his fellowes, because hee thinkes his maister doth deferre his comming. Matth. 24.48.49. The old world went on in sinne, neuer regarding Noahs prophecie, and so knew nothing till the flood came and swept them all away, Matth. 24.39. We should lay these to our harts, and alwayes thinke with Paule Phil 4.5. the Lord is at [illegible: 1 letter]and. The rather, because wee haue had the Gospell, and peace with all temporall blessings these eight and thirtie yeares: now the state of the church is interchangeable, one while peace, and then trouble: so as it is like, this peaceable state will not long continue, but we must bee tried. And the time of ou[illegible: 1 letter] triall is at hand, for whatsoeuer must befall the Church, will come shortly. We must therefore prepare for trouble, and so wee shall finde it the lesse greeuous.