This preparation being made—­to wit, the Judge with his attendants on the throne, the bar for the prisoners, and the rebels all standing with ghastly faces to look for what comes after—­presently the books are brought forth, the books both of death and life, and every one of them opened before the sinners now to be judged and condemned; for after that he had said, “A fiery stream issued, and came forth from before him,” he adds, “Thousands, thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.  The judgment was set, and the book was opened.”  And again, “I saw a great white throne and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no more place for them’, 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 the things that were written in the books, according to their works.”

“For many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”  They will put on all the confidence they can; they will trick and trim up their profession, and adorn it with what bravery they can.  Thus the foolish virgins sought to enter in; they did trim up their lamps, and made themselves as fine as they could.  They made shift to make their lamps to shine a while; but the Son of God discovering himself, their confidence failed, their lamps went out, the door was shut upon them, and they were kept out.

They will make a stop at this gate, this beautiful gate of heaven; they will begin to stand without at the gate, as being loath to go any further.  Never did malefactor so unwillingly turn off the ladder when the rope was about his neck, as these will turn away in that day from the gates of heaven to hell.

It may be that when thou hearest that the dust of the street, that cleaveth to a minister of the gospel while thou rejectest his word of salvation, shall be a witness against thee at the day of judgment, thou wilt be apt to laugh, and say, The dust a witness! witnesses will be scarce when dust is forced to come in to plead against a man.

Well, sinner, mock not; God doth use to confound the great and mighty by things that are not, and that are despised.

When once the master of the house is risen up, that is, when Christ hath laid aside his mediation for sinners, and hath taken upon him only to judge and condemn, then will the wicked begin to stand without, and to knock and contend for a portion among them that are blessed.  Ah, how will their hearts twitter while they look upon the kingdom of glory!  And how will they ache and throb at every view of hell, their proper place; still crying, O that we might inherit life, and O that we might escape eternal death!