ich is _the Book of Life_"--In
that book are inscribed the characters of all God's people, and the
evidence of the reality of their faith in Christ and obedience to Him.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord: Yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them!"
These works, which are the evidence, results, and rewards of faith,
are recorded by that same Spirit through whose power alone the soul
has lived, believed, and been enabled to bring forth such fruit to the
praise of the glory of God by Jesus Christ. In the book of life will
be found recorded by the omniscient Holy Spirit of Truth, that secret
life of every saint which was "hid with Christ in God." Then shall be
revealed the reality of their repentance and inward renewal of soul;
the sincerity of their love to God and to His people; their secret
prayers, thanksgivings, confessions, intercessions, and holy communion
with God; their plans, longings, and sacrifices for the spread of the
gospel, and for the glory of God upon earth; their deeds of charity
for Christ,--every prison they entered, every naked one they clothed;
the hungry they fed, or the offences forgiven by them from love to
Him who forgave them;--that whole _character_, in short, which is the
result of union with Christ, will be evidenced to the universe from
what is recorded of it in the Lamb's Book of Life.

And is there not another book, even "_the_ Book," which may also be
opened at judgment as a witness for the Triune God in His dealings
with mankind? How many millions of men have possessed the Bible, and
acknowledged it as the word of God! Who, therefore, among them, will
be able to plead ignorance of any truth--any duty--any danger--any
promise--the knowledge of which could essentially affect their eternal
salvation? True, they may never have opened the Bible, or have refused
to believe it, or have despised and rejected its warnings, counsels,
and reproofs; but the Bible was nevertheless given them, and their
very ignorance may be their crime. Or, if not ignorant, but only
"hating knowledge," and "not choosing the fear of the Lord,"--their
condemnation is, that they preferred the darkness to the light,
because their deeds were evil? Oh, what a witness will that Book be
against the slothful, the wilfully ignorant and unbelieving!

Are these sources of evidence not sufficient wherewith to determine,
to the conviction of the universe, each man's charac