and can neither deny any thing they have done nor excuse it nor appeal to a higher Bar what a pitiful taking will they be in O that this might be thought on now in time e're it be too late 9. That we had need to take care how we close up our Days and die for as we leave the Books at Death just so we shall find them at this great Day of Judgment when they must be opened In quocunquè invenerit suus novissimus dies in hoc eum comprehendit mundi novissimus dies c. Aug. In what state our last Day says he finds us in that will the last day of the World find us for such as we die in that Day such we shall be judged in this Qualisquisque hinc egreditur talis in judicio praesentatur Greog Such as we go hence says he such we shall be presented before God's Tribunal He that goeth hence in his Sins shall be found in them Learn hence therefore to take heed how you venture on Death what you leave written in the Books at your leaving the World You would not die in Debt leave Bills and Bonds behind you that may trouble your Posterity when you are gone beware of dying Impenitent of leaving Sin on the Score for this will if so left trouble you another Day and undo you for ever 10. That it is a blessed Thing to be a pardoned Sinner to have Sin pardoned O this is a choice favour David marks the Man thus privileged for the happy Man he doth not ascribe Blessedness to the Rich to the Honourable and Mighty of this World It 's not he that hath Health Riches Honour and Friends that is blessed because he hath them but blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered Psal 32.1 That this is such a blessed Thing such a signal Mercy you may see from this Truth now under Consideration The Books must be opened will it not then be a sweet a blessed Thing at this opening to find our Sins blotted out to see a red Line of Christ's Blood drawn over them from end to end so as we may still see the Sum we were indebted in but see it cancell d never to be expected Arrow Chain p. 211. Thus it shall be with true Penitents at this Time when others shall find all to be answered for they shall see their Sins as the poor Man sees his Debts in the Creditors Book when either forgiven or paid viz. crossed out and never to be charged on him again thus they shall see all blotted out And will not this be a blessed Privilege Verily it will I remember Austin in his Confessions mentions it as a sweet Mercy that he could look the Sins of his unconverted State in the Face and not be afraid Says he Quid retribuam Domiâ—â— quod recolit haec memoria mea anima mea non metuit inde Aug. Conf. l. 2. c. 7. What shall I render unto the Lord that my Memory can recollect these and not be afraid Truly Sirs it is not now fully known nor shall before the opening Day what a great Happiness it will then be to be able to look on our Sins and not tremble to look on them and not be at our wits end because of them as ungodly Sinners will then be to whom it will be a greater Terror to meet their Sins than now it is to meet so many roaring Lions Second Vse is of Reproof to those 1. Who never think of this Day nor how it shall then be with them This is the Case of many secure and careless ones who drive on in a state and way of Sin from Day to Day and take no Thought about this Opening that is coming upon them It was once the complaint of a good Man Alas what do I mean I eat I drink I play I sleep as if I had gone behind Death and passed over the Day of Judgment It may more sadly be complained of many that they carry as if there were no such Day to come as if there never should be any opening again of the things done in the Body they take not this into their Thoughts Many readily embrace Solomon's ironical Concession Eccles 11.9 but they as willingly forget his serious Admonition But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment this they have no mind to remember Art thou of this sort of Persons dost thou never think of this Day is it a Matter that hath no room in thy present Thoughts There is such a Day a coming the Books shall be opened wherein all that you are doing Day after Day is recorded shall be discovered and tried and there shall be a Manifestation Testification and Determination of all You see this and will you forget it what Madness is it and how sad is it that you should not consider this Austin compares such careless Persons to them who awake out of a Lethargy and fall into a Phrensy And truly if you go on at this rate this Day will overtake you unawares and then you are sure to be awaked awaked out of this Lethargy of Security and thence suddenly to pass into a Phrensy of everlasting Horror and Astonishment As it was in the Days of Noah they were secure and knew not till the Flood came Noah had preached it to them prepared the Ark before them yet they took no notice of it knowing they would not know till Destruction came suddenly on them So shall it be in the Day of the Son of Man Mat. 24.38 39. This Opening will come on Sinners when they think not on it and how sad will it be to see all this on a sudden when there will be no way to escape nor Time to prepare O think on this and let it at last put you on thinking that there is an opening Day to come 2. To them who from Day to Day live in Sin and Ungodliness They are not a few who are workers of Iniquity that drive a Trade of Sin how many may we meet with in every Place and among all Ranks of Persons that are plodding on in a Course of Vice Open Profaneness is become very common in these Days O the Profaneness the Profaneness the prevailing Profaneness of our Towns and Congregations who can look out with an Eye but half open and not see Iniquity abounding which way can you turn and not behold those Persons who drink in Sin like Water Job 15.16 who do Evil with both Hands Mich. 7.3 and weary themselves to commit Iniquity Jer. 9.5 Debauchery is become a piece of Gallantry and Intemperance a part of Religion and open Loosness an ordinary Practice with very many Thus there are many every Day filling the Books with Pride Oaths Lies Drunkenness Uncleanness Oppression Profaning of the Lord's Day and many strange Abominations But this Truth brings sad News to all these if they would open their Ear to hear it it tells them that there is
at that Day give it Content now if you would not have it full of Complaints then study to keep it void of Offence now 6. Lastly above all and without which all is nothing labour to be found in Christ at this great opening Day This was Paul's great Study to win Christ and to be found in him Phil. 3.9 Let it be your great Business to win Christ against this Day to be found in him at that Day I say to be found in Christ i. e. to be washed in his Blood clothed with his Righteousness all lies on this nothing but this will serve at this Opening It 's only Christ's Blood that blots scores and crosses out our Sins it 's only Christ's Merits that satisfy divine Justice for our Iniquities it 's only Christ's Righteousness that covers all our Unrighteousness and is our Righteousness it 's only Christ's Death that sets Matters right between God and Souls interested therein Nothing but Christ's Righteousness will serve for Christ's Judgment O when he comes with his Garments white as Snow and Hair of his Head like the pure Wool Dan. 7.9 and sits on a white Throne Rev. 20.11 there will be no standing for any but such as are arrayed in the white Robes of Christ's Righteousness Out of Christ then and undone for ever but if then you have Christ all shall be well Luther in his Commentary on Genesis prescribes unto tempted Persons one compendious way to withstand all Temptations whatsoever says he Let Satan come any way or the World come any way or the Flesh move any way answer all with these two Words I may not I must not for I am a Christian Why as that is a compendious way of answering all Temptations so this will be a compendious way of answering all Accusers and Accusations at the opening Day and not only compendious but the one and only way viz. I have a Christ As a Believer may answer all present Temptations so may he with this when all is open before the World Angels and Men answer all Accusations of Justice Law Sin Satan and all Accusers It 's called the Answer of a good Conscience A good Conscience is a Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus and this Conscience hath an Answer to make for the Soul We read of the Answer of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 Now an Answer supposeth a Question an Answer towards God supposeth a Question from him to the Creature Now the Question says one that God is supposed to propound to the poor Creature Gurn. Chr. Arm. Part 2. p. 334. may be conceived to be this What canst thou say who art a Sinner and stands by the Curse of my righteous Law doomed to Death and Damnation why thou shouldst not die the Death pronounced against every Sinner This is the grand Question Now saith he the Soul that hath heard of Christ and hearing of him hath received him by Faith into his Heart is the Person and the only Person that can answer this Question so as to satisfy God or himself Take the Answer as it is formed and fitted for yea put into the Mouth of every Believer by the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Who condemneth Here is the confident Interrogatory of a good Conscience It is Christ that died c. Here 's its comfortable Answer an Answer that none can ever object against Why my Beloved as this is now an Answer beyond Exception so it will be in that great Day If you have but then this Answer of a good Conscience and can say I have a Christ who died for me you shall need to fear no Accusers no Condemnation Even then when the Heavens and the Earth are flying away from the Face of him that sits on the Throne and Multitudes of all Ranks are crying to the Rocks and Mountains to fall on them and hide them from his Face this Plea will abide the Sight of God and stand before his dreadful Tribunal at the great Day of the Revelation of his righteous Judgment Secondly Particular Exhortation To Sinners To Saints 1. To Sinners Shall the Books be opened Then this speaks to poor secure Sinners who make nothing of this great Opening never mind it nor once think how they shall speed at that Day but say in their Hearts If we may escape till then then let us do as we can we hope we shall shift as well as many more that will be in our own case 'T is to be feared that in these profane Times there are more than a few of these who yet led with Custom come to and set up their Faces in our Congregations If any of you that are come hither this Day be of this sort of Persons such as care not for this great Opening but keep on in your Sins filling up the Books every Day with new Abominations the Lord hath sent me hither this Day to meet you with a Word of Exhortation and knowing the Terror of the Lord what a terrible time it will be I perswade beseech entreat you to entertain it It 's that of the Apostle Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. This wrought with many at that time ch 4.4 O do no more make light of this Day and the things thereof but repent now and be converted that your Sins may be then blotted out This is the Word that I would leave with you and pray consider that you may not make light of it 1. That Pagans and Heathens have trembled at the Hearing of this Day Acts 24.25 Mark Paul was here preaching and Felix was hearing and as Paul reasoned he trembled he was in a great Consternation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metu perculsus perterritus When the Judgment to come was laid before him his Conscience began to awake and put him into a trembling Posture Now will you be worse than professed Pagans more stupid senseless and fearless than Heathens Shall a Man who never heard of a Day of Judgment before who never was under an Ordinance before as Felix tremble at the preaching of this Judgment and you who have heard hundreds of Sermons make light of it O think of this and what a dreadful thing it will be to have a Felix rise up in the Judgment against you poor Pagans to come in and cry O if we had been forewarned of such a Day as these have been we would never have done as we did Sirs you would take it ill now if one should rank you with Pagans and Heathens O what what will it be to be made speechless by them to have them crying and coming in against you yea to see the Lord himself bringing them against you and saying Lo here are
THE BOOKS OPENED Being several DISCOURSES on REV. 20.14 By HENRY PENDLEBURY A. M. late Minister of the Gospel at Rochdale in Lancashire Author of the Plain Representation of Transubstantiation LONDON Printed by J. D. for Ann Vnsworth of Manchester and sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1696. The EPISTLE to the Reader Christian Reader THere are two things which if firmly believed and duly considered would have a great Influence upon Men and Womens Lives viz. First That they are mortal Secondly Accountable Creatures It is the indispensible Statute-Law of Heaven that never will be repealed or dispensed withal Heb. 9.27 Death is a Debt which all Men owe and how soon the great Creditor may exact it none can tell We are all here as Tenants at Will in Cottages of Clay whose Foundation is in the Dust These earthly Tabernacles are continually mouldring down about our Ears do what we can by Food and Physick to patch them up for a little while There is no Man liveth and shall not see Death And Death hath always Judgment attending at the very Heels of it And as the Tree falls so it lies As Death leaves us Judgment will find us And as it is with us when we go out of this World so it will fare with us for ever This short uncertain Life we have here is the only time of Preparation we have for another World Death sets Men on the other side the Water there will be no working there no praying nor repenting and believing and seeking to get our Sins pardoned and an Interest in Christ and a Right to Heaven if this Work be to be done then we shall be undone to all Eternity If we once die in a Christless and graceless Condition we shall perish for being so to all Eternity There will be no Time then to correct former Mistakes At Death we must all appear before an impartial Judg to receive our final conclusive determining Sentence to a fixed eternal unchangeable State of Misery or Happiness in another World And things will then appear quite otherwise than they were stated and did appear here Then all Vizards and Masks will be pluck'd off and naked Breasts will be in fashion What hath been here concealed will then be made manifest what hath been spoken in secret will then be told on the House-top Nothing hid but shall then be made manifest At this opening Day there will be a Manifestation of the Sons of God then all the Sincerity and secret Graces and Holiness of Believers will be openly declared and all those Marks and Evidences of the Truth of Grace which here are often clouded and obscured will evidently appear And all the secret Wickedness and Hypocrisy and False-heartedness of Vnbelievers will then be discovered and laid open And the Apostle lets us know what an Influence the Belief and Consideration of this had upon himself and other Ministers of the Gospel to quicken them to Diligence and Faithfulness in their Ministerial Function 2 Cor. 5.9 10. We must all appear 1st All without Exception High and Low Rich and Poor Young and Old Ministers and People there will be no declining or escaping of it 2dly All in our own Persons without a Proxy there will be no hiring of another to appear for us every one of us must give an Account of himself to God Rom. 14.12 Now the great Design of the worthy Reverend Author in these ensuing Sermons is to quicken and direct Persons to prepare and make ready for this opening Day And herein he shews himself a skilful Workman that needeth not to be ashamed dividing the Word of Truth aright and giving to every one their Portion He doth not put the two-edged Sword of the Spirit into a silken Scabbard and flourish it in the Air but dexterously weilds it that it might reach the Consciences of Men he speaks plainly but pertinently and substantially his Words are not only intelligible but also penetrating And tho these plain Discourses are posthumous and want the polishing that he was able to have given them had he designed them for the Press yet they are genuine copied from his own Notes and you have the truest Character of him in the constant Course of his Preaching amongst his People Some serious Christians that were affected with them themselves have desired to have them printed that others might share in the like Benefit with them And that thy Heart may be warmed as others have been upon the reading of them and thou be quickned and helped in this Preparation for the great opening Day as it was the Design of the Author in preaching of them so it is of others in the publishing them and of none more than of one of the meanest and unworthiest of Christ's Ministers R. S. THE BOOKS Opened REV. xx 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works THE Apostle Paul tells us that we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Of this Judgment to come and which we must all come unto we have a Description in this part of Sacred Writ as it was shewed unto John in a Vision where are set forth 1. The Person of the Judg ver 11. who is described 1. By his Posture Sitting the ordinary Posture of Judges in the Administration of Justice and Judgment and a Token of Dominion and Authority 2. By the Place where he sat a great white Throne Not in a Manger as at his first Coming not on the Ground as when in Flesh he dwelt amongst us nor on a Cross as at his leaving the World but on a great white Throne He that lay in a Manger that stood at Man's Bar falsly accused and wickedly condemned he that hung upon the Tree shall sit supreme Judg Sedebit Judex qui stetit sub Judice What this Throne is or of what it shall be made tho some say the Angels others a glorious Rainbow others a bright Cloud Scripture being silent you must not know of me 3. By his Power and Glory From whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no Place for them At his first Appearance Herod seeking his Life he is forced to fly Mat. 2.14 At his second and glorious Coming Heaven and Earth shall flee away not being able to abide his Majesty and Power 2. The Persons to be judged ver 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God the Dead of all sorts and degrees We must here include those that shall be found alive at this day who shall pass through a Change that shall be to them instead of Death 3. The Form
all the Passages of their Lives manifested O what Heaps as I may say will there be here of Oaths there of Lies there of idle Words there of Frauds Sabbaths profaned Sermons slighted and of numberless Sins of all sorts that Sinners have laid at their own Doors and died impenitent in Yea what will many be found when the Books are opened who have said well seemed well done many things and after all gone out of this World with the Applause of Men Surely many who can now say much speak of God and breathe out Good will then be found others than at present they are taken to be Secret Hypocrisy secret Worldliness secret Estrangedness from the Truth and Power of Godliness will then be found where now there 's little Suspicion of them O that you would think of this and see that you be indeed Nathaniels There is in the Life of Bruno Author of the Carthusian Friars a Relation of a great Doctor and his Fellow-Professor a Man highly reputed in those times both for Piety and Learning who being dead when they brought him to the Church to be buried as they were about the Funeral-Rites the dead Corps suddenly sat up upon the Bier and cried out Justo Dei judicio accusatus sum I am accused by the righteous Judgment of God at which the People ran away amazed The next Day they came again to inter the Corps and as they were about the Service it rose again and cried with a lamentable Voice Justo Dei judicio judicatus sum I am judged by the righteous Judgment of God The third Day almost all the City came together and again it rose up and with a doleful Noise cry'd Justo Dei judicio condemnatus sum I am condemn'd by the righteous Judgment of God That this was true I shall not assert but certainly when the opening Day comes many will be found in this case many that have died in great Repute for Piety and Holiness will then stand accused judged and condemned Many a Face of Wickedness will then be unmasked that hath been covered with a Vail of Dissimulation many an unsound Heart will come out that hath been cloaked under specious Performances many a glorious Professor will then be found a gilded Sepulchre Sirs look to and see that you be altogether Christians for these Books will open all and open that which will exclude many from the Kingdom of Heaven who have been great Preachers great Professors that have known much done much gone far and been well thought of by all round about them 6. That it will then be in vain for Men to seek a Cover for their Sins Our first Parents had no sooner sinned but they were for hiding it and this is natural to us their Poserity Job 24.15 The Eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the Twilight saying No Eye shall see me When David that good Man had faln into the foul Sin of Uncleanness you cannot if you read the History 2 Sam. 11. be ignorant what Means he us'd to hide it This is very usual therefore says Job ch 31.33 If I covered my Transgression as Adam i. e. say some as our first Father did seeking to cloak his Transgression or as Adam i. e. say others as Man as Man uses to do or after the manner of Men. But alas this is a most vain Practice for Sin cannot be covered from the Eye of God now For there is no Darkness neither Shadow of Death where the Workers of Iniquity may hide themselves Job 34.22 for he setteth their Iniquities before him their secret Sins in the Light of his Countenance Psal 90.8 Nor shall they at last be hid from Men and Angels This will be one special Work and End of this Opening to bring all Secrets to Light to manifest the Counsels of the Heart Of all Sins these shall not be covered it 's a Day appointed for the opening of these therefore says the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.5 Judg nothing before the Time until the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of Darkness Why will God then judg them The Meaning is not that God exempts them from the Punishment of earthly Magistrates reserving them wholly to his own Judgment but 't is because such Sins are commonly so secretly committed that the Magistrate cannot or so lightly looked on that he will not punish them therefore God will at that day judg both those things which have now been wrong judged and those which have not been judged at all It 's vain then to expect your Sins shall be covered let not Hopes of Secrecy embolden you to meddle with Iniquity This opening will open Secrets and these will bring most Shame on you and do most harm to you There have been many strange Discoveries of secret Wickedness in the World 'T is storied of one Bessus that having killed his Father he was so pursued with a guilty Conscience that he thought the Swallows as they flew about in their chattering said Bessus hath killed his Father whereupon he confessed the Fact 7. That Shame shall come upon Sinners at this day Dan. 12.2 What the Lord speaks of Niniveh that will he do to all the Sons and Daughters of Wickedness at this day Nahum 3.5 6. He will discover their Skirts upon their Face and will shew the Nations their Nakedness and the Kingdoms their Shame he will cast abominable Filth upon them and make them vile and will set them as a gazing Stock O think of this Opening and what Shame it will lay on you who go on in your Iniquities Alas were many of our Doings discovered now to a small Assembly of People how could we face them surely it would make many to look with Faces like Death How will it be then in this great Day when all must be brought forth not in a Corner before a handful but in an open Place before a World 8. The Terror and Astonishment that shall at this day fall upon Sinners As it 's said of the Morning that it is to secret Sinners even as the Shadow of Death Job 24.17 So I may say this Opening will be to them as the Terrors of the Shadow of Death They shall not only as the Thief be ashamed when he is found but they shall be made a very Magormissabib As the King of Babylon when he saw the Hand-writing on the Wall Dan. 5.5 6. So they when they shall see the Books opened and what they have writtten in them their Countenances will be changed and their Thoughts troubled O Sirs it cannot now be conceived what Horror will then fall on ungodly Men. Have you ever seen poor Malefactors going with Death in their Faces to the Bar where they knew that Capital Crimes would be charged on and undeniably proved against them The Sight of these poor pale trembling dispirited Creatures was nothing to that which shall be seen at this opening of the Books When poor Sinners are come to this to have all laid open