William Perkins on Revelation 3:8

Vers. 8. I know thy workes: behold, I haue set before thee an open dore, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denyed my name.

In this verse, and so forward to the twelft, is contayned the matter of this Epistle, which may bee reduced to three [illegible: 1 letter]eads: a Praise; a Promise; and a Commaundement. The Praise in this eight verse. The Promise in the 9. and 10. The Commaundement in the 11. For the first, the Praise of this Church is first summarily propounded: I know thy works: which hath beene expounded, and the end thereof, with the vses in the former Epistles. Then hee addeth the reason of his cōmendation, wherin are two things to bee obserued. I the signe of Christs approbation, in these words: I haue set before thee an open dore. II. their conuersation, or the workes which Christ approoued: In the words following, Thou hast a litle strēgth, and hast kept my word, & hast not denied my name. Both these may be vndetstood, either of the Angell and Minister of this Church: or of the whole Church also. I take it to bee meant of both. Being spoken of the Minister of this Church, the words beare this sence: Behold I haue set before thee an open dore, &c. That is, behold and consider, I haue vouchsafed vnto thee oportunitie and libertie to preach the Gospell, and thereby to conuert men vnto me. So much S. Paul meaneth by the dore of vtterance, 1. Cor. 16.9. For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denyed my name, That is, though thou be indued but with a small measure of gifts pertaining to thy calling, yet thou hast maintayned my Gospell, and hast not denyed my name.

These words being thus expounded, doe affoord vs these instructions. First, from the signe of his approbation wee learne: that it is a great priuiledge for any Minister to haue libertie to preach the Gospell, and thereby to conuert men vnto Christ: so much the word of attention behold importeth, which may also further appeare by this, that the most famous and worthy Prophets of God, were not alwayes vouchsafed this fauour, as Isay and Ezekiell: who were sent sometime to harden Isay. 6.9. thy people. And Christ himselfe complaineth of the want of this priuiledg, saying, Isay. 49.4. I haue spent my strēgth in vaine: and in regard of this priuiledge, the Ministers of the Gospell are called Obad. 2[illegible: 1 letter]. 1. Tim. 4.1[illegible: 1 letter]. Sauiors. And by reason of this libertie, they haue title to the promise of shining as starres in glorie, Dan, 12.3. This therefore is an vnspeakable mercie, and so ought to bee esteemed: and all Ministers that haue the same vouchsafed vnto them ought highly to magnifie the name of God for it, and to value it more worth, than all earthly blessings whatsoeuer.

Secondly, from the workes which Christ approoued in the Angell of this Church, we may obserue, that Ministers indued with small measure of gifts, may bee able to doe great seruice vnto God in his Church. This thing is plaine in the Minister of this Church: and might also bee shewed by manifold examples of such men in all ages: but to come to our times. In the dayes of Queene Marie, when Religion was in banishing, this our famous Schoole of the Prophets, Cambridge. had many learned men in it: yet not one of them stood out for the defence of the Gospell: when as a poore secular Priest not three miles off, who was far behind them in gifts of learning and knowledg, yet hauing the truth reuealed vnto him, did stand out for the maintenance of the same, euen to the sealing of it with his blood. And at this day many men of smaller gifts in the ministrie, doe more further the Gospell, by the encrease of the knowledge of Christ crucified and true obedience, than those that are inriched with far greater gifts of knowledge both in tongues and arts: so as though they be many hundred degrees short in regard of schoole-learning, yet they go as farre before them in benefiting Gods Church.

If this be so (will some say) then it is needlesse for men to bee brought vp so much in the schooles of learning? Ans. Not so, for as much as may be, Gods Ministers ought to haue knowledge of Schoole-learning, both in Artes and tongues. And yet for all this, it oft commeth to passe by Gods prouidence, that the greatest Clerks for learning, are lesse profitable to the church, thā men of smaller gifts. This God doth to humble the learned, that they be not proud in themselues: And to magnifie the worke of his spirite in the weaker instruments.

Further, these words must also be vnderstood of the whole Church. And then they beare this sence. I haue set before thee an open dore: That is, I haue vouchsafed vnto thee a speciall priuiledge, euen libertie to enter into the kingdome of heauen. From whence we obserue: That libertie to life euerlasting, is a speciall priu[illegible: 1 letter] ledge belonging not to all men, but onely to the Church of God, and the true members of Christ.

This point hath sundrie vses. I. to confute this erronious opinion: That Christ did effectually redeeme all and euerie man. Which is [illegible: 2 letters]at against Gods word, and this text: for those that are effectually redeemed, haue libertie to enter into the kingdome of heauen: but all men haue not that libertie; for then it were no priuiledge of Gods Church alone, to haue heauen opened vnto them.

II. Seeing this is a priuiledge which God vouchsafeth vnto his church, to haue heauen gate opened vnto them. Hereby we are taught to take the benefite of this libertie while the dore is open: and in time to striue to enter therein. For as Christ telleth Nathaniell, the church of the new Testament, shall by faith see heauen open. Ioh. 1.5[illegible: 1 letter]. We must not therefore neglect this oportunitie. But it is our common shame, that wee be slacke in seeking the kingdome of God, and the righteousnes thereof, suffering our selues so to bee clogged with heapes of sins, and worldly lusts, that we can neither walke in that straight way, nor enter into that dore that leadeth vnto life; for sinne is [illegible: 1 letter]n heauie burden, like a great packe that will not suffer a man to enter into so strait a dore. We must therefore cast off all sinne, that hee may so enter in, and walke in the way of life.

And no man can shut it. Here is the continuance of the former benefite, against all aduersarie power whatsoeuer. And this againe confuteth another opinion of the same kinde with the former: to wit, That Christ dyed for euerie man, but yet some are not saued, because they wil not: they shut heauen dore against themselus. But this opinion cannot stand: for none can shut heauen dore against them, to whome Christ hath set it open effectually: neither sinne, Satan, nor the world, no not man himselfe, nor all their power together. For herein is the will of man ruled by the will of God: and looke whome God will haue to enter into heauen, them doth hee encline to will their owne saluation; and also make vnwilling euer to shut this dore against themselus. For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, &c. That is, Thou art indued with some measure of grace, as of faith, hope, and righteousnesse: and according to that measure thou hast maintained my word, and not denyed my name.

Hence we learn, that a man indued with a small measure of Gods grace, may doe workes pleasing vnto God, & by the same grace come to life [illegible: 1 letter]uerlasting. Christ saith to his Disciples; Mat. 17.20 If your faith were as much as a grain of mustard seed, by it should you bee able to remooue mountaines. Now that which is here sayd of the faith of miracles, may in like sort be said of all faith, and so of iustifying faith; if a man haue neuer so small a measure therof, yet thereby hee shall doe workes acceptable to God: for as Paul teacheth, Gods children receiue, not the tenths, but Rom. [illegible: 1 letter].23. the first fruits of the spirit; that is, a small measure of grace in this life, which is, onely a pledge of that which they shall fully receiue in the world to come; for this cause is Rahab commended for her faith, Heb. 1[illegible: 1 letter].31 although it was but small and weake, as wee shall see if wee read the whole Historie, Iosh[illegible: 1 letter]. 2: For God accepteth of man, according to that hee hath receiued. It is not so much the measure of grace that saueth a man, as the truth of grace before God.

This serueth notably for the comfort of those that haue care to keepe faith and good conscience. The vse. Such are most dismaied by reason of their wants & corruptions: but they must know that God approoueth of their grace, though it bee but small, if so be they haue care to increase in grace, and doe striue to please God in all things, according to the measure of grace receiued. II. Hereby euerie one must be encoraged to embrace and obey true Religion. Many bee dismayed herein, by reason of the great measure of obedience, which they thinke God requireth; and therefore they leaue of all obedience. But this ought not to bee so▪ for God approoueth of a man in Christ, according to that grace which hee hath, be it more or lesse; and not according to that which by the law he ought to haue. And yet none of all this must make vs slacke and negligent in vsing those means which God hath vouchsafed vnto vs for the increase of grace, that so wee may also increase in true obedience.

And hast kept my word, and hast not denyed my name. Here hee setteth downe two workes, for the which he commendeth this church. First, their faithfull keeping of the word of Christ. Secondly, the profession of his name in the time of persecutiō. This behauior of this church, must be a paterne and a looking glasse for vs to square our conuersation by. For these works; Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denyed my name, though the words be few, yet they continue much in them: signifying, that this Church had speciall care of keeping Gods word in euerie Commaundement, both legall, and euangelicall. Happie were our Church if the same might truely be said of vs, that we had care of obedience vnto God, and of the true profession of his name. But generally we faile in practise, though in outward profession we make some shew thereof, Thus much of the praise of this Church.