William Perkins on Revelation 3:17

Vers. 17. For thou sayst, I am rich, and made rich, and haue need of nothing, and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable, and poore, & blinde, and naked.

Here is the second sin of this Church, namely, spirituall pride. The wordes depend vpon the former, as a reason thereof; before he charged thē with deadnes in religion, and here he painteth out the cause thereof; namely, spirituall pride of hart. As if hee should say: thou thinkest thus within thy selfe, I am rich, for it is the manner of the scripture to expresse the thoughts of men by their speeches; because the thoughts of men, are as euident to Christ, as any mans speeches can bee to another. The vse.

In that Christ doth expresse mens secret thoughts and propound the same in this Booke; wee may hence gather, that it is a part of Canonicall scripture, for it is a priuiledge of the scriptures to set down the thoughts of Countreys, of Churches, & of particular men, euen as they cōceiue them. This can no man doe in any booke of his owne deuising. And hence wee may gather an argumēt against Athiests; That scriptures are the word of God, because they reueale mens secret thoughts.

Nowe followeth the thought it selfe of the Angell and people of this Church, I am rich, that is, I haue many excellent gifts and graces of Gods spirite: by this effect he expresseth their spirituall pride; in ouerweening their estate before God. This is a common sinne in the world, and euer hath been. Christ sayd, Luk. 5.32. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; by righteous, meaning such as think themselues righteous. And the Luk. 18.9, 10. proud Pharisie▪ in his prayer, which hee conceiued in his heart, thought himselfe farre better, than the poore Publican, or other men. And Paul 1. Cor. 4.[illegible: 1 letter]. bringeth in the Corinthians, thinking proudly of themselues, saying; We are full and made rich, &c. This sinne takes place in the Papists at this day; who perswade themselus, that they can satisfie Gods iustice by temporall works, and fulfill the law of God, and merite for themselues, and for others.

To come to our selues, this same proud thought hath place among vs. First, wee think we are rich, in regard of knowledg: both yong and old scorne to be catechized, because they would not seeme to be ignorant; some sticke not to professe this pride by bragging thus, that they know as much for substance, as any man can teach them: when as indeed they know nothing but that wich nature wil teach a man. Secondly, men plead that they haue a most firme saith, so as they neuer doubted of Gods mercie: which is nothing but the presumption of a proude heart, for true faith is troubled with doubting. Thirdly, men will professe, that they are rich in loue, both towards God, and their neighbours, when as they loue the world, and the pleasures thereof, more than Christ; and so haue no true loue of God in their harts. Fourthly, (to make more plain, that this spirituall pride raignes in mens harts) mark this: let any bodily calamity be made knowne to a man that is newly befallen him, oh how is hee presently perplexed! but let Gods Minister out of his word, make knowne vnto him his inward fearfull estate: that by reason of sinne, hee is in danger of Gods iudgements, and a firebrand of Hell, hee is not affraide: Worldly newes doth affright men much, when as the threatnings of the word mooue them nothing. What argueth this, but that their hearts are fore-stalled with this false conceit, I am rich? The drunkard in his drunkennesse, the filthie person in his vncleannesse, and euerie man in his sinne sootheth himselfe with this, God is mercifull, I am rich, and in his fauour, hee will not condemne me. Well, it being thus manifest that spirituall pride is our common sin; We must labour to see it in our selues, and vse all good meanes that it may be remooued. The means follow afterwards.

And increased with goods: or, am made rich: so the words are: these words are added onely for amplification to shew, that this church had not any smal portion, but an exceeding measure of spirituall pride; The doubling of the words, sheweth the strength of this conceit. Whats the cause that this Church was growne to such an height of pride? Answ. It may be it was knowledge, wherewith no doubt the Angell of this Church, and many therin did abound: now the holy Ghost saith, 1. Cor. [illegible: 1 letter].1. That knowledge pusseth vp. This is true in all places: great knowledg, (without speciall grace) great pride. This is the sinne of the Schooles of learning; Where knowledge abounds, there pride of heart abounds, and men are puffed vp according to the measure of their gifts, vnlesse by his grace and the sight of their sins, God doe humble them.

And haue need of nothing: This is a further signe of their great pride, that they thought they needed not the helpe of any thinge, or any person beside themselues: And all such as thinke they haue no need of the blood of Christ for the washing away of their sinnes, doe surfet and abound with this spirituall pride of heart. This serues further to conuince our congregations of this damnable spirituall pride. If any one be sicke in bodie, hee streight sendeth to the Phisitian: but not one of a thousand seeketh to the Minister till the pange of death draw neere. The soules disease by sin is not felt; there is no complaint for want of the blood of Christ. But if wee would be emptied of this pride, wee must labour to see that wee stand in neede of Christ, and euerie droppe of his blood; till such time as wee feele that in vs, there is no goodnesse in our hearts; VVee are but the proude Laodiceans, and our case is wretched and damnable.

And knowest not how thou art wretched, and miserable, and poore, and blinde, and naked. Christ intending to strike this sin of pride to the verie heart, doth here set downe the true cause thereof; to wit, Ignorance, as if hee should say, Thou knowest not thine owne naturall estate, as thou art borne of Adam out of Christ, and therefore thou art proude, and thy pride maketh thee luke-warme. Then he sheweth whereof they were ignorant, namely of their naturall estate.

For the first; Christ making Ignorance the cause of their Pride, teacheth vs that Pride is not the first sin, that euer was in the world, as many both Papists and others haue thought. True it is, Pride is a great and mother sinne, and the cause of many fowle iniquities: but yet Ignorance is a mother sin, wherof Pride springeth. The cause why any person swelles with pride in himselfe, is Ignorance of his owne naturall estate. By this then wee are taught to learne to knowe our owne estate, what wee are by nature in our selues without Christ, for that is the way to pull downe our hearts. For this cause the Prophets of God, vsed to call men, To a searching of themselues, Zeph. 2.1, when they would bring the people to humilitie and grace, that men seeing their estate, by reason of their sinnes to bee damnable, might bee humbled and caused to forsake themselues, and come vnto Christ. And surely till such time as men bee humbled for their sinnes, they will neuer get sound grace, but be as the proud Pharisie, hypocrits and dissemblers though they haue much knowledg. But when a man hath searched his naturall estate, then besides knowledg of himselfe come other most excellent graces, as humilitie, the feare of God, and true obedience with good conscience. And therefore first of all, let vs labour to be acquainted with our own estate in our selues & with our personall sins, & with Gods iudgmēts due vnto vs for them. For this is the ground of true grace. The spots and blemishes of our bodies, we can soone espy, and wipe away: and why should wee bee lesse carefull of our soules, which be farre better?

That Christ might fully make knowne vnto them their ignorance of thēselues, it pleaseth him to desrcibe to thē their naturall estate, & so proportionally the naturall condition of all Churches, & of all people: which is the state of mans miserie. This he propoundeth two waies: first generally in these wordes, and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable: then by the parts thereof, which be three, Pouertie, Blindnesse, and Nakednesse.

For the first. The word translated Wretched, signifieth one subiect to calamities, griefes, and in a word, to all miseries. And that we may know who is thus wretched, I will enter into a description of mans miserie; whereof that we may conceiue aright, two things are to bee considered: First the roote and fountaine thereof; for therein wee shall best see what miserie meaneth. This root is originall sinne, and it hath two braunches: First, that particular transgression whereby Adam sinned, which was not only the sinne of his person, but also of the whole nature of man, spreading it self to all his posterity, Christ excepted. Secondly, the defacing of Gods Image, and the corrupting of mans heart, which by reason of the fall of our first parents hath in it a pronesse vnto all sin both in will, affection, and in all the faculties of the soule. In these two stands originall sin, and in them, and with them must wee conceiue of mans misery, as in the root thereof. Secondly, we must conceiue of mans misery vnder the forme of punishmēt, hauing relation to the first sin of Adam, & to the corruption of ech mans nature therby receiued. The punishent of sin, must be considered sundry waies, according to the diuers kind of mans being: either in this world, or after. For it is either in this life; or at the end of this life; or after this life. And so accordingly is misery to be considered.

Now of the punishments in this life, some concerne the whole man, some the parts of man; some his estate. Punishmēts concerning the whole man, bee of two sorts: The first is subiection to the wrath of GOD, whereby a man since Adams fall is made the child of wrath: a misery of all miseries: & yet the more greeuous because without some grace, a man cannot discern & see the same. The second, is a Bondage vnder the Diuell; wherby a man in his mind, will, & affections, is subiect euery way to the will of the Diuell▪ which though we cannot describe, yet wee may thus conceiue of it. The regenerate man saith: I sin, but I would not sin. The naturall man saith: I sin, and I will sin: It is my nature to sin, and my delight; and this was the state of this Church.

Punishments concerning the parts of man, bee either miseries of his soule, or of his body: the miseries of his soule be these. First, in the vnderstanding, Ignorance of Gods will. And in sundry, madnesse, and foolishnesse; and in all men pain and difficulty, both to learn & remember whatsoeuer is good, which was not in man by creation. In the conscience also, be accusations, secret feares, and terrours. In the will is, rebellion to Gods will: In all affections, peruersnesse. All which are miseries of the soule.

The body also hath these miseries. First, it is subiect to all infirmities, sicknesses, diseases, and aches: which are so many, as all the bookes of Phisitians neither doe nor can record the same. Secondly, mans body is mortal, & subiect to tēporal deth; which no man can possibly auoid or preuent by all the art and skill in the world.

Punishments of mans estate, concerne either his goods, or calling. In goods there bee these miseries; want of things necessary; for by reason of sin it is a punishment, & in it owne nature a curse: and all the hurts that come by the creatures: for their enmity towards man, & towards one another; as also their subiection to vanitie; all these be miseries, and the punishments of mans sinne. In mans calling there is miserie: for therein man is subiect to trouble, to losses, and sorow; which come as a punishment of mans first sinne. And all these be the miseries of man in this life.

At the end of this life, comes bodily death, the separation of soule and bodie asunder; which in it selfe is a most fearfull curse, for so, it is the verie gate of Hell.

But after this life, is the accomplishmēt of all miseries, & that is eternal destruction and condemnation in hell fire, which to be the end of all misery, appeares by this; because it is a separation of mans person from the societie & presence of God: and an enduring of Gods wrath in the whole person▪ euen in the place of the Diuell and damned soules, & that not for a time, but for euer and euer eternally. And thus we see what punishment is, and answerably what misery is, wherby we may see what it is to be wretched: namely in a word to be subiect to al miseries; whether we consider thē in the r[illegible: 1 letter]ot thereof, originall sin; or vnder the forme of punishment; in this life, in the whole person, and in soule & body seuerally: in goods and calling: at the end of this life, and in the world to come.

The proper end that moues Christ to say to this Church, She knew not that shee was wretched, is this: to teach this Church and in them vs, and all Churches, to learne to knowe their owne miseries, to feele the same, and to be touched in conscience for them. We therfore must learne not to [illegible: 2 letters]atter our selus with hope of our good state: but labor to see our miserie both in sin, & the punishment thereof. And seeing it, striue to be touched with it, that we may crie with the Iewes. Act. 2.37. What shal we do to be saued? for till such time as this in some measure be wrought in vs, we shal be but luke-warme professors, hauing a shew of godlines, but wanting the power thereof: The true sight of our miserie is the gift and grace of God, but yet we must vse all good means, that we may come to see the same, & to be touched with it, that so we may haue hearts hereby fit to receiue the Gospell, which containes the remedie of this our miserie.

And miserable, that is, worthy to be pitied: this is added, not to set downe another thing; but to expres the greatnes of their misery; as if he should say. Thy misery is not small▪ but so great and so greeuous, as indeed thou art in that regard to be pitied of all men.

Hence we learne, that we must not despise parties miserable by reason of their sins, The vse. or scorne and contemne them. But contrariwise lament & pity them. When Dauid saw men sin, and so pull heapes of miseries vpon them, Psa. 119.13[illegible: 1 letter]. he shed riuers of tears. The Lord makes it a good mans property Ezek. 9.4. to mourne for the abhominations of the people. Ieremie Ier. 9.1. for the sins of the people wished his head were full of water. And iust Lot 2. Pe. 2.7.8 greeued his righteous hart for the abhominations of Sodome. It was the fault of the Corinthians which Paul reprooueth, that when the incestuous man had sinned that greeuous sinne, 1. Cor. 5. They were not humbled, but puffed with contempt against the partie. And it is a fault in sundry men at this daye, that they are not humbled in themselues when they see other men sin. We must not do so, but shew the grace we haue aboue others, in being greeued for the miseries, which men without grace by their sins pull dayly vpon them. Thus much of their miserie in generall.

The partes of their miserie are three, which Christ noteth particularly, that if it were possible, he might cause this church to lay aside this damnable pride; for these in all men are maine miseries. The First is pouertie. And poore: that is properly one that hath not a rag to his back, nor bread to his mouth, vnlesse hee begge the same of others. But here it is taken for one that is spiritually poore: which pouerty wee shall better conceiue, if we do vnderstand what be true spirituall riches. True riches be Gods grace and sauor in Christ; as the pardon of sinne, and life euerlasting. The poore man therefore is hee, that wanteth Gods fauour for the remission of his sins, and the gift of eternall life: & hath in him no good thing that is acceptable to God; but in regard of his soule, is as silly and poore, as any beggar in regard of his bodie.

The end why Christ calleth this church poore, is to beat downe the proud conceit of her owne good estate, and to cause her to feele her spirituall pouertie, and so become poore in spirit. And we in them are likewise taught to labour to feele our owne pouertie, how by nature there is no goodnesse in vs; but wee are vtterly destitute of the grace and fauor of God, that so we may goe out of our selues, and in regard of our selues euen despaire of our saluation: for till this pouertie of spirit be wrought in vs, wee may make a shew in profession, heare the word and receiue the Sacraments, but we shall neuer ha[illegible: 1 letter]e sound grace. And blessed were our estate, if wee could lay aside that diuelish pride, which puffeth vp our hearts, and become poore in spirite; then were wee in the right way to receiue the Gospell, and the graces thereof: but till we be beggars in our selues, wee neuer begin to be rich in Christ.

Howe can Christ truely charge this Church with pouertie; for the Laodiceans were a rich people, and had great store of wealth? Answ. True it is, they were rich in wealth as histories shew, and yet poore to God. For all honour and wealth in the world, is nothing without the grace and fauor of God in Christ. Paul saith, Col. 2.10. Wee are compleat in Christ: forth of him therfore we haue nothing. To the Corinthians hee saith, 1. Co[illegible: 1 letter]. [illegible: 1 letter].22.23. All thinges are yours, and you Christs, and Christ is Gods. But nothing is ours till we haue Christ, and Christ vs.

The vse. As it was with this Church, so it is with all other. Euerie person and all people are but poore, and beggarly, if they want Christ: and therefore if God haue giuen any man riches and wealth, hee must lay this good foundation; vse them as helps to further his saluation: For by them hee may attaine to the meanes of saluation, and also shew forth the fruits of faith. But they that haue wealth and vse it otherwise shall finde it turne to their deeper condemnation.

The second part of their misery is blindnesse. Quest. How can they be sayd to be blinde; for they had a learned teacher no doubt, that both was able, and did teach the will of God; and the people likewise knew the points of Religion, and beleeued the Gospell? Answ. They had knowledge indeed, but yet they were blinde: first, because they knew not their owne estate. If a man had all skill in all Arts and sciences, & great knowledge in the word: yet if he know not himselfe in some measure, he is but a blinde man. Secondly, because they did not knowe God in Christ: They knewe no doubt, that there was a God, and that Christ was a Sauiour, but they could not apply it to themselues, to be able to say, God is my God, Christ my Redeemer, and the holy Ghost my Sanctifier. Thirdly, because they could not discerne of things that did differ; as between good and euill, between euill and euill, and between temporall things, and eternall blessings: This spirituall discerning, is a gift of Gods grace.

The vse. In that Christ saith, They were blinde, though they had knowledge; wee may learne, that al knowledge is but meere ignorāce before God, to those persons that know not themselus, and God to be their God in Christ For want hereof Christ calleth the angell of this church blind ▪ thogh otherwise hee were a verie learned man. Which must teach vs, not to rest content with any humane learning, no not with the literall knowledge of the Gospel, but we must labor further to know our selues, and to know God in Christ, & Christ our redeemer: and be able in some good sort to discern between things that differ. Dauid a most worthy Prophet intituleth the 32. Psalme, his Learning. What learning sheweth he there? Answ. Surely nothing but the knowledge of the pardon of his sins. And indeede that is it, which seasoneth all our learning: and therfore aboue all things we must labour for it.

The third part of their misery, is Nakednes. Nakednes is two-fold; To the eie of man, & to God. Nakednes to the eie of man is bodily, & that is also two-fold: either that which was before the fall in the bodies of our first parents, whereby their bodies being vncouered, appeared very glorious without shame: or that which is after the fall; wherby the bodie being naked & bare appears full of shame, which is so excessiue, by reason of mans sin, that if necessity would permit, the whole body both face & hands should all be couered. Nakednes before God, is when any man lies before God, a deformed sinner. In this case Moses sawe the Israelites Exod. 32.25. when they had made a golden Calfe ▪ For thereby they depriued themselues of Gods Image, and were guilty of that most greeuous sin of Idolatry. This is a misery of all miseries; & the greatest nakednes that can be: And this is the nakednes of this Church in this place. Qu. Why doth Christ call them naked? Ans. To mooue them, and in their persons all professors to haue care not to flye from God, Io[illegible: 1 letter]. 31.33. and to hide their sins with Adam, but to bring themselues into his presence, and there lay open their sinnes, that they may obtain a couering for them by Christ. It is the practise of the world, to hide their sins frō men, but neuer to care how bare & naked they be in the sight of God, who yet seeth them all as plainly as we see the sores of any poore lazer that shews the same to moue our pity towards him: which if we could see, we shuld be ashamed not to seeke to couer our sins before God. We must therfore labor in our owne consciences to see the nakednesse of our soules before God; and seeke to be touched and humbled for the same, that so we may earnestly intreate for the righteousnesse of Christ, to be a couering to cloath our soules. This was Dauids practise, for when hee saith: Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered, Psal. 32.1; he would giue vs to vnderstand, that hee vsed to vncouer his sinnes, and lay them open before God; that at his handes in Christ, he might get a couer for them.

These are the particular partes of a mans miserie, which euery man must labour to feele in himselfe, if he would bee partaker of the righteousnesse of Christ: for thus hath Christ both in generall and in particular, set downe the miserie of this Church; that he might prepare them to receiue the blessed comfort which followeth in the next Verse.