William Perkins on Revelation 3:4

Vers. 4. Notwithstanding thou hast a few names yet in Sardie, which haue not defiled their garments, and th[illegible: 1 letter]y shall walke with me in white; for they are worthy.

Heere beginneth the second part of the matter of this Epistle, namely the praise and commendation of some part of this Church. The words doe thus depend vppon those which went before; wheras Christ had sayd, that this Church was dead in sinne, and had onely a name to liue; some man might a[illegible: 1 letter]ke, how it could bee a true Church. To this Christ answereth in the beginning of this verse, that though the greatest part in this Church were dead in their sinnes, yet some few there were among them that were aliue in Christ, and did testifie the the same by true and sincere obedience.

In this coherence we may obserue two instructions. I. that a particular congregation on earth is made a Church of God, and so called in regard of Gods elect therein, who doe truely belieue. For the priuiledges of a Church belong vnto particular congregations, onely by reason of the faith of the elect among them. The Catholick church is the whole Company of the elect truly beleuing in Christ, & particular congregations are members of it so farre forth as they doe truely beleeue; the rest that doe not truely belieue are not members of the Church before God, but [illegible: 1 word] in the iudgement of men: like vnto superfluous humors which are in the bodie, but no parts thereof. This confuteth the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, who teach that wicked men that are reiected in Gods decree, may yet bee true members of the Church of God.

Secondly, in this coherence Christ intimateth vnto vs a distinction betweene man and man in this Church, for all that were in this Church were men called, professing Christ and his Gospell: and yet of them, some were dead in their sinnes, and others were aliue in Christ. Touching this distinction of men, wee must search the cause thereof. It must not be ascribed to any power or will in man but to the good pleasure of God, as the scripture teacheth; for when the bodie of the Israelites had giuen themselues to Idolatrie, there were yet Rom. 11.4. seuen thousand that neuer bowed the knee to Baall: what was the cause why they did not liue like to the other Israelites? Surely nothing in the will of man, (though the Idolatrie of the other, was to bee ascribed to themselues) but the text is cleare, it was the good pleasure of God, who had preserued and kept them.

By this wee see, how erronious and false the Diuinitie of some Protestants is, The vse. which ascribe the cause of this distinction betweene man and man, to the libertie of mans will being renewed by grace: saying, That GOD giues to euerye man sauing grace, by vertue whereof, hee maye repent and beleeue if hee will: but yet because the will of man doth still remaine sinfull, hence it commeth, that hee hath libertie, to obey, or not to obey. And therefore the cause why some men lye dead in sinne is, because they set their will to refuse the grace of GOD; and the cause why some men liue in Christ is, because they incline their will to embrace the grace of GOD. But this Doctrine doth greatly diminish the grace of GOD, in that it maketh the acceptance thereof to lye and depend on the pleasure and will of man: when as the power of almightie GOD ioyned with his will, is the true cause thereof, leauing some to themselues who doe fall, and enabling others to stand by his grace.

Nowe followe the wordes of this commendation. Notwithstanding thou hast a fewe names yet in Sardie; that is, There bee yet in this Church a fewe persons knowne to mee by their names (for by Names, wee must vnderstand persons named) which haue not defiled their garments. Heere (to omit many expositions) is an allusion to the Ceremoniall law, wherein GOD set downe a distinction betweene thinges cleane and vncleane, not in themselues, but by his appointment: and among the Iewes, if any man had but touched an vncleane thinge with his hand, or with his garment, thereby hee was defiled, and his garment defiled legally; and so he or his garment were reputed vncleane: wherevpon they had a speciall care not to touch the thinges that were defiled, no not with their garments. Now this signified another thing vnto them namely, That they ought to abstaine, not onely from the outward sinnes of the morall Lawe, but euen from all occasions, intentions, shewes, and appearances of euill. And in this place, this is meant hereby: that some in this Church of Sardie, had so farre made conscience of sinne, that they would not meddle with the verie occasions and appearances of euill.

Hereby wee see▪ that the seruants of GOD are but fewe in number: for the bodie of this people were de[illegible: 1 letter]d in sinne, and a fewe onely in this great place liued in Christ; so Christ sayth to his Disciples, The flocke to whome the father Luk. 12.3[illegible: 1 letter] will giue the Kingdome of Heauen, is but a little flocke. The Prophet Isay is sent, Isay. 6.9. To harden the hearts of the bodie of the people for th[illegible: 1 letter]ir iniquities: and Vers. 13. the tenth part onely must bee saued: and in the Gospell it is sayd, The way to hell is broad, Mat [illegible: 1 letter].13.1[illegible: 1 letter]. and many there be that walke therein: but the waye to heauen is straight, and fewe there bee that enter into it.

The vse. Hereby then wee are taught not to follow the example of the multitude, but of the fewer and better sort. It is a foule sinne that keeps many from religion, and brings them to destruction, when they will liue after the manner of the world, and as their Forefathers haue done. This is a false rule, and a dangerous course.

Thou hast a few names, That is, persons whose names I know & haue recorded. They are called names, bicause Christ obserues and knowes them by their names. Where note, that those that are the true seruants of God, are particularly knowne vnto Christ [illegible: 1 letter]uk. 12.7. The haires of your head are numbred (sayth Christ to his Disciples) much more were their names knowne. Againe, hee biddeth them reioyce that their names Luk. 10.2. were written in heauen. And Christ the good Sheepheard knowes his sheepe, and cals them by their names. Ioh. 10.3.

This is a matter of endlesse comfort vnto the people of GOD: for what can cause a man more to reioyce, than to knowe that his name particularly is knowne to the King of Kings, and that accordingly he hath speciall regard vnto him? when the Lord would comfort Moses, and put courage into him in doing the duties of his calling; hee telleth him, That hee was knowne vnto him by [illegible: 1 letter]xod. 33.12, 13, 14, ad 1[illegible: 1 letter]. name. Yea, this is the foundation of mans saluation: 2. Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth who are his.

Which haue not defiled their garments: Heere they are commended for vprightnesse and sinceritie of life and conuersation, in that they kept themselues from the verie shewes and appearance of euill; when as th[illegible: 1 letter] rest of this Church was dead in sinne.

In their example Christ prescribeth vnto vs a patterne of true pietie, howe wee ought to carry our selues in the Church of GOD on earth: wee must not content our selues with a bare profession of Religion, and keepe our selues from grosse sinnes only, but abstain from the verie shewes of euill. Yea more particularly, here are three things taught vs touching sinne. First, that wee ought to make conscience of euerie sinne in our owne person. Secondly, that wee ought to keepe our selues from the con [illegible: 1 letter]agion of sinne in others, either by giuing consent vnto them, or furthering & allowing them any way therein. Thirdly, that wee ought to abstaine from the verie occasions, and shewes, and appearances of sinnes, so Paul teacheth vs 1. Thess. 5.22. to abstaine from all appearance of euill. Ephes. 5.3, Hee will not haue sundrie sinnes, as fornication, vncleanesse, &c. so much as once named, thereby to giue the least approbation vnto them. We must therefore looke on this example, lay it to our hearts, and conforme our liues vnto it: so shall wee bee good seruants of GOD, and haue the same commendation with these few: for true Religion stands not in knowledge, but in obedience, and this is true obedience to make conscience of euerie sinne in our owne persons; to take heed of the infection of sinne in others: and to abstayne from the appearance of euill. A happie Church should we haue, if these thinges were practised: but this is the shame and reproach of our profession, that wee haue no care of true obedience in our selues and others, whereby we should glorifie God, and grace our holy Religion.

The church of Rome hence gather, that a man after baptisme, may liue without mortall sinne. For these few persons in this Church in their baptisme, put on Christ, and after kept themselues from all occasions of sinnes, so as they had not committed any mortall sinne. But their collection is vnsound: for first, though they had to this time abstained from all mortall sinne, yet how can they prooue that they sinned not afterward? Secondly, they are sayd not to haue defiled their garments, not for that they had not committed any sinne, but because they endeauoured to keepe themselues from the appearance of all sinne: and so must the obedience which is ascribed to Gods children in scripture be vnderstood: namely, of their sincere purpose and endeauor to obey, & so among vs, those that haue a setled purpose & resolution to make conscience of euerie sin, and in all things to doe the will of God, they are reputed for keepers of the law. For GOD in his children accepts the will for the deed. And they shall walke with mee in white. After the commendation of these fewe Christ addeth a promise, of liuing with him in glorie. For so white garments haue alwayes beene vsed to signifie ioy, happinesse, life and glorie. Ecclesiast. 9.8. At all times let thy garments bee white, that is, take the delight and pleasure in vsing the creatures of God; So that heere these fewe haue a promise to bee freed from all want, and to liue with Christ in all glorie, ioy, and pleasure.

This benefite, hath beene in effect further vrged in the former Chapter: heere onely I will note one Doctrine; namely, That they which liue in the world amonge the wicked, and doe not communicate with their sinnes, shall not partake with them in their punishments; for the bodie of this Church must haue Christ to come amongest them as a Theefe, but the godly must walke with Christ in white, in glorie. Gen. 19. Lot was freed from the destruction of the Sodomites, because hee partaked not with them in their sinnes: and amonge the Israelites, Ezek. 9.6. Those that mourned for the sinnes of the people, are marked in the fore-head, that when Iudgements came vppon the wicked, they might bee spared. This point must bee remembred, for by reason of longe peace and prosperitie among vs many sinnes abound, as Ignorance, Atheisme, contempt of Religion, and prophaning of the Lordes Sabbath, with innumerable sinnes of the second table. All which call for Iudgements from heauen, and no doubt they will bee punished, partly in this life, and partly in the life to come, vnlesse our people doe repent. Those therefore that would not partake of the common Iudgements that are to come, must nowe beware that they communicate not with the common sinnes that d[illegible: 1 letter]e abounde, and see that they keepe faith and good conscience, hauing their righteous and zealous hearts grieued, for the abhominations among which they liue.

After the promise, is adioyned the reason thereof, For they are worthy. Hence the Church of Roome doth conclude, That a man by his workes may merite heauen, because they bee worthie of reward. A most blasphemous conclusion, and a manifest abuse of the word of GOD. Gods children indeede are worthie life euerlasting; but not by the merite of their works:Two kinds of worthynesse. for then they should bee done according to the rigour of the Lawe: but for the worthynesse of their person, when as they stand righteous before GOD in Christ; for when GOD will saue any man, he giues Christ vnto that man truely and really; so as hee may saye, Christ is mine. And with Christ GOD giues his spirite which worketh in his heart true sauing fayth, whereby hee doth receiue Christ: and so Christ and his righteousnesse belonges vnto that man reallye, and by vertue thereof hee is worthie life euerlasting; and this is the worthynesse which Christ meaneth in this place, and not any worthynesse of their workes: so that this doth helpe them nothing at all, and yet it is the most probable place of Scripture, to prooue and iustifie the Doctrine of mans merits.