1695 MATTHEW HENRY. Manuscript Sermon on Revelation 20 - "I Saw the Dead Stand Before God."

An exceptional opportunity to own a complete manuscript sermon entirely in the hand of Matthew Henry [1662-1714], the most influential Biblical commentator of the 17th century.

While other non-conformists certainly exerted considerable influence on the theological imagination of the 17th through 21st centuries, it would be difficult to argue that at the popular level, any divine of the era has had such a durable influence on the way Christians interact with the text of Scripture. 

His warm, highly quotable prose made the Scriptures approachable for everyday readers and warmed the hearts of those preparing to preach the Sacred Text, directly influencing generations of prominent preachers and writers like George Whitefield, John Wesley, and Charles Spurgeon, each of whom routinely urged their followers to read Henry daily. 

The present sermon, entirely in his distinctive hand, offers a wonderful opportunity to own a fascinating artifact from Henry's life. It is 10pp in length, on 5 leaves, and is a complete sermon delivered in July of 1695. 

The text is Revelation 20.12, And I saw the dead, small & great, stand before God & the Bookes were opened . . . 

. . . the great God that seels all & knowns all, records all that he sees & knowns. He doth not see & hear & then forget as we do. No, he remembers it, [to think he forgets] 'tis to speak after the ye manner of man, [but it is] as if 'twere all written in a Book before him, he hath it in black & white, as in a shop book wherein debts are entered, what all that ever any one, small or great, thought or spoke or did, all their commissions & all their omissions, form ye beginning of ye world to his day, yea & our own too, not excepted, yours & mine. . . 

Housed in a custom pressure held archival folder crafted by Specs Fine Bindery. This makes it practical for shelf storage, and the eight magnet enclosure ensures it remains safe and secure.