– 5 Min Read
William Perkins’s A Golden Chain and Order of the Causes of Salvation and Damnation diagram serves the church very well in helping them understand predestination, a proper ordo salutis, and our union in Christ. When we find ourselves venturing into the territory of these spiritual truths, we would be doing ourselves a disservice by not consulting with Perkins. On these things, William Perkins is a great resource to have and use. I know I will be using his ocular catechism when catechizing my children.
The ocular catechism that Perkins produces certainly harmonizes with Calvin and the doctrine of our union with Christ. As we see, the “Christ-spine” is connected to our lives by lines that represent our union with Christ. By us being in Christ we receive all the spiritual blessings, promises, and privileges. In 1595, Perkins wrote a Treatise on Dying Well. This was seven years before he went to be with the Lord. Here is the introduction to that treatise;
“The death of the righteous (that is, of every believing and repentant sinner) is a most excellent blessing of God, and brings with it many worthy benefits. I prove it in this manner:
– William Perkins [1]
First, God, both in the beginning and in the continuance of His grace, does greater things unto His servants than they do commonly ask or think. And because He has promised aid and strength unto them, therefore in wonderful wisdom He casts upon them this heavy burden of death, that they might make experience what is the exceeding might and power of His grace in their weakness.
Second, judgment begins at God’s house. And the righteous are laden with afflictions and temptations in this life, and therefore in this world they have their deaths and hells, that in death they might not feel the torment of hell and death.
Third, when Lazarus was dead, Christ said, “He is not dead but sleepeth.” Hence, it follows that the Christian man can say, “My grave is my bed; my death is my sleep. In death I die not, but only sleep.” It is thought that death is [the] most terrible of all terrible things. But it is false to them who are in Christ, to whom many things happen, [which are] far heavier and more bitter than death.
Fourth, death at the first brought forth sin, but death in the righteous (by means of Christ’s death) abolishes sin because it is the accomplishment of mortification. And death is so far from destroying such as are in Christ that there can be no better refuge for them against death, for presently after the death of the body follows the perfect freedom of the spirit and the resurrection of the body.
Lastly, death is a means of a Christian man’s perfection, as Christ in His own example shows, saying, “Behold I will cast out devils, and will heal still today and tomorrow, and the third day I will be perfected” (Luke 13:32). Now this perfection in the members of Christ is nothing else but the blessings of God, the Author of peace, sanctifying them throughout, so that their whole spirits and souls and bodies may be preserved without blame to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A necessary step of the ordo salutis is the death of the body and yet here Perkins speaks differently about it than most do in our day. His view of death is extremely biblical. Instead of viewing death as this grave enemy, he views it as a conquered enemy, a powerless enemy; for Christ has defeated Death and holds it’s keys;
“…Do not fear; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
– Revelation 1:17-18
“But when this corruptible puts on the incorruptible, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the word that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
– 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Therefore, death is something to not be feared, for our Lord has conquered it and since we are united in Him and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us (Gal. 2:20), we too shall conquer it.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were counted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 8:35-39
Praise be to God, the Author of our peace! I hope this brief journey through the mind of William Perkins has benefited you. Though this series has been more theological I trust that you have worshipped through it like I have. May we grow more in our understanding of our great and mighty God and the great gifts He has bestowed upon us in His Son.
Works Cited
[1] William Perkins, The Works of William Perkins: Treatise on Dying Well, (Edited by Joseph A. Pipa and J. Stephen Yuille, vol. 10, Grand Rapids, MI, Reformation Heritage Books, 2020. 10 vols.), 401-402.