William Perkins' Preaching Ministry (Part 8)

Preparation 3: Method of Discovering Applications

As mentioned in the previous section, application is the second way that William Perkins believes Scripture is to be handled in a manner where it is enabled to edify the people of God. He defines application as “the skill by which the doctrine which has been properly drawn from Scripture is handled in ways which are appropriate to the circumstances of the place and time and to the people in the congregation."

For Perkins, the underlying principle in discovering such apposite applications is to clearly recognize whether the passage is a statement of the law or the gospel. This is because when Scripture is preached statements of the law applies one way while the gospel applies another way. The former exposes one’s irresolvable sin and inevitably quickens his rebellious nature. The latter provides the only solution for the damnable predicament. Furthermore, the gospel is the power of the Holy Spirit unto salvation. Thus, it contains the power to regenerate a sinner to both believe in the Gospel and to obey God’s written word. This is why Perkins’ aspiration in preaching the statements of law was to reveal the sinner’s “need for perfect inherent righteousness, of eternal life given through the works of the law, of the sins which are contrary to the law and of the curse that is due them.” Subsequently, he made sure to preach the Gospel that “speaks of Christ and his benefits” in hopes that the acquittal of the guilty will result. The following is a real-life example of Perkins’ use of the “law and Gospel” preaching:

"A young lusty fellow going up the Ladder discovered an extraordinary limpishnesse and dejection of spirit, and when he turned himself at the upper round to speak to the people, he looked with a rueful and heaven countenance, as if he had been half dead already: whereupon Master Perkins laboured to chear up his spirits, and finding him still in Agony, and distresse or mind, he said unto him, What man? what is the matter with thee? art thou afraid of death? Ah no (said the prisoner, shaking his head) but of a worser thing: Saith thou so? (said Master Perkins) come down again man, and thou shalt see what God’s grace will do to strengthen thee: Whereupon the prisoner coming down, Master Perkins took him by the hand, and made him kneel down with himself at the ladder foot, hand in hand, when that blessed man of God made such an effectual prayer in confession of sins, and aggravating thereof in all circumstances, with the horrible and eternal punishment due to the same by God’s justice, as made the poor prisoner burst out into abundance of tears, and Master Perkins finding that he had brought him low enough, even to Hell gates, he proceeded to the second part of his prayer, and therein to shew him the Lord Jesus (the Saviour of all penitnent, and believing sinners) stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy, and power to save him in that distressed estate, and to deliver him from all the powers of darkness, which he did so sweetly press with such Heavenly art, and powerful words of Grace upon the foul of the poor prisoner, as cheared him up attain to look beyond death, with the eyes of Faith, to see how the black lines of all his sins were crossed, and cancelled with the red lines of crucified Saviours precious blood, so graciously applying it to his wounded conscience, as made him break out into new showres of tears for joy of the inward consolation which he found, and gave such expression of it to the beholders, as made them lift up their hands, and praise God to see such a blessed change in him, who (the prayer being ended) rose from his knees cheerfully, and went up the Ladder again, so comforted, and took his death with such patience, and alacrity, as if he actually saw himself delivered from the Hell which he feared before, and heaven opened for the receiving of his soul, to the great rejoycing of the beholders."

Consequently, statements of law now have a valid practical application in the life of the regenerate. It is to be understood in light of Christ’s work, and no longer in legal terms. Put another way, the legal character of the law is abolished and the Christian character of the law is now activated. The Christian character of the law still cannot lead to salvation, though such is unneeded, but it utilizes the statements of the law to show the regenerate God’s guide to gospel living. Hence, the preacher now preaches the statements of the law as applicable truths to the new convert in the congregation. This applicable use of the law is very analogous to John Calvin’s “third and principles use of the law,” which he considers to be the “more proper purpose of the law."

After making the distinction between statements of the law and the Gospel, Perkins categorizes his hearers into six types of individual listeners and one general congregation. He then diagnoses each type’s spiritual condition and supplies practical means to make suitable applications for each one. Table 5 lays out this unique method.

Table 5. William Perkins’ Category of Hearers
(Divided into Type of Listener with Accompanying Diagnosis)

Listener Type 1 & Diagnosis:
Unbeliever & Ignorant and Not Teachable

Listener Type 2 & Diagnosis:
Teachable Only & Ignorant

Listener Type 3 & Diagnosis:
Knowledgeable Only & Never Humbled

Listener Type 4 & Diagnosis:
Humbled & Genuine or Superficial?

Listener Type 5 & Diagnosis:
Believer & Righteousness and Holy in God’s Sight

Listener Type 6 & Diagnosis:
Fallen (from faith or in lifestyle) & Fallen faith indicates an erroneous understanding of the Gospel or Christ; Fallen lifestyle indicates an erroneous understanding of fundamental or secondary doctrines

Listener Type 7 & Diagnosis:
Church with Believers and Unbelievers & Typical Condition of Churches

Space does not permit a thorough examination of how Perkins went about making appropriate applications for each type but Schaefer’s summary is adequate:

"The preachers of the Word as prophet, as one who brings forth God’s Word to bear on the present life situations of a multivariate congregation, must be thunderer and therapist, confronter and comforter, exhorter and encourager. People have different needs and so different ways of bringing home law and gospel must be applied. The hardhearted must be threatened with the law. The humbled unbeliever must hear the tenderness of the gospel. The believer living in assurance of faith must be reminded of the gospel that saved and be exhorted to continual fruitfulness. Those professors of the gospel who have no peace because they have “fallen back” must have their temptations or struggle diagnosed and be called to repent, but also given the assurance that “sin does not abolish grace” and that in this “fallen and sinful world all of God’s works are done by means which are contrary to him” (i.e. “all things work together for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” [Rom 8:28])."

This goes to show that Perkins’ unsophisticated preaching of all law and all Gospel was not exercised for the sake of its simplicity but its extensive applicability.

Lastly, Perkins also categorizes the applications themselves into two types: the mental and the practical. Here he follows the 2 Tim 3:16 model and argues that “doctrine” and “reproof” are mental applications, while “correction” and “instruction” are practical applications. Doctrine is to be used for the purpose of informing the mind in order that it may judge correctly about what is to be believed. Reproof is to be used for the purpose of recovering the mind from any erroneous beliefs. Correction is the application of learned doctrine for the purpose of achieving godly transformation (e.g., admonition). Instruction is the application of learned doctrine for the purpose of living godly lives within the family, the state, and the church (e.g., encouragement and exhortation). All four types of applications can be made from each and every sentence of the Bible. So, according to Perkins’ methodology, the entire sermon is an application.

Notes:

• Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, 54.
• The words “statements of the law,” “the law,” or “law,” as used in this section is not limited to the Ten Commandments or the OT. Rather, it involves the entire biblical text in which a given sentence, verse, or passage can be taught as “law” to the unbeliever in the congregation for his utter inability to obey it. For an example, Jesus’ teaching on adultery in Matt 5:27-30 is not seen as law to the believer, but to the unbeliever it is law because of his inability to apply in obedience to God.
• Ibid., 54.
• Ibid., 55.
• Clark, 416-417.
• Perkins, The Workes of That Famous and VVorthy Minister of Christ in the Vniversitie of Cambridge, M. VVilliam Perkins, 664.
• Schaefer, 47.
• John Calvin, Institutes 2.7.12,ed. by John T. McNeill, trans. by Ford Lewis Battles, in 2 vols. [vol. XX] (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960), 360.
• Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, 56-63.
• Schaefer, 48.
• Perkins warned preachers that “all the doctrines bee not propounded to the people, but those only, which may bee fitly applied to our times and to the present condition of the Church. And they must not only be choice ones, but also few, lest the hearers bee overcharged with their multitude” (The Workes of That Famous and VVorthy Minister of Christ in the Vniversitie of Cambridge, M. VVilliam Perkins, 669).
• Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, 64-65.