William Perkins on Revelation 2:16

Verse. 16. Repent thy selfe, or else I come vnto thee shortly: and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth.

Christ hauing layd downe the sinnes of this church, and the errors of the Nicholaitans, doth here propound vnto this church, First, a remedie for her recouerie: Secondly, a reason to inforce the practise of the remedie. The remedie is in these words: Repent thy selfe. In it consider these points: First, what it is to repent: Secondly, why Christ so often vrgeth thereunto: Thirdly, to whome Christ prescribeth this remedie. Of the first, we haue spoken in the first verse of this chapter: Briefly therefore, Repentance is a change of the mind from euill to good, and a turning from sinne vnto God. Here repentance must bee taken more largely, for all the duties that accompany repentance in the practise therof: as I. Humiliation of a man by confessing of his sins vnto God; and condemning of himselfe for the sinne. II. Prayer, wherby a man doth earnestly intreat the Lord for the pardon of the same sins. III. Reformation, wherby a man in hart proposeth, and in life indeuoureth to leaue all his former sinnes, and for euer after to do all things in obedience vnto God: vnto all these doth the holy Ghost exhort them in this place.

II. Point. Why doth Christ so often prescribe this duty of repentance, and so much vrge it? An. Not for that it is a cause or a meritorious means to procure remission of sins & life euerlasting, as the Papists do falsly and damnably teach; for that nothing can do but the obedience & passion of Christ: but first because it is a token of Gods fauor procured, & a most excellent fruit of faith, such as maketh a man cease to do euill, and moueth him to do good: Secondly, because it is a way wherin mē must walke vnto the end, that wold haue remissiō of sins, & life eternal.

III. point. To whom is this remedie prescribed? Answ. First to the church of Pergamus, and then to the Nicholaitans in that church, though they were most wicked men▪ Touching the church of Pergamus: they were before commended for most worthie graces, for they had repentance: and yet note, Christ sayth still vnto them, Repent thy selfe. Herein teaching vs a most worthie lesson, which euery one ought to learne and practise: namely, that the life of a Christian is a continuall practise of repentance. When a man hath once repented, that is not sufficient; but euery new day must haue a new repentance for his dayly slips. Wee 2. Cor. 5.2▪ are Gods embassadours (sayth Paule) for Christ: beseeching you in Christs steed, that you would be reconciled vnto God. Now they were reconciled to God before, for they are called C[illegible: 1 letter]p▪ 6 16. the Temple of the liuing God; His meaning therefore is, That they should striue more and more after reconciliation with God; both in regard of their further assurance, and also for their particular sinnes wherein they dayly offended. Euery Christian must dayly wres[illegible: 2 letters]e with his owne corruptions, which hee feeleth in himselfe, that the longer hee liueth, the more hee may grow in dislike with himselfe. And in this distast of himselfe hee must dayly proceed, that hee may euery day more and more grow vp in Christ. And least any should thinke, that this was spoken to this church alone, and not to vs: consider, that wee are in the same case with them; their sinnes are our sins, as we haue prooued: We want zeale and seueritie against sinne and sinners. Now being in the same fault with them, wee must therefore practise the same remedy, and renew our repentance, though wee haue repented heretofore.

Secondly, he prescribes this dutie to the Nicolaitans, that held two damnable errours, and no doubt liued accordingly in those sinnes: and yet Christ barres them not from his kingdome, but bids them repent. Where note, that great and grieuous sinners are not barred frō Gods mercie, if they will repent. Excellent is that saying of Isay, God i[illegible: 1 letter] much in sparing: and that of Dauid also, With God is plentifull redemption. Psal. 130.7. This point is seriously to bee considered: for wee haue in our congregations many that are well spoken of in the world: and yet for knowledge of God and practise of life, are flat Atheists. We haue also among vs epicures, blasphemers, murtherers, and fornicators with these Nicolaitans. Now to all these and such like this doctrine appertaines▪ not to embolden them in sinne, but to assure them there is mercy in store for them with God, if they will truly repent. They must not turne the grace of God [illegible: 1 letter]o wantonnesse, and make his mercie a bolster to their iniquitie; for this is despising of Gods bountie, whereby they helpe vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath: but if with Iob they humble themselues in dust and ashes, and crie to heauen for mercie from a broken heart that carrieth a resolute purpose to leaue all sinne; then, though their sinnes were neuer so many, they shall all be drowned in the bottomelesse sea of Gods mercie: though they were as crimson and scarlet, which will take no other dye, yet in Christs bloud they shall be made as white as wooll & snow: yea, though they haue fallen often into the same sinnes which is most fearefull and dangerous, yet vpon this vnfained repentance they shall bee restored to mercie: for the fountaine thereof cannot be dried vp: but see they doe repent, for whosoeuer looketh for Christs merits, must know that hee looketh for true repentance. Thus much for the remedie.

II. point. The reason wherby Christ would set an edge vpon the former remedie, containeth a twofold threatening or commination: the first, against the whole Church in these words: If not, I come vnto thee shortly. The second against the Nicolaitans in these words: And will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. For the first, If not, I will come vnto thee shortly, these words were expounded in the fift verse. The meaning is this: If thou repent not, I will come vnto thee, & testifie my presence by taking punishment vpon thee, for thy want of zeale, and of seueritie against sinne and sinners. To this effect the Prophet Isay sayth, Chap. 30.27. The name of the Lord shall come from farre, to take punishment vpon the Assyrians.

In this threatening the phrase is to be noted. Christ sayth: If not, I come vnto thee: expressing a thing to come, by a word of the time present. To giue them to vnderstand, that his comming vnto them by iudgements was as certaine, as if it were present, vnlesse they did repent. Where this generall rule is to be obserued of all: namely, that when a Church or people doe not repent, the Lord will come vnto them to execute his iudgements vpon them. Yea, though they haue before repented, if for particular sinnes and wants they doe not renew their repentance, hee will surely come to punish them. This might be proued at large by testimonies of the Prophets & Apostles: but it is so euident in this text, that I omit all further proofe; onely I will applie it to this our Church, of which this may bee truely sayd; Thou doest not repent, nor renew thy repentance for thy dayly sinnes. For albeit there bee some among vs, that by Gods grace repent and set themselues dayly to the exercise thereof: yet take the greater part of our congregations, and they are so far from renewing their repentance, that they doe not repent at all: for either they haue no knowledge of Gods will; or if they haue knowledge, yet they want care and conscience to put the same in practise. This being our case and condition, what man may not bee a Prophet against our churches and congregations, being thus directed by this portion of Scripture, to say and that truly, That God will come vnto vs in iudgments, to plague and punish vs for our sinnes and iniquities? Wee may sooth our selues in hope of mercie still, but the state of our Church continuing as it is, nothing can bee expected but iudgements from the Lord. This then must be a motiue to persuade vs to repent, euery person apart, and euery family & congregation apart, we must humble our selues in dust and ashes for our sinnes past, entreating the Lord to be reconciled vnto vs, and purpose fully in our hearts, and striue in our liues to obey God in all his commaundements: yea, though we can say wee haue repented, yet for our dayly wants and sinnes wee must renew our repentance. Thus doing, we shall stay the Lord when he is comming against vs. But if we goe on in blindnesse, ignorance, and rebellion, following the lusts of our own hearts, then nothing but vengeance and iudgements are to bee expected: for this conclusion must stand with all churches and people: If they repent not, God will come in iudgement against them.

The second threatening or commination is directed vnto the Nicolaitans, in these words: And will fight against them with the sword of my mouth; that is, I will bee at emnitie with them, and testifie the same by waging battell against those among you, that maintaine the lawfulnesse of eating things sacrificed to Idols, and of fornication. Thus I say will I fight against thē with the sword of my mouth; that is, with the preaching of my word, the law, and the gospell.

In this commination Christ alludeth still to the storie of Balaam: for when hee was sent for by Balac to curse the people of God, the Lord stood against him in the way with a naked sword, to keepe him from going: and when his eyes were opened, that hee saw the Angell of the Lord withstand him in that sort, hee fell downe and adored the Angell, for it was the Lord: yet because he ceased not from his wicked couetousnesse, but gaue bad counsell against the Israelites, when he could not curse them, to cause them to sinne: therefore hee was slaine with the edge of the sword among the Midianites by the children of Israel, Num. 31.8. Euen so Christ dealeth with the Nicolaitans, because they goe on in their bad counsel, persuading the lawfulnesse of eating things sacrificed to Idols, & also of fornication: therfore first he will fight against them with the sword of his mouth, the ministery of his word, therby to reclaime them from their wicked wayes, if it bee possible: but if that will not serue, hee will still fight against them, and with the same sword destroy them for euer.

First here marke, Christ sayth not, The Vse. I will kill them, but fight against them: for hee intended not at the first to destroy these Nicolaitans, but his purpose was to withdraw them from their wicked wayes; yet so, as afterward if they would not be reclaimed by his word, he would therewith destroy them. Wherein wee may behold the exceeding patience of Christ Iesus towards leaud and grieuous sinner[illegible: 1 letter], that maintained the lawfulnesse of idolatrie and fornication, and gaue themselues thereunto. So the Lord [illegible: 1 paragraph] in spirit stro[illegible: 1 letter]e with the old world, and spared them 120 yeares to withdraw them from their wickednesse by the preaching of Noe. So likewise hee spared the Ammonites Gen. 15.16. till their sinnes were come to the full; and the Egyptians also for many hundred yeares, though they were most cruell persecutors of his owne people. And though the Iews most maliciously crucified the Lord of life; yet he spared them fiftie yeares, before hee cut them off from being a people. Yea, dayly experience teacheth vs this his long suffering: we may heare most bloudie and bitter oathes from blasphemers, whereby they dayly crucifie Christ with their tongues. The like may be said of the adulterers, and all cruell persons, and yet he forbeares the same: yea, in our owne selues we dayly tast of this his patience: for so soone as we were borne, we deserued to be cast into hell, and yet in mercie he vouchsafeth vnto vs, to some twentie, to some thirty, and to some moe years, for a time of repentance; when as euery day hee might in iustice condemne vs. This therefore must admonish vs in the feare of God, not to abuse this his long suffering any longer, but now while the day of mercie lasteth, to humble our selues, and turne vnto him by true repentance. These are the dayes of grace, but how long they will last, God onely knoweth: For when death once commeth, he sheweth no more mercie. The old world, because they abused the long suffering of God 1. Pet. 3.19, [illegible: 1 letter]0. were destroyed, and are now in hell in prison for it, as Peter teacheth. And vndoubtedly the same prison will be our portion if wee take the same course that they did.

Secondly, in this threatening we may obserue, that all irrepentant sinners haue God for their enemie, to fight against them with a drawn sword. For this cause sinne in Scripture is called rebellion, and euery sinner is a rebell against God. A fearefull thing it is to haue God for an enemie: and yet this is the condition, not onely of such as did neuer repent, but of all those that hold the name of Christ in profession, and yet continue in any one sinne, without renewing their repētance. This also must serue to induce euery man that hath not repented now to begin: and if they haue begun, to repent more, dayly renewing the same for their daily slips, and so shal they be the friends of Christ, as Iam. 2 13 Abraham was, and a[illegible: 1 letter] his disciples were, Io[illegible: 1 letter]. 15.15.

Thirdly, in these two threatening[illegible: 1 letter] Christ sheweth himselfe to bee the true Doctor of his Church: for he will fight against these Nicolaitans, when as hee will onely come vnto his Church. Where wee see hee deuideth his word aright: wherein consisteth the principall wisedome of a true Prophet, giuing comforts to whom comfort belongeth, and threatning iudgements to whom iudgement is due; and making difference of iudgements according to the state of the persons against whome they are threatened. For the heauie iudgements of God must not be threatened against all persons, but against the impenitent. And because there be degrees of iudgements, temporall, and eternall; therefore temporall iudgements must be threatened to those to whom they belong, & eternall iudgements denounced against those to whom they belong: obseruing the circumstances of time, place, and persons, according to Christs example in this place, and else where. So likewise the benefites of the Gospell are not to bee propounded to euery person hand ouer head without difference, but with restraint to some onely, as Gods Prophets haue done. It is often a great offence in the Church, when the benefits of the Gospell are propounded to all, and the threatening of the law denounced against all, without limitation or restraint. The conditions therefore of repentance & impenitencie, of faith and vnbeleefe, and also the degrees of them all, must carefully bee obserued in the dispensation of the Law and the Gospell.

Fourthly, the end of Christs fighting must be considered: for first hee intends to reclaime them from their euill wayes; but if they will not be reclaimed, then to cause the same word to be an occasion of their deeper condemnation. This must be deepely weighed of vs all, who haue had by Gods mercie for many yeares the plentifull preaching of the gospell, by which God hath continually rebuked & checked the sinnes that bee among vs, as ignorance, blaspemie, and filthinesse, crueltie, and all iniquities whatsoeuer: and the same thing the Lord yet continues to doe vnto vs. Wee therefore must thinke, that all this while the Lord is fighting against vs: when ignorance is reprooued in the ministerie of the word, the ignorant person must thinke the Lord is fighting against him: and so all Atheists, blasphemers, adulterers, oppressers, and cruell persons, when their sinnes are reprooued, they must know that the Lord stands face to face against them with the sword of his mouth, seeking to reclaime them from these iniquities, as hee did to Balaam in his way. And when any mans sinnes be thus touched, hee must not rebell, but humble himselfe, as Balaam fell before the Angell: considering it is the Lord that wageth battell against him. When wee heare that forraine nations shake their swords against vs, how are wee mooued, both high and low? Shall wee feare the sword of mortall man, and shall we not tremble when we heare that the sword of the euerliuing God is shaken against vs? Those therefore whose hearts are guiltie of any one sinne, must humble themselues by true and speedie repentance, there is no withstanding of the Lord: if his sword doe not cure vs, it will cut vs in pieces: if his word doe not conuert vs from our sinnes, it will bee an occasion to cast our soules deeper into hell. Thus he dealt with Balaam, when he would not be restrained from giuing bad counsell, he was slaine among the Midianites. Few thinke on these things; from whence commeth such great contempt of Gods ordinance in the ministerie of the word, as we see at this day: but they must know, that either death or life come by the stroke of this sword, and therfore they must repent.

Fiftly, note the title giuen to Gods word: it is called The sword of Christs mouth: not onely because it was once deliuered by himselfe, from his own mouth, but because it doth dayly proceed from his mouth: for the Ministers of the gospell, which bee truely called, are the very mouth of Christ, from which Gods people receiue his word. Ie[illegible: 1 letter]. 15 19. If thou shalt returne (sayth the Lord to Ieremie) and shalt separate the precious from the vile, then shalt thou stand before me, and be according to my word. 2. Cor. 5.19, Wee are the embassadors of Christ, beseeching you in his steed: which is an high and wonderfull honour. The consideration whereof is a ground of sundry duties.

First, all students that are in the way of preparation to higher callings, must hereby learne to conceiue a good opinion of the Ministerie of the gospell, and to affect the same aboue other callings. For though the blind world count it a base calling, yet Christ wee see maketh the minister his owne mouth: which honour is not giuen either to the Lawyer or to the Physition.

Secondly, hereby euery Minister of the Gospell is taught to deliuer nothing in his publicke Ministerie, but the pure word of God, so farre foorth as Christ shall enable him: and that also in so pure a manner, as in the persuasion of his owne conscience hee thinkes Christ would speake, if he were there present; like vnto faithfull embassadours, who speake onely the will of their lord and prince, and in that manner which their lord and prince doth best approoue. If this were well weighed, wee should not haue such preaching as is commonly vsed, consisting of a mixture of testimonies, partly diuine, and partly humane, considering that neither Christ nor his Apostles preached so.

Thirdly, the people also are hence taught their dutie: when they heare a sinfull man like vnto themselues speake vnto them in the Ministerie of the word, they must not despise Gods ordinance, because it is deliuered by man, but receiue the same, as from the mouth of Christ, and as the pure word of God, so far forth as it consenteth with holy scripture. In this behalfe Paule blessed God for the Thessalonians, That they receiued the word from him, not as the word of man, but as it is indeed the word of God, 1. Thess. 2. vers. 13.

Sixtly, where Christ sayth, I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. We may obserue, that the kingdom of Christ is spirituall, and not of this world: for if it were worldly, then a ciuile sword, wielded by the hand of man, should belong vnto him: But he hath no such sword, he gouernes his church and people by the sword of his mouth, his holy word. Wherby appeareth, that the primacie of the sea of Rome is from hell, not from heauen: for the Pope sayth he is Christs vicar, and yet he will be armed with both swords: when as Christ dealeth not with the ciuill sword, but onely vseth the sword of his mouth.