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That they are mortal Secondly Accountable Creatures It is the indispensible Statute-Law of Heaven that never will be repealed or dispensed withal Heb. 9.27 Death is a Debt which all Men owe and how soon the great Creditor may exact it none can tell We are all here as Tenants at Will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
Silver is cankered and the Rust thereof shall be a Witness against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire This will be brought as an Evidence of your Covetousness and will beget in you such stinging Reflections as shall gnaw upon you with Anguish and Torment Ver. 4. And behold the Hire of your Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the Cries of them which have reaped are entred into the Ears of the Lord of Sabaoth One observes that the same word in the Hebrew signifies both a Wedg of Gold and a Tongue and some say that Achan's Wedg had the shape of a Tongue Surely Gold Wealth Estates ill got will have many Tongues and cry aloud at the great Day of opening the Books Then the corrupt Judg will hear of his Bribes and perverting Justice then the unjust Lawyers Estate will cry against him then the Possessions of Oppressing Landlords will declare that they were got by wracking poor Tenants then 't will be the Language of the full Bags of idle Ministers that they were fill'd by starving immortal Souls then the Treasures of Covetous Mammonists will acknowledg themselves to be the Products of Usury Oppression c. 6. The Book of the Talents wherewith Men are intrusted shall be opened at this opening Day and these when opened will bring to light all the Days Means Advantages and Opportunities of Grace that Men have had all the Truths and Duties that have been preached to and pressed on them what Pains have been taken and how much done that they might be saved One observes that God is very curious in Scripture to record the Time how long his faithful Servants lived on Earth and says he among other Reasons this is not the least sc to convince us that he intends to reckon with those who lived with them for every Year yea Day and Hour they had them amongst 'em they shall know they had a Prophet a Husband a Parent a Master that was Godly and that they had them so long and God will know of them what Use they made of them Gurn. Christ Arm. Part 2. Pag. 262. Another observes that the Year and Month and Day when the Word of the Lord came to the Prophets stands upon record in Sacred Writ as Ezek. 1.1 2. to teach us that all our Betrustments with all their Circumstances are now recorded and will at this Day be made manifest Then will be declared the Year the Month the Day when such a Sermon was preached such a Truth urged when such a Minister was sent with the Lord's Message among you In this opening Day Ministers will open their Mouths We preached so long to you Sabbaths and Sermons will speak We were continued so long to you Prayers will witness that they were put up for you so often to the Throne of Grace Truths now imprisoned shall then speak yea the Dust shaken off from the Feet of those Ministers you despise and will not hear shall speak against you Mat. 6.11 Thirdly The Books shall then be opened whereby all things shall be examined try'd and judged As in earthly Courts when Matters of Fact are opened and proved then the Statutes are also produced and Sentence is past on such Matters according to the determination of the Law So at the great Tribunal when the Books of Record the Books of Evidence and Proof are opened then shall also be opened the Law whereby Matters shall be finally adjudicated and this is the Holy Scripture The Holy Bible being the Law-Book of the great King is now the Rule of our Lives and shall be the Rule of Judgment at the opening Day Christ himself who is the Judg tells us John 12.48 The Word that I have spoken the same shall judg him at the last Day This the Apostle Paul witnesses Rom. 2.16 In the Day when God shall judg the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Who shall judg God What shall he judg The Secrets of Men not only their outward Actions which are manifest to all but their most hidden Sins and secret Duties their inward Purposes Designs and Aims By whom By Jesus Christ By what Rule According to my Gospel the Gospel committed to and preached by me Men shall be judged according to their Works their Works by this Word The final Sentence passed at this Day shall be but a more solemn and manifest Declaration of that Judgment which the Lord hath in his Written Law already passed upon Men that which is now said shall then be done Now the word says He that believeth on him shall have everlasting Life John 3.16 Then Believers shall be crown'd with a Crown of Life Now the word says That the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 That the Wicked shall be turned into Hell Look what Sentence this Law now passes on thee the same will Christ pronounce in this Day for this is the Book that must be opened and which he will proceed by in giving Judgment Thus you see what Books are to be opened II. The next thing to be considered is what the opening of the Books implies and it doth denote 1. A manifestation of Mens Works that they shall come to Light While a Book is shut we are ignorant what is in it but when it 's open every one may see and know what 's therein writ So many of Mens Works both Good and Bad are like a clasped or sealed Book secret and unknown but in this Day they shall be like a Book open legible to every one 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore judg nothing before the Time come until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of Darkness and will manifest the Counsels of the Heart When the Lord comes he will make great Discoveries and bring to light things that are now Secret Some Mens Sins says the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.24 25. are open before hand going before to Judgment and some Men they follow after Likewise also the good Works of some are manifest before hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid Tho these Verses are taken to have another meaning yet I may as some make this Gloss on them i. e. Some Mens Sins are open notorious appear to all now in this Life they shew their Sin as Sodom and some Mens Sins they are kept secret to the Day of Judgment there 's no noise heard no notice taken of them in the World but these follow after to be opened at this Day Likewise the good Works of some are evident cannot be denied and they that are otherwise cannot be hid i. e. those good things in the Saints that are not manifest but are either concealed by themselves or mistaken and misrepresented by others shall come to light secret Duties shall come abroad wronged Innocence and Integrity shall be cleared This is the first thing this opening imports sc a discovery of Mens Doings a
of this Judgment the manner how the Judg shall proceed viz. by Books that shall be opened 4. Sentence is passed on the Parties brought to Judgment according to what is found written in the Books when thus opened And the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works 5. The Execution of this Sentence ver 14 15. And Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire This is the second Death And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire The Words which are the Subject of the ensuing Discourse contain in them the third Particular in this Description sc the manner of Process in this great Work the Books shall be opened The word Book is in Scripture used 1. Properly for a Volume wherein something is written or for the things writ in that Volume Isa 30.8 Luke 4.17 Gal. 3.10 2. Improperly and metaphorically for the certain Knowledg and Remembrance that one hath of a Person or Matter and all the Circumstances thereto belonging Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him According to this twofold Acceptation of the Word God is said to have a double Book 1. Materialis i. e. the Bible which is called the Book of the Lord Isa 34.16 Luke 4.17 the Book containing the Mind and Will and Ways of God 2. Metaphoricus which is ascrib'd to him after the manner of Men who use to note those things in Books that they would preserve the Knowledg of Thus there is a threefold Book figuratively ascribed to him viz. 1st The Book of Providence which is the certain Knowledg he hath of all Persons Actions and Things with all their Circumstances Psal 56.8 139.16 2dly The Book of Life Rev. 20.12 This is the certain Knowledg he hath of the Elect and Reprobate 3dly The Book of Universal Judgment Dan. 7.10 We are not to understand this Phrase literally as if there should be some material Books produced and opened at this day No the Lord hath neither Need nor Use for them But it must be interpreted metaphorically as a Form used for the Help of our Understanding spoken 1. By way of Allusion to Courts of humane Judicature into which are brought and wherein are produced Charges Accusations Proofs Depositions of Witnesses Confessions of Parties and all other Writings that contain Matter of Fact relating to such Causes as are to be try'd 2. To show that the Judgment will be as accurate and particular in the Examination and Trial Durham p. 743. and as just in the Determination as if all had been recorded Nothing shall be omitted nor the least Circumstance mistaken but things shall be so equal in themselves and so manifested to others as if an exact Register had been kept and then published From the Words observe That in the great Day of Judgment the Books shall be opened or There is a Day a coming when the Books shall be opened The Judgment was set and the Books were opened Dan. 7.9 10. That this Truth may be prepared for Application it must be enquired I. What Books they are that shall be opened II. What the opening of these Books implies III. Who they are these Books are to be opened about IV. About what are these Books to be opened I. What Books are they that shall be opened They are of three sorts viz. Those wherein 1. All things have been recorded 2. All things shall be discovered 3. All things shall be judged First Those wherein all things have been recorded and they are 1. The Book of Divine Omniscience Here all things stand on Record and will hence be as certainly known as had they been writ in a Book for there is not any Creature that is not manifest in his Sight but all things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 His Eyes are upon the Ways of Man and he seeth all his Goings There 's no Darkness nor Shadow of Death where the Workers of Iniquity may hide themselves Job 34.21 22. He knows our Works Rev. 2.13 There is not a Word in our Tongue but lo he knows it Psal 139.4 Here are our Thoughts writ Thou understandest my Thoughts afar off v. 2. No Thought can be with-holden from thee Job 42.2 Here are the Hearts described 1 Chron. 28.9 The Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the Imaginations of the Thoughts The Lord knows and remembers all the Actions Thoughts and Words of all Men and shall make it appear at this day that he doth so as fully and plainly as if he had kept a Diary from the Beginning of the World to the end thereof and therein writ in order every particular Action of every individual Man and Woman O remember this God sees thee round about always can tell all that thou dost and this Book wherein all is written shall one day be opened 2. The Book of Conscience this carries all our Actions in it Volumen grande quo omnia conscribuntur It is a great Volume in which all we do is writ Austin takes that other Book mentioned in the Text to be the Book of Conscience which is the Book of each Man's Life wherein all the Passages thereof are recorded Tho this Interpretation agree not with this Place yet Conscience is such a Book as he here describes Quocunque vadis ubicunque es semper Conscientia tua tecum est c. Whithersoever thou go where-ever thou art thy Conscience is always with thee carrying in it whatever thou put'st therein whether good or bad Conscience is not always speaking nor always chiding many have silenced it but it is always writing when we are at our Tables when on our Beds when we are alone or in Company it keeps an exact Account and this Book also shall be opened Secondly The Books shall then be opened whereby all things shall be clearly discovered and attested These are 1. The Book of Divine Omniscience As all things are inclosed herein so this shall then be opened and all the things contained in it thereby disclosed He will by the opening of this make manifest to all that which is now hid from Men and Angels and only known to himself God knows all things and will make all Men know that he doth so by setting in order before their Eyes all things at this day Psal 50.21 2. The Book of Conscience Herein all things are writ and by the opening hereof shall appear Quod in cujusque Conscientia occultum fuit id omnibus manifestum fiet In this day Conscience shall be enlightned and awakened Memories shall be rouz'd and strengthned all past things shall appear new and come in fresh upon the Sons of Men. Then every Thought of thy Heart every Word of thy Mouth every Action of thy Life with the Circumstances thereof then
manifestation of their Works this shall be done by the opening of the Books of Record 2. A Testification of the Works manifested that they shall not only come abroad but also be so fully evidenced and clearly prov'd that no Man shall be able to deny any part thereof Sometimes in Mens Courts the Prisoner at the Bar denies the Matter of Fact that he is charged with pleads not Guilty and stands upon his own Justification but when Witnesses come in one after another and depose plainly positively punctually and directly against him bringing undeniable Evidence then he is forced to confess Thus now many are ready to deny their Deeds of Darkness ay but so many Witnesses shall come in at this Day and with such Evidence as will force Confessions O Sirs the Secrets of Sinners shall be so fully witnessed attested and proved that they shall confess and the Saints that have been slandered aspers'd defam'd and wronged shall have their Innocence so fully evidenced that the World shall see it and be satisfied This is a second thing this opening implies viz. That all Matters shall be found and fully made out as they are in themselves with their several Circumstances which will be done by the opening of the Books whereby all things shall be discovered 3. A Determination or Judgment to be passed on the Works of Men thus manifested and made out that there shall be a final determining and definitive Sentence passed on them This is another thing this opening is an opening to pass Sentence as Judges after full Trial open and read the Sentence out of a Book an opening to absolve or condemn therefore it follows immediately in the Words the Dead were judged that is Sentence was passed on them III. You have seen what Books shall be opened and what the opening of them implies the next Inquiry may be this About whom must they be opened To this I say they shall be opened about all Men Universally the whole Off-spring descending from Adam by ordinary Generation without Exception This will appear 1. From the Universality of Scripture-Assertions in this present Case The Scripture speaking of this brings in 1. All Men. Rom. 14.10 We shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ Ver. 11. For it is written As I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bow to me and every Tongue shall confess to God What doth the Apostle hence infer Ver. 12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God 2 Cor 5.10 2. All Nations Mat. 25.32 Before him shall be gathered all Nations not a few Persons but whole Nations not a few Nations but all Nations 3. All the World Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a Day at which he will judg the World in Righteousness by the Man whom he hath ordained Observe here is a Day appointed the End for which it was appointed sc to judg the Object of this Judgment the World the whole World whosoever is of the World shall come to this opening Day 2. From the special Distribution the Scriptures make in this Case distributing the Parties that are to come to this opening 1. Into Quick and Dead therefore Christ is stiled Judg of Quick and Dead Acts 10.42 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Into great and small Rev. 20.12 the King and the Beggar the Rich and the Poor the Old and the Young they that have been so high that they have judged others and they that have been so low that their Judgment hath been taken away 3. Into Good and Bad Eccles 3.16 17. Solomon there reports what he saw practised in the Place of Justice and Judgment sc he saw their publick Injustice the Good oppressed the Bad exalted Upon which he communicates his Thoughts or that which was his Comfort against these unjust unequal dealings of Men and it was this that God would have a Day of judging all Men and all things over again I said in my Heart I comforted my self in this God shall judg the Righteous and the Wicked for there is a Time there where why with God before his Tribunal for every Purpose and for every Work Ver. 17. Thus God shall judg the Righteous with a Judgment of Discussion and Approbation the Wicked with a Judgment of Discussion and Condemnation the Persons that must come to this opening are thus distinguished Now all Men come under one of these Ranks either they are Great or Small Good or Bad therefore all shall be judged IV. Now you have seen about whom the next thing to be considered is about what they are to be opened what things they are that the Books shall discover evidence and determine when opened These are the Actions of Men the Works Words and Thoughts of Men. Take for this but these two Scriptures The one is Eccles 12.14 where the things to be brought to Judgment are described 1. Generally every Work none shall escape be pretermitted or passed by each one shall come in its Place for there is a Time for every Work 2. Particularly in regard 1. Of their manner every open Work shall come in none of these shall escape no not an idle Word Mat. 12.36 Every secret Work the Secrets of Men shall God then judg by Jesus Christ Rom. 2.16 2. Of their Matter every good Work shall come in the Feeding of Christ in his Hungry the Clothing of him in his Naked the Harboring him in his Desolate the Visiting him in his Sick Members and every Evil Work not an ungodly Word nor hard Speech shall pass Jude 14 15. The other is 2 Cor. 5.10 For 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. The things to be brought in are the things done in the Body which is to be understood not exclusively as if external Actions only should appear but extensively as including every thing we do while in the Flesh whether internal even the naked Thoughts or external Words and Actions Omnia omnino opera quae fiunt dum vivimus in corpore sive interius nudis cogitationibus sive exterius verbis factis peragantur Tho I desire as much as I may to decline Matters of Controversy yet here comes in a Query that I cannot well pass over in Silence it is this viz. Whether the Sins of the Saints shall be laid open and manifested at this Day or whether the Books when opened shall open the Sins of the People of God as well as the Sins of the Wicked It is a Question agitated among the Learned some maintain the Affirmative and say they shall be made known others are for the Negative and say they shall not be manifested I 'll only premise these three or four things and with Submission give my Thoughts about it in short The Sins of the Godly shall not be opened 1. To their Condemnation our Saviour himself says Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he
a great Profession was a Man of eminent Parts praying and discoursing to Admiration when he came to his sick Bed his Friends that visited him expected to hear some great Matters from him and told him that sure he could not but enjoy much Comfort who had been so eminent for the Profession and Practice of Godliness But he answered that he had not that Comfort they thought he had for he found it now with his Soul not according to what Man judgeth but according to the Judgment God passed upon him and God said he judgeth righteous Judgment Thus at this great opening Day it will be with us not according to what we have only seem'd to be or what others have conceiv'd of us but according to what the great God really finds and all will signify nothing if he find not Truth within 5. Let it put you upon serious Endeavours to be entire and perfect in all Points and Parts of Religion to fill up your Christian Profession in every part O Sirs be not partial in your Obedience in with one out with another Duty careful in some things careless in others But make Conscience of every known Duty indulge not any one known Sin tho you fail in every part of your Work yet neglect not any part of it Say not of any Duty as Naaman In this Lord pardon thy Servant 2 Kings 5.18 Excuse me Lord in this Neglect in this Omission in this dispensing with my Duty in this indulging of my Sin I say omit not any part of Duty for the Books must be opened and when these are open what hath been wanting will appear where our Profession hath not been filled up the Gaps and Chasms will be found such an one was forward to publick Duties but was a prayerless Person and had a prayerless Family such an one was much for Duties of the first Table but little for Duties of the second The Books will open Omissions as well as Commissions and God as one says will judg you and may condemn you for what you have not done Not doing is Damning as well as sinful Doing You find in that solemn Process Mat. 25.42 43. that what mention is there made is of Omissions for not doing He does not say you robbed me you persecuted me you put me in Prison but ye gave me not Meat when I was hungry ye did not take me in when I was a Stranger nor visit me when in Prison And this their not doing what they should have done was their undoing and brought Damnation on them Lavater in his Book of walking Spirits relates a Story concerning Severinus a renowned and famous Man in the times he lived in who appeared when he was dead and confessed that he was grievously punish'd because he had not said over his Canonical Hours in due time and distinctly but had hudled them up in haste This is but a Fiction yet certainly Sirs there are many now in Hell for Omissions 6. Let it induce you to Exactness in all your Works and Ways not only to make Conscience of every Duty but to study to be exact therein This Opening may excite to pursue Solomon's Counsel Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do do it with thy Might i. e. to bring all thy Skill and lay out all thy Strength in the doing of it One drawing the Picture of Alexander while there was a Scar on his Face drew him with his Finger upon the Scar to cover it And Apelles painted another half-faced to cover the want of an Eye But Sirs there are no such Draughts of Persons or Actions in these Books there 's no drawing of Persons with Fingers upon Scars to cover them no drawing of Actions half-faced to conceal Defects and Obliquities in them They are all drawn fully as they are in themselves thy formal Duties will not be found half-faced to conceal the Formality of them thy cold Performances will not be found half-faced to cover their Coldness nor thy uneven walking with Fingers upon the uncomely Haltings therein to hide them O methinks the Thoughts of this should be a mighty Help against the too common Loosness of Christians in their Spirits and Conversations against the careless cold remiss and heartless Performance of Holy Duties 7. Let it be a Spur to Diligence to Unweariedness in the Way and abounding in the Work of the Lord. When Cornelius was praying an Angel was sent from Heaven to him with this Message Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a Memorial before God Acts 10.4 So Christians I am sent with this Message to you to tell you that your Prayers and Alms all your Works of Piety and Charity go up to Heaven and are put on Record in the Books that shall be open at the great Day and may not this be a great Motive to present Diligence and Fruitfulness Consider you shall meet all your layings out for God in the Books your Tears Prayers Doings Sufferings and Reproaches for Christ shall be found when these open There is a Book of Remembrance Mal. 3.16 Christ will remember the feeding of him in his Famishing the clothing of him in his Naked the harbouring of him in his out-cast Members Mat. 25.34 c. A Cup of cold Water shall not be forgotten Mat. 10.42 You shall at this Opening meet all your Layings out for Christ and you shall also then meet the Reward of them all It will be an Opening wherein the Judg will give Reward unto his Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that fear his Name small and great Rev. 11.18 God will render to every one according to their Deeds to them who by patient Continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life Rom. 2.6 7. Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord for as much as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 8. Above all let it put you to clear and evidence your Title to and Interest in Christ This was Paul's great Ambition to win Christ and to be found in him Phil. 3.8 9. O let it be your endeavour Bellarmine tells us of a University where those who were to proceed Doctor had certain hard Questions given them to resolve and four and twenty Hours allow'd them to study for their Answer and according to the Resolution they gave they were either to receive their Degree with Honour or to be sent away with Shame Sirs when the Books are opened this will be the great Question to be resolved sc Whose are you To whom do you belong What Evidences can you show What Proofs can you bring of your Title to Christ And according to the Resolution you give of this you must stand or fall for ever O therefore study this Question now and see whether those things you now bring as Demonstrations of your Acquaintance with Christ and Evidences of your Interest in him be such as
consider 1. That this Opening will come you do but hear of it now but you shall see it hereafter As our Saviour speaks Mat. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right Hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven so may I say Now you see but his poor Ambassadors that preach his Coming but you shall hereafter see him come in a State of Glory to open the Books to judg the Quick and Dead in one Day Sirs it is not a doubtful a disputable Point not a Matter in Controversy among Christians but a Principle owned and acknowledged by all Sides and Perswasions being as fully and clearly revealed as any thing in the Scriptures The Apostle in that one Place Acts 17.31 doth sufficiently and notably set forth this grand Fundamental giving us Account 1st That a Day is set He hath appointed a Day and the Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever Psal 33.11 The Decree is gone the Day is proclaimed it cannot be reversed but must and will most certainly hold 2dly Of the End of this Day appointed viz. to judg 3dly The Object of this Judgment the World 4thly The manner how this Judgment shall be managed in Righteousness there shall be no Corruption in this Administration 5thly The Judg the Man whom he hath ordained i. e. the Lord Jesus Christ God-Man 6thly The Assurance hereof given unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead This is sufficient Testimony to convince all Men. This may be Inducement to the proposed Duty of Preparation there will be an opening Day If it were a Matter only probable if as much might be said against it as for it then Carelesness in preparing for it might be somewhat excusable But this is out of Question 't is beyond all Dispute shall we not then make it our Work to prepare Consider it Sirs God hath issued out a Proclamation and it hath been published again and again in your Hearing wherein he gives you notice of a Day appointed for this end of the Persons that must come to it and that your selves are of this Number shall you not then be most inexcusable if you come to it unready What will you say Will you plead Lord had I ever thought of such a Day as this I would not have done as I have I would have watched and prayed and lived for it all my Days Why alas thy Mouth will be stopped Christ will tell you his Writ was out and this grand Assizes was many a time proclaimed in thy Presence yea the Books shall openly show the Times the Places and Circumstances of its Manifestation to thee O Sirs the End is declared from the beginning and from antient times the things that are not yet done Isa 46.10 All Generations have had fair warning of it and we upon whom the Ends of the World are come want none 2. That the Time of this great Opening is uncertain The Opening is certain but the Time when is unseen There have some indeed undertaken to foretel the Time In the Primitive Days and while the Apostles were yet alive there were some that pretended Revelations or Visions from the Spirit declaring this Day to be then near 2 Thess 2.2 And since many have presumed to foretel the Year whose Predictions Time hath already confuted Aventinus shows that about the Year 1062. the credulous People were so deluded by such ridiculous Predictions that there was a general Expectation of the Great Day of Judgment as then just upon them The furious Anabaptists in Germany in the Year 1530 were so confident that the Last Day should be within that Year that some of them gave their Estates about them to those who would have part reckoning that a little would serve them for so short a time and some of them ran up and down crying to the People with a doleful Noise Repent repent the Day of the Lord is come the Day of the Lord is come There are some who told us that the Year 1675 others that the Year 1680 others that 1688 others that 1695 and some tell us that 1700 will put an end to the World and open the great opening Day But our Saviour Mat. 24.36 Mark 13.32 asserts that it is an unknown Day 1st To all Men to the greatest the wisest the best of Men. No Man whosoever whatsoever can tell when this shall be 2dly To all Angels not only to us poor Men on Earth but also to the glorious Angels in Heaven who see the Face of God continually These tho they must accompany Christ tho they must minister to him in that Day gathering all Nations before him yet of this Day they know not 3dly To the Son of Man himself as Man or according to his humane Nature for here he opposes himself as Man to his Father as God Or the Son of Man knows it not with respect of his Office tho he knew it with respect of his Nature i. e. he was not sent to reveal and make this known to Man in his Ministry Thus you see this Great Day is an unknown Day a Day that shall come upon Men when they think not of it Therefore he illustrates it by the coming of a Thief in the Night Mat. 24.43 of a Bridegroom coming at Midnight ch 25.6 of a Master returning Luke 12.36 37. O this Day will come unawares upon the World and doth not this call upon you to be serious in your Preparation for it May it come this Night the next Morning when we are taking our Rest May we be awaked with this dreadful Sound Arise and come to Judgment or when we rise and are abroad about our Affairs may we see Christ breaking out of Heaven and coming in the Clouds with Power and great Glory Why then we have need to make it our Work to prepare Our Saviour uses this very Motive to perswade to this Duty Mat. 24.44 Luke 12.40 In both these Places you have the Duty I am pressing prescribed Therefore be ye also ready ready to meet the Son of Man ready to come to this opening Day Also the Motive inducing thereto annexed drawn from the Secrecy and Uncertainty of the Time for in such an Hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh They might say Lord but what need is there of all this of getting into and keeping in Readiness will it not be time enough to do this when we see the Day approaching what must we needs do it now Yes now be ready 3. That this opening Day will be a great Day As it will come and its Coming is uncertain so it will be a very great Day when it comes The Apostle stiles it the great and notable Day of the Lord Acts 2.20 Observe it 's the Day of the Lord these are our Days in which we eat and drink marry and give in Marriage and go over great Numbers and Varieties of Actions but this Day will be the Lord's Day the Day that