The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: 1 Joh. 5.4. Who is he that overcometh the World, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God: These passages are not to be understood of that Faith which is common to Professors; that Faith that may be separated from holiness, which James calls a dead Faith, Jam 2. ult. but of that assurance that is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost.

A second thing that clears it is: that when natural men fall under the awakening work of the Spirit, they immediately call the Gospel & in particular this truth of the safety of our appearing in Christs Righteousness into question: though they might seem before to themselves and others well satisfied; yet when ever, they come to lie under the sense of Gods anger and Conscience is writing bitter things against them; they are full of scruples and objections against the Gospel; tis a long time usually before such persons can give entertainment to this Truth: and when it is done it is wrought in them by the mighty power of God: all that Ministers can urge upon them will not take place, the choicest Evidences will not sink into them till God opens their hearts, as he opened the heart of Lydia: sometimes the hearts of such men will be objecting against this way in general, as if there were ⟨p. 8⟩not salvation for sinners in this way; they scruple how the righteousness of one will avail for the Salvation of another, &c. but principally their scruples are respecting themselves in particular, they are not satisfied that God calls them: that there is enough in Jesus Christ for the washing away of their sins: that God would take it well for them to venture themselves on Christ: they think they must be better first, and more broken for their sins: this is directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel; for the Gospel does not only teach in general that there is salvation in Christ for sinners: but that it is safe for any that will, be they never so blind, hard-hearted, impenitent and rebellious and guilty to venture themselves on the righteousness of Christ: men do not only oppose the Gospel, when they question whether Believers shall be saved, but when they question whether there be sufficient encouragement for them to come to Christ: