William Perkins on Revelation 2:13

Verse 13. I know thy workes, and where thou dwellest, euen where Sathans throne is: and thou keepest my name, and hast not denied my faith, euen in th[illegible: 1 letter]se dayes when Antipas my faithfull Martyr was slaine among you, where Sathan dwelleth.

Here beginneth the second part of this Epistle; to wit, the Proposition: which containeth two parts: A commendation of this Church, in this verse: and a Reproofe, vers. 14, 15. The commendation is twofold: First, generall, in these words: I know thy workes; then speciall, in the words following, I know where thou dwellest, &c. Of the generall commendation wee haue spoken in the former Epistles, verse 2. and 9. This yet must be obserued, that Christ herewith beginneth the matter of all his Epistles: intending no doubt, hereby to settle the persuasion of his presence deepely in euery one of our hearts: for it is indeed the ground of the holy feare of God, which is the beginning of all true religion and godlinesse. And here Christ giueth a president for his ministers: namely, that the first thing they must teach their people is, to be persuaded of this presence of Christ; wheresoeuer they are Christ is with them, and whatsoeuer they do he seeth them. This will cause them make conscience of all their waies, and it is impossible that any should euer haue sound knowledge or good conscience, till he be persuaded hereof. Abraham knew well that in Abimelekes court they would make no conscience of murther, because they Ge. 20.11▪ wanted this feare of God: to feare God and keepe his commaundements is the whole man: and therefore wee should giue all diligence hereunto. It is indeed a hard lesson for vs to learne, and of our selues wee cannot learne it: but if we vse the meanes, Gods blessing will be vpon our endeuour, and then shall wee haue knowledge vpon knowledge, and grace vpon grace, with the comfort of a good conscience.

The particular commendation of this church is, for her constancie in maintaining the doctrine of the gospell, in these words, I know where thou dwellest, euen in a place where Sathans throne is, and yet for all that thou keepest my name: that is, thou holdest still my true religion and doctrine. The throne of Sathan is any place where superstition, idolatry, or profanenesse is maintained without controlement, and from whence wickednesse is conueyed to other places. For the diuell is the God of the world▪ and he hath his thrones among men. Pergamus was a great citie of the gentiles which maintained idolatry, and persecuted the gospell, from whence also iniquitie was deriued to other townes and places: therefore it is called the diuels throne.

Herein we may obserue sundrie points of great importance. First, the exceeding pollicie of Sathan: he hath his kingdome in this world: and for the establishing thereof, he must haue his thrones where wickednesse and idolatrie is maintained without controlement, and whence sin is deriued to other places. In all ages it hath bene thus, and will continue so to the end. In the old world hee had his thrones among Cains posteritie: in the church of the Iewes, euen in the daies of the kings of Israell, the high places and groues▪ where the people sacrificed to their idols were the diuels thrones: the oracles of the gentiles where the diuels gaue answere vnto men were his cheefe thrones: in the dayes of poperie, euerie church and chappell were thrones of Sathan, wherein were erected images & holy roods for the worship of saints; whither the people came to worship from countrey to countrey. In most schooles of learning for many hundred yeares the diuell had his thrones; For therein was nothing taught but errors, heresies, and most abhominable idolatries. In these our dayes the diuell hath his thrones among vs, where any wizard dwelleth, or cūning person (as they are called) for thither whole countries do flocke for helpe and for counsell, and so yeeld homage to Sathan. All dicing, & all brothel houses, wherein abhominable wickednesse is freely committed, are Sathans thrones. Yea all those families are the diuels thrones, where men liue without loue or practise of religion, in blindnesse and ignorance, in blasphemie, drunkennesse, whoredome, iniustice, or any such impieties. And in reason it must needs bee thus, for the diuell being a prince of this world, will haue his throne in some parts thereof.

Hereby we see it is most needfull in euerie Christian kingdom, The Vse. there should be thrones of iustice in ciuill courts, for the maintenance of equity, the reward of vertue, and for the repressing of iniustice and iniquitie. And also thrones of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction for the reprehending and punishing of all those sinnes which the ciuill court reacheth not vnto. And it is necessarie that in these thrones iustice should bee administred without partialitie, that Gods throne may bee erected, which is opposit to the throne of Sathan.

Againe, the diuels cunning appeares notably in the choise of the place where he setteth vp his throne: it was no petty towne or village, but a chiefe and famous citie, which had beene the seate of many kings. This hath bene his practise in all ages, to chuse the chiefest places for the seat of his throne. Great Babylon in Scripture is called, A citie of iniquitie, that is, a throne of the diuell. And Rome that was once a famous church, is now, and hath beene long that spirituall Babylon, the throne of the diuell. Yea, in Ierusalem the city of the great king, had the diuell got vp his throne, when Christ called the temple a den of theeues. And in our dayes the people of great towns and cities are generally more backward in embracing the gospell, than in little villages. The cause hereof is, the malice of the diuell, who will haue his throne in chiefest places, for the greater hinderance of religion: there he much preuaileth by choaking the word with pride, profit, and pleasures, causing them to content themselues with a forme of godlinesse, when as they want the power thereof. And thus he dealeth in greater townes, that thence impietie may be deriued to the countrie round about, as tradesmen do their wares from place to place. And therefore the people of great townes especially, must labour not onely to know the gospell, but to beleeue and obey the same. Euery man must reforme himselfe, and euerie familie themselues, that Gods throne may be established, & the diuels throne battered down among them.

Secondly, whereas this church dwelleth where the diuels throne is, wee may obserue, whence the church of God is gathered, namely, out of Sathans kingdome. Gods church is a company of men ordained to saluation, taken from vnder the power of the diuell: though after their calling they be Gods peculiar flocke, yet they are by nature the children of wrath. Thus Paul speaketh of all the Gentiles, Act. 26.18. And particularly of the church of Colossa, Colos. 1.13. that God deliuered them from the power of darknesse, and translated them into the kingdome of his deare sonne.

Hence we learn. I. That no man is to stand vpon his his gentilitie, The Vse. or glory in his parentage for nobilitie and great bloud, but onely reioyce in this, that hee is drawne out of the kingdome of darknesse, and from vnder the power of Sathan, and placed by Christ Iesus in the kingdom of grace. For what will it profit a man to weare about his necke a chaine of gold, if so be his heart, will, & affections bee chained to the diuels seruice? and what auaileth it princes to sit vpon their stately thrones, if they themselues be in subiection vnto Sathan, and do homage vnto his throne? yea what will all the treasures, honors, and pleasures of the world auaile to him that is debarred from the riches of Gods loue in Christ, and destitute of the treasures of his grace, and so led captiue by Sathan at his will and pleasure? Secondly, some do thinke that a man may be saued by any religion, the Iew by his religion, the Turke by his, and the Papist by his, &c. Yea, it is the common receiued opinion of our ignorant people, that euerie one shall bee saued by his good meaning. But all these are meere dotages of mens braine: for a man may hold his good meaning, and yet serue the diuell at his throne. It is not sufficient to hold this or that religion, or to practise ciuill vertues, as iustice, temperance, &c. vnlesse a man be one of Gods church, seuered frō the company of thē that serue Sathan. Thirdly, here all Gods seruants haue a notable meanes of stay and comfort in afflictions. If they be persecuted, and cast into most darke dung[illegible: 1 letter]ons for the name of Christ, they must call to mind, that they are taken out of the diuels prison in the kingdome of darknes, and placed in the glorious kingdome of Iesus Christ, and made members of his church, and shall be inheritors of his glory. Fourthly, hence wee learne, that the preaching of the gospell hath in it a diuine power: no creatures, except the good Angels, haue power comparable to the diuels: and yet the preaching of the gospell is stronger than al the power of Sathan, for it gathereth a church where the diuell hath his throne, it deliuers men from vnder the power of Sathan, and placeth them in the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God: although therefore it be preached by sinfull man, yet it must be reuerenced as the power of God, and his owne arme to saue his elect. Fiftly, hence wee gather that God will haue his people to dwell with wicked and vngodly men: for the church of Pergamus dwelleth where Sathans throne is. This hee doth with wicked and vngodly men for good causes: I. That their faith, obedience, and repentance might be exercised, and they preserued from many sins which otherwayes they should fall into. Moses telleth the Israelits that the Cananits must not be all cast out at their first entrance, but dwell among them, lest wild beasts did grow vp which would deuour them: & so the wicked must dwell among the godly to exercise Gods graces in them, lest they fall into sinne and securitie. II. That they might shine foorth as lights vnto the wicked by their godly conuersation, Phil. 2.15. That ye may be blameles[illegible: 1 letter]e and pure, the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middes of a naughtie and crooked nation, and among whom ye shine as lights in the world: holding foorth word of life. And thus the godly must do, that by their vnblameable life others might bee wonne to the faith; for godly example is a notable meanes to draw men to loue and embrace faith and true religion, 1. Pet. 3.1. III. That God may shew on the godly tokens of his speciall loue and fauour: which he doth when hee sendeth iudgements vpon the wicked, and spareth his children. Hence it was, that when the Lord would bring a common iudgement vpon the Iewes, he causeth those that mourned for their owne sinnes, and for the abhominations of the people, Exe. 9.4. To bee marked in the forehead, that they might bespared. So that if any godly person dwell among such as hate religion, and bee profane, he must content himselfe, knowing it is Gods will his church should be vexed and troubled by the societies of the wicked and vngodly. Sixtly, hence it appeareth that Gods people may lawfully dwell among wicked and vngodly men, alwayes remembring that they communicate not with them in their sins and rebellions against God: For so L[illegible: 1 letter]t dwelt in Sodome, and this church of Pergamus, where the diuell had his throne. 1. Cor. 7.2▪ This question is answered: a maister is a heathen man, and his seruant is conuerted to the faith; whereupon hee thinketh that he is free from seruing his maister: but Paule telleth him he must doe externall seruice still, so farre forth as he keepe good conscience, and bee not constrained to renounce true religion. Lastly, hence wee haue direction to aunswere a question much vrged against vs by the Papists, to wit, Where our church was fourescore yeares ago, when Luther first beganne to preach: they intend hereby to proue our church to be but of fourscore yeares continuance, and so our religion to be new. We aunswere by the like, Where was the church of Pergamus when the diuels throne was in that citie? Surely it was there where the diuell had his throne. And so when Antichrist that man of sin, had spread poperie ouer all Europe, at that verie same time was Gods church in Europe where poperie was professed, mingled with the Papists: which to bee true appeareth by this, that in all ages there haue bene some, who openly haue oppugned poperie, more or lesse, partly by writing, and partly by speaking, as the records of all ages do testifie & make manifest: so that though iniquitie had the vpper hand, yet our church had his being in the middest of poperie.

And thou keepest my name, That is, though thou dwell in a place where the diuell hath his throne, yet thou holdest fast my name, so as neither force nor fraud of the aduersarie can take my name from thee: so much the words import. By Christs name we must vnderstand the doctrine of the gospell: so Paul is sayd to bee Act 9.15. A chosen vessell to carrie Christs name among the Gentiles: That is, to publish among them the doctrine of the Gospell.

Here this church of Pergamus is particularly commended for her constancie in holding fast true religion against all aduersary power whatsoeuer. Hence wee learne that it is not sufficient to teach, or know, and beleeue the doctrine of the gospell in time of peace: but we must be constant in holding it fast against all gainsayers, and not be turned about with euery wind of doctrine, but in life and death keepe sure the truth, that neither fraud nor forc[illegible: 1 letter] of any aduersary power draw it from vs, or vs from it. Mat. 13. The kingdome of heauen [illegible: 1 word] compared to a treasure hid in the field, which when a man s[illegible: 2 letters] deth bee goeth and selleth all hee, hath to buy the field. The scope of that par[illegible: 1 letter]ble is this▪ If any man should come into any of our fields, & by searching find a gold mine; he would not make it knowne to any, but couer it close, and go his way and sell all that he had to buy that field, that thereby he might enrich himselfe: euen so hauing found this, that the gospell reuealeth the way to life euerlasting, though we must not conceale the same from others, yet we must be like this man herein, that we could be content to part with all that we haue, that so we might make the gospell ours▪ 1. Tim. 3.9. Deacons must haue this propertie, To haue the ministerie of faith in a pure conscience. There a good conscience is compared to a sure treasure house, which cannot bee robbed by any aduersaries power: and faith, that is, true religion is the treasure that is there safely layd vp: such a store-house must wee get for the preseruation of the faith. Any thing else we may leese, but if we part with true religion, saluation is gone and all is lost. And therefore in life and death we must keepe fast the faith.

Further Christ amplifieth the praise of their conscience by two arguments: First, that they held Christs name without deniall: Secondly, that they kept the faith in the time of bloudie persecution. For the first in these words, And hast not denied my faith. This is an excellent commendation; for many will hold the doctrine of the gospell for a time, and yet after deny the same by apostacie: but this Church held fast true religion without any reuolt at all. Their practise must we follow: and so hold fast true religion that therein we neuer make reuolt: for if wee shall once deny religion, wee know not whether God will giue vs the grace of repentance, that w[illegible: 1 letter]e may professe it againe; which if he do not, we perish eternally. Consider Esau[illegible: 1 letter] example who sold his birth right for a messe of red broth, and after lost the blessing▪ which when he wold haue recouered he was reiected: [illegible: 1 word]. 12.17. And found no place to repentance, though be sought it with teares. Therfore to preuent the fearefull danger of not repenting after reuoult, we must still hold fast true religion without deniall.

Here in this place the faith of Christ, is all one with Christs name, that is, with the true doctrine of the gospel. And it is called Christs faith: first, because Christ with the father and the spirit, is the author thereof: Secondly, because Christ reuealeth the same from the bosome of his father: for God reuealeth his Gospell vnto men by his sonne Christ Iesus. Thirdly, because Christ is the substance and matter of the gospell: for indeed Christ Iesus is the principal subiect of the whole Bible, being the end of the law, & the substance of the gospell.

The second argument of their praise for conscience, is taken from the circumstance of time; they hold fast true religion in the time of bloudy persecution: Euen in those dayes (saith Christ) when Antipas my faithful martyr was slaine among you where Sathan dwelleth. Who this Antipas was, is not knowne, neither certainely recorded in any historie: it is thought hee was the minister of this church, vnto opposed himselfe against idolatrie and gentilisme in this citie of Pergamus.

In this argument note two points. I. That Christ commends Antipas, calling him his faithfull martyr. Whereby wee see, that in Gods church it is lawfull to honor saints and martyrs. For that which Christ doth, his church may doe. This their honour must stand in two things, In due deserued praise & commendation, & in a careful imitatiō of their good vertues & godly liues: and for this end doth Christ cōmend Antipas vnto this church, that they might follow his good conuersation: but as for popish honor of inuocation & adoration, it hath no ground in Gods word. Againe, in calling him faithfull martyr, hee commendeth more the cause of his death, than the death: to shew, that the cause maketh a martyr, not the death: For an hereticke may be put to death for his damnable opinions. Therefore Antipas is a martyr, not because he was slain, but because he was faithful vnto death for the maintenance of Christs true religion.

II. point. In the end of the verse Christ sheweth who were the authors of Antipas his death; namely such among them in whom Sathan ruled: for he was slaine (sayth Christ) among you, where Sathan dwelleth. Which words hee repenteth, to giue vs to vnderstand, that all persecutors, let them carry what face they will, are in truth such, in whome the deuill ruleth, where he hath his hold, and keepes possession. Quest. Why did Sathan more dwell there than in other places? Answ. Because many in this place were Gentiles, who contemned and mocked the gospell, and maintained idolatrie, wherby they became the holds of Sathan. And by proportion we may gather, that all contemners of religion, and all that walke in their owne wicked wayes, are indeed the stables and holds of the deuill, though they should bee the temples of the holy ghost. And so many families as there are, where religion is mocked, Gods name blasphemed, iniustice and impietie practised; so many holds of Sathan there are where the deuill ruleth: and such they continue, till they reforme themselues of their impieties, and embrace the Gospell syncerely. And therefore all masters of families especially should loue the Gospell, and see that in their families religion be taught, embraced and obeyed, that so the deuill may haue no hold in their families. Que. Whether might not Antipas, being Pastour of this Church, haue fled for the safetie of his life? Answ. There bee two kinds of persecution, one that is directly intended against the Pastor principally: the other against the whole Church equally. In the persecution directed against the Pastor, this must bee considered, Whether God gaue him oportunitie and libertie to flie, or not: if God giue him libertie and oportunitie, hee may flie, and the Church is to assist him, and to vse means for his preseruation: but if God denie him meanes to escape, then he must iudge himselfe to bee called of God, to suffer death for his name; and so hee may not flie. And such was the cause of Antipas in this Church. But if the persecution be directed against the whole church equally, then the Pastor may not flie, but take part in their sufferings, that hee may be a meanes to stay and comfort his brethren.