and if
it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gospel?"(838)

The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are
registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the
prophet Daniel, "The judgment was set, and the books were opened." The
revelator, describing the same scene, adds, "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."(839)

The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the
service of God. Jesus bade His disciples, "Rejoice, because your names are
written in heaven."(840) Paul speaks of his faithful fellow-workers,
"whose names are in the book of life."(841) Daniel, looking down to "a
time of trouble, such as never was," declares that God's people shall be
delivered, "every one that shall be found written in the book." And the
revelator says that those only shall enter the city of God whose names
"are written in the Lamb's book of life."(842)

"A book of remembrance" is written before God, in which are recorded the
good deeds of "them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His
name."(843) Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in
heaven. Nehemiah refers to this when he says, "Remember me, O my God, ...
and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my
God."(844) In the book of God's remembrance every deed of righteousness is
immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every
word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of
sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ's sake, is
recorded. Says the psalmist, "Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my
tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?"(845)

There is a record also of the sins of men. "For God shall bring every work
into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it
be evil." "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment." Said the Saviour: "By thy words thou
shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."(846) The
secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register; for God "will
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts."(847) "Behold, it is written before Me, ... your
iniquities, and the iniquities of your