William Perkins on Revelation 3:10

Vers. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, therefore will I deliuer thee from the houre of temptation, which will come vpon all the world, to trie them that dwell vpon the earth.

These words containe the second promise of Christ vnto this Church, concerning their preseruation in time of most bloodie persecution, for this Epistle vnto this Church, as also this Booke was written by Iohn, after the Ascention of Christ in the daies of Domitian the Emperour of Rome, after whome succeeded Tra[illegible: 1 letter]anus, who when hee was seated in his Empire, raysed vp greeuous persecution against GODS Church in all places of his Dominion, wherein he put to death innumerable thousandes of Christians for the space of foureteene yeares. Of this persecution our Sauiour Christ fore-tels this Church, calling it; The houre of temptation, and withall he promiseth to preserue this Church in the time of this bloodie persecution: adding a reason thereof, Because they had constantly and syncerely professed his Gospell.

In this promise of preseruation, note sundry points; I. the occasion thereof, The keeping of the word of his patience. II. The thing promised, deliuerance vnder Traianus. III. A pr[illegible: 1 letter]diction of this persecution, That it shall come vpon the world, for this end, to trie them.

I. point, The word of Christs patience some expound to be, Christs commandement of patience: but that exposition is too strait; here it signifieth the whole Doctrine of saluation by Christ; which is called the word of patience: first, because it teacheth patience: Secondly, because it is the instrument of patience; for when a man knowes saluation by Christ, and also bel[illegible: 1 letter]eues the same to belong to him, that will make him patient in all the miseries of this life. Thirdly, because it cannot bee professed and holden vnto death without patience, but as it is sayd of the good ground, It bringeth forth fruit with patience: so must euerie one doe that professeth this Gospell.

In this occasion of Gods promise obserue; that Gods grace well vsed, is rewarded with increase. Those which haue receiued but small measure of grace at the first, by becomming faithfull therein, haue receiued increase, which serues to mooue vs to bee faithfull in the vse of those tallents, which wee haue receiued. For heereby wee shall receiue increase, when as those which hauing receiued good gifts from God, as knowledge, and such like, because they haue not beene faithfull in the vse thereof, haue beene depriued of the same. Wherefore whosoeuer hath begun to know the will of God, to beleeue, and to repent; let the same parties proceed to vse those giftes still to Gods glorie, and the good of his Church and people, among, whom they liue; and they shall see the Lord will double and treble, and greatly increase the same vnto them.

Againe, note the doctrine of the Gospell is a Doctrine of patience. This sheweth how good and meete it is for euerie one to learne the Gospell in the dayes of peace: for euerie one in times of tryall, wold wish for strength and patience▪ and wee know not how long these dayes of peace will last. Againe, each man in his calling, is subiect to many crosses and miseries: for in the sweat of our face must wee eat our bread. And who is free from paines and diseases, yea who can scape death it selfe? Now in all these, and in all other troubles, wee haue neede of patience. And therefore in the time of health and ease, let vs hide in our hearts the seedes of this grace, to wit, the Doctrine of the Gospell: and then in due time, wee shall reape the fruit of patience, which will make vs contented in all distresses both of life and death. And if wee would know why most men are so impatient in afflictions; it is because they haue so little knowledge and faith in the Gospell of his grace.

Secondly, seeing the Gospell is the word of patience; heereby all persons that looke to bee saued by the Gospell, must learne to put on patience, keeping a moderation in all their thoughts, wils, and affections; for when wee be impatien[illegible: 1 letter] any way, wee are not sutable to the Doctrine of our saluation.

Thirdly, this word of patience is called Christs (The word of my patience,) because Christ is the author of it. This is added to beat downe the pride of this Church; for when God doth praise them for their obedience, their hearts might haue beene puff[illegible: 1 letter]d vp with pride. But to preuent this euill in this Church, whom he now praised, hee calleth it his patience, that they might not thinke this good thing was of themselues. And the same consideration must checke the proude thoughts that rise in our hearts; namely, to remember that no good thing wee haue is our owne, but Christs. What hast thou which thou hast not receiued? Why then shouldest thou boast? 1. Corinth. 4.7.

II. point. The thing promised, is preseruation and deliuerance in the bloodie persecution vnder Traianu[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ in which for the space of fourteene yeares innumerable Christians were put to death. I will deliuer thee from the houre of temptation.

Here first obserue▪ that God hath appointed certaine set houres and times for the triall of his Church▪ as well for the gift[illegible: 1 letter] of his grace; as of their wickednesse and hypocrisie. Thus he led the Israelites Deut. 1.2. fortie yeares, in the wildernesse to see whether they would obey him, and hee sent Deut. 13.3. false Prophets amonge them, to trie whether they would turne from the true God or no. And as God thus dealeth with his Church; so hee bath appointed particular times and houres, wherein hee will trie particular persons Gen. 2[illegible: 1 letter].2. God bid Abraham kill his Sonne, and that was his tryall. And 2. Chro. 32.31. Hezekias was left vnto himselfe: That the Lord might see all that was in his heart. And so for euerie Christian, God hath a set time of triall, wherin he will either make manifest his grace: or disclose their hypocrisie.

This point ought to bee well weighed: for herein the Lord dealeth like the worthie founders of great Schooles: The vse. who haue appointed certaine set times of posing, for the tryall of their Schollers, to see what euerie ones proceeding is, that they may be accordingly rewarded. And as it is a shame for one to haue been long in a good Schoole, and to haue made no proceedings in learning: so it is for any one, that hath liued long in the Schoole of Christ, and hath not profited in grace. This therefore must teach vs these duties: First, to try our selus, and that staightly concerning our progresse in knowledge, faith, repentance, and obedience; for God himselfe will trie vs whose eyes wee can neuer blinde, though wee may deceiue men: He will lay open our hearts, and make knowne what is in vs, whether it bee true grace, or false hypocrisie. Let vs not couer our selues with figge leaues, for God will strip vs naked; but rather let vs search our selus, touching our sins and Gods graces: and neuer rest contented, till wee haue found in our soules the good gifts of grace, which will abide his tryall.

Secondly, hereby we are admonished, as neere as we can to conforme our harts and liues, vnto the word and wil of God; for he will trie vs: woonderfull it is to see how common the reproch of presizenesse is, and if it were not well knowne that the world is full of Athiests, that might discourage many a Christian. But the remembrance of this triall, wherein hypocrisie will vanish as the stubble before the fire, must mooue vs to labour for sinceritie. When we haue done our best, wee shall bee farre short of that wee ought to bee. And therefore through the reproach of the world, let vs hold on our good endeauour, and labour to haue the maine graces of true faith, and a good conscience, with a resolute purpose not to sinne: that so we may stand in the day of tryall. But if wee want these, and liue loosely, wee shall be found like the foolish Virgins, that haue onely the blasing lampes of an outward Profession, and want the sauing oyle of grace, which may make vs acceptable vnto God at his appearing. Wee haue beene trayned vp in the Schoole of Christ; what a shame will it be, if when Christ comes to prooue vs, we be then found barren and voide of sound grace? Dauid bethinking himself of this trial of the Lord, doth conforme himselfe vnto the will of God: and therefore offereth himselfe vnto his tryall, saying, Psa. 26.2[illegible: 1 letter] Lord prooue mee: meaning in regard of the truth and synceritie of a good conscience, not of the perfectnesse of his owne wayes. And hereunto must wee endeauour, not suffering any sinne to raigne in vs.

Qu. But how was this promise verified touching their deliuerance from persecution, seeing no Church was free from it? For euen the Churches of Asia, whereof this in Philadelphia was a principall one, were persecuted by Traianus. Answ. This and such like promises of deliuerance to Gods children from tryals and afflictions, must bee vnderstood not simply; but with condition: to wit, so farre foorth as they may bee hurtfull vnto them, and in the least measure hinder their saluation; and indeed they are promises of deliuerance from the euill of temptation and persecution; not from persecution and temptation it selfe. Psal. 91.10, The Lord promiseth to him that trusteth in God, The plague shall not come neere his dwelling: and yet by experience wee know that Gods children in generall plagues, are taken away as well as others; and therefore that promise must bee vnderstood of deliuerance, not from the plague it selfe, but from the hurt therof; so as it shall not hinder the good or saluation of any in the godly mans house. We pray Lead vs not into temptation; which wee must not vnderstand of freedome from all temptation; for it is the will of God we should be tryed: but therein wee are taught to pray, that God would not forsake vs in our temptations, or giue vs vp wholly to the power of the deuill; but that it may tend to our profit, and not to our hurt, as well in respect of grace, as of saluation. And so farre foorth was this promise accomplished to this Church.

The vse. The due consideration whereof, is most comfortable to Gods church and people; teaching thē not to feare the crosse in any temptation. God will haue his church tryed, but the faithfull therein need not to be dismayed: for God by his promise hath taken away the euill and poyson of all tryals and temptations, to them that haue care to keepe faith and a good conscience, though they suffer a thousand crosses in this world neuer so long; yea, though they die vnder the crosse: which may put comfort into the heart of any distressed soule whatsoeuer, & reuiue those that are oppressed with temptations.

Againe, in that this promise is not made simply and absolutely, but with restraint; hereby we are taught, that the petitions of those persons which pray simply and absolutely to be freed from all temptations and aduersities, are not according to Gods will and word: For euery petition must depend vpon some promise of God; but wee haue no absolute promise of freedome from all tryals and temptations; but onely so farre foorth as they be euill. And therefore in praying against temptations, we must qualifie our petitions for temporall deliuerance, according to the tenour of the promises of Christ: that is, so farre forth as may most aduance Gods glorie, and best further our saluation.

Quest. How can this great persecution bee called but an houre of temptation, seeing it lasted 14. yeeres? Answ. In diuers respects it may bee so called: First, in regard of God 2. Pet. 3.3. with whom a thousand yeeres are but as one day: and therefore 14. yeers with God are but as one houre. Secondly, in regard of that punishment which euery man by his sinnes deserueth in hell eternally. Thirdly, in the affection of Gods people which were tryed: When Iacob serued Laban seuen yeeres for Rahell, his affection made him thinke Gen. [illegible: 1 letter]9.20 it was but a short time: So when Gods children suffer for the name and Gospel of Christ, the consideration thereof will make them thinke long afflictions to bee but short. This affection caused Paul to wish to himselfe eternall perdition for the glory of God, in the saluation of the Iewes. Rom. 9.3.

The end of this phrase touching the shortnesse of time, was to comfort this and all other Churches in the time of this grieuous persecution: for the consideration of the shortnesse of the time, is a meanes to ease any affliction; and to arme an impatient man with some measure of contentation.

III. point. The prophecie, or prediction of this affliction; is in these wordes: Which will come on all the world, to try them that dwell vpon the earth. Heere Christ foretelleth a thing which was to come, simply by himselfe, and from himselfe; not by the helpe of any cause, or any man or angell. And hereby hee prooues himselfe to be true God; for it is a propertie and priuiledge of the true God, of himselfe and by himselfe, to foretell a thing to come, before it can bee seene either in it selfe, or in the causes thereof: no man, nor angell can so absolutely foretell that which is to come; but in their predictions they first see the things present in their causes, vnlesse they bee reuealed vnto them from God. But some may here demand, whether Christs foreknowledge and prediction, were the cause of this grieuous persecution. Answ. Not so, for things come not to passe because of Gods foreknowledge thereof; but because they would come to passe, therefore God foreseeth, & foretelleth them: there is a higher cause of all things, then prescience and prediction; to wit, the good will and pleasure, and decree of God. So Christ is said Act. 2.23. to be deliuered to bee crucified, by the determinate will and counsell of God: and from the same eternall counsell did this persecution vnder Traian originally proceed: for the first cause of the euent of euery thing is Gods decree, either ordaying, or disposing the same. It will be sayd, if this be so, then is God the author of sinne. Answ. God forbid: For the maner of Gods will and decree is diuers; some things hee decreeth to cause and effect of himselfe, and by himselfe, as all good things: some other things God decreeth to be effected by others, as sinne. And so euill things though they bee not according to his reuealed will, yet they come in some sort from his wil & decree: for if he simply nilled thē, they could neuer be. Beside, in Gods decree are set down, not only the things to be done, but also the means and circumstances therof; as we may see in this persecutiō, the place and end are plainly noted. This we must remember, & on the contrary take heed of the opiniō of some Protestants, which hold and teach that sundry things come to passe, God onely foreseeing them, and no way decreeing or willing them: as namely sinne. But to giue vnto God a bare fore-knowledge without a decree, is to put vppon him an idle prouidence, which the nature of God will not admit.

The end why Christ alleadgeth this Prophecie, is to expound his former saying: For it might bee asked, why doth Christ call this persecution, the houre of temptation? Christ answereth, because it wil certainly come, to try them that dwel on earth. Where we may note, what is the propertie of afflictions and persecutions be they publike or priuate; Namely, they serue to discouer the state of mens hearts; either by making manifest their faith, repentance, and feare of God: or by detecting their impacience & hypocrisie.