William Perkins on Revelation 2:23

Vers. 23. And I will kill her children with death, and all the Churches shall know that I am [illegible: 1 letter]ee which searcheth the reines and hearts: and I will giue vnto euerie one of you according to his workes.

Here is the third part of Christs threatning against Iesabels children: by children wee are to vnderstand properly, those which are borne of her, and were of her husband, and not her followers, for they were threatned with grieuous afflictions in the former verse. It had bene sufficient to haue sayd, I will [illegible: 1 word] her children. But to note the certainty and greeuousnesse of this punishment, he saith I will kill them (with death▪) Quest. How can this stand with the iustice of God, to punish the offences of the parents in the person of the children? Ans. God deareth so for temporall punishments, not for eternall.

And though we could not perceiue the iustice of God in so doing, yet wee must reuerence the [illegible: 1 letter]ame, blaming our owne ignorance. Albeit, euen in reason wee may conceiue of the equitie of this course▪ for societies, as church, commonwealth, and families, are Gods ordinance, and the parties in them must bee considered as members of those societies: for God conceiueth of them when hee afflicteth the punishment deserued by one, vpon another; as of the Prince vpon the people, of the parents vpon their children. This hee may iustly do by reason of that neere bond which is betweene the members of the same societie: like as in the naturall bodie when the stomacke is distempered, the head aketh: and when the head is wounded the stomacke is sicke; and the bodie may bee smitten for the errours of the tongue. Thus when Dauid sinned the child died, and when hee numbred the Israelites, the people were plagued. And thus is the child stained in bloud for the fathers treason against earthly Princes: and so God punished this woman in her children, that shee might knowe the greatnesse of her sinnes, hee smote her children with death.

The Vse. Hence parents are taught to make conscience of euerie sinne: For thereby they may bring iudgements vpon their children and familie euen to death. Now what bloudie hearted parents are those, that will make no conscience of doing that whereby they bring vengeance vppon their owne children? And by the same reason must euery man that liues in any societie be admonished to take heed of sinne: because thereby a man (especially if hee bee a principall member of a societie) may bring destruction vpon many▪ As Dauid did by numbring the people: And Achan by his couetous stealth, Iosua. 7: And Ahab vpon his posteritie. So that impenitent persons which will not be reformed but go on in sinne, ought to bee banished both from church and commonwealth, as hurtfull members, yea enemies to all good societies.

That these threatnings might take place in the hearts of Iesabell and her followers, Christ remooueth two carnall conceits, whereby they might thinke to delude or escape these iudgements threatned. The first is this, Iesabell and her company might thinke that their practises were secret, not knowne to the world; and therefore they were not in danger of Gods iudgements: This is a wicked imagination that comes into the mind of all sinners, but this Christ cuts off saying, And all the Churches shall know that I am hee which search the reines and the hearts: As if he should say to Iesabell and her companie: you may persuade your selues that because your sinnes are secret, therefore my iudgements shall not befall you. But know, that I will discouer your secret sinnes and practises in such sort, as all Churches shall know by experience in your persons, that I do see and discerne the most hidden thoughts of mans heart.

First, here obserue to whome Christ will discouer their sinnes; not to all the world, but to the Church of God, All Churches shall know; This Christ doth to terrifie Iesabell & her companie: For as it is an excellent honour to bee well esteemed of with the Churches of God, so it is a most shamefull dishonour to bee in disgrace with the Churches of God: For Mat. 1[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ whatsoeuer is bound or loosed by the Churches on earth, the same is bound or loosed in heauen. And therefore by due proportion it followeth, that they which are in disgrace with God[illegible: 1 letter] Churches on earth, are also in disgrace with God himselfe in heauen.

Hence wee are taught that howsoeuer we must (so much as in vs lieth) endeuour to approoue our selues to the whole world, The Vse. yet especially wee must labour to bee in good account with the Churches of God, and the members thereof: And on the contrarie, we must continually auoide the doing of all such things as may iustly bring vs into disgrace with the Church of God. Rom. 16.16. The Churches of Christ salute you. And 1. Cor. 16.19. All the Churches of Asia salute you. Where the Apostle meaneth not, that they did by word of mouth send greetings vnto them: But hereby hee would signifie that all Churches did approue of them, which hee saith for their great comfort. Paule receiued Timothie into the companie, because the Churches gaue him a good report, Act. 16.2.3.

But what is the thing that all churches should know by experience in the persons of Iezabell and her company? namely, that Christ is he which doth indeed search the reynes and the hearts: where, by Reynes and hearts wee must vnderstand the same things, namely, the thoughts and affections of men: for in that sence those words are often vsed in the old Testament. Quest. How can reynes signifie the thoughts and affections▪ seeing the thoughts are seated in the braine, and the affections in the heart? Answ. The reynes are put for the thoughts and affections, not because they are seated therein, but for that resemblance and analogie that is betweene them: for as the reynes are seated in the most secret part of the bodie, so the thoughts and affections are seated in the most secret place of the soule: and the heart is p[illegible: 1 letter]rt for the thoughts and affections, first, because the affections are there seated; secondly, because the thoughts, though they bee seated in the braine, yet they haue their operation in the heart: for ioyfull thoughts make a merry heart, and fearefull thoughts an heauie heart. Againe, the word (Search) signifieth a most narrow search, and such a one as goeth with finding; thereby shewing that nothing is so secret in man, but the Lord both can and doth see and discerne the same.

The Vse. Hence wee learne first, that Christ our Sauiour is not onely man, but very God, one person standing of two natures. That Christ is man, heretickes denie not: but whether he be God or not, there is the question. Which yet is here euidently prooued: for hee that hath in him the peculiar properties of God, must needs be God: But Christ hath in him the true properties of God, he can search and discerne all the thoughts and all the affections of the hearts of all men, which none can doe but God onely, Ierem. 17.9, 10, The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things, who can know it? I the Lord search the he[illegible: 2 letters]t, and trie the reynes. And therefore Christ is the true and very God.

Secondly, hereby wee are taught to beware and take heed of hypocrisie in all things, but especially in the matters of religion. Hypocrisie is, when a man seemes outwardly to be that which hee is not inwardly. But wee must haue care to bee truly in heart that which we appeare to bee in life and profession: wee must come as neere Christ in thought and affection, as in our outward action: for Christ knowes as well the whole estate of euerie mans reynes and heart, as he doth their speeches and their deeds.

Thirdly, hereby wee must learne to suspect our selues of our vnknowne sinnes, as of our vnbeleefe and presumption; not contenting our selues with an acknowledgement of our known sinnes, for wee can neuer discerne the depth of our corrupt heart, and yet God knoweth them. This was Dauids practise, Psal. 19.12. after due examination of himselfe hee yet crieth, Lord cleanse mee from my secret sinnes: As if he should say, I haue O Lord searched my heart, but I cannot sufficiently know mine owne corruptions; therefore doe thou O Lord helpe to cleanse mee from them. If this were practised, true religion would flourish: for many iustifie themselues, when as they know not what is in their hearts, little considering what Christ sayth vnto the Pharisees, Luk. 16.15. You are they which iustifie your selues before men, but Christ knoweth your hearts.

And I will giue to euery one of you according to your workes. Here Christ proceedeth to remooue a second wicked conceit, whereby they might seeme to illude Gods iudgements threatened. For they might say, Let the Lord send iudgments and plagues vpon vs, yet wee shall escape them: as Isay sayd of the wicked in his time, That they made a league with death and hell, and sayd the iudgements of God shall passe ouer them, Isay. 28. verse 15. But to cut off this vaine conceit, Christ threateneth a iust reward to euery one, according to his workes. As if hee should say; You may sooth vp your selues▪ and falsely thinke, that you shall escape my iudgements: but know it, that I will reward euery one of you partly in this life, and principally at the day of iudgement, according to your workes, bee they good or bad. For these words must especially [illegible: 1 letter]ee vnderstood of the day of iudgement, as they are vsed, [illegible: 1 word]. 2.[illegible: 1 letter]. and Reuel. 2[illegible: 1 letter].12.

Hence the Papists gather, The Vse. that men are saued not onely by faith in Christ, but also by workes: for thus they reason▪ [illegible: 1 letter]y that whereby wee must bee iudged, must wee bee iustified and [illegible: 1 letter]a[illegible: 1 letter]ed: but by workes wee must bee iudged, and therefore saued. Answ: The Proposition is false: There is great difference betweene iustifying and iudging: for iudging is onely the declaration of a man to bee iust; but iustification is the making of a man iust: And because the declaration of a man to bee iust, is by workes, therefore is iudgement by workes. Againe, it is not sayd, I will giue to you for your works, but according to your workes. If he had sayd, I will giue to euery one of you for your workes, then it might haue seemed they had bin iustified by them: But here Christ doth only make works an outward signe, or rule, whereto hee will conforme and square the last iudgement.

Secondly, whereas euery man must bee iudged, that is, saued or condemned according to his workes; hence wee may gather, that good workes are necessarie to saluation, yet not as causes thereof, either efficient, or helping any way, but onely as a way or meanes to come vnto saluation: For faith is necessarie, and good workes are the tokens and fruits of faith, and so are necessarie.

Thirdly, here we must bee admonished to bee carefull to abound in good workes; not to win heauen by them, but to get assurance of saluation in our selues. And these good workes are the doing of the duties of pietie vnto God, and of charitie vnto our brethren, euen the duties of the Morall law; or more plainely, the doing of the generall duties of a Christian, and the particular duties of a mans calling: for if these bee done in obedience to God and to his glory, proceeding from faith and loue vnto our brethren, though the calling bee neuer so base, they are good workes. And on the contrarie, this must admonish vs to make conscience of euery euill way: for sinnes be the markes of condemnation: and so many wicked workes as we commit, so many markes and brands doe wee set vpon our selues of our iust and deserued condemnation, vnlesse wee repent.

Lastly, hence wee may gather, that there bee degrees of ioy in heauen, and of torments in hell. For iudgements and rewards goe according to mens workes: And therefore they that testifie their faith by great and many good workes, shall haue great reward: they that testifie their faith by lesser and fewer workes, shall haue lesser reward: and so for sinnes, the more heynous they bee, the deeper condemnation they doe procure.