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

The first thing to be considered is,

Who they are that seek salvation by their own righteousness:

But before I give you their characters, it will be needful to premise two things: 1. They that seek salvation by their own Righteousness, do not expect salvation from the covenant of works, as it requires perfect obedience in order unto life: they dare not adventure their souls on the strictness of the Law: though they had need to do so, if they seek life by their own works: but they do not thus; they look upon their righteousness as that which will allay the Anger of God; and be an inducement unto God to save them, that which will win the good-will of God, and draw the heart of God to them: yea they look upon their righteousness as that which will bring God in their debt, that God is beholden to them for their service, yet they do not lay claim to blessedness by the strictness of the Law, for they know and confess themselves to be sinners, they pray for forgiveness; which things are inconsistent with justification by their own works: the Jews did not stand upon a strict covenant ⟨p. 162⟩of works, Rom. 9.31, 32: they sought it as it were by the works of the Law: but these men do make such a mixture of the covenant of works with the covenant of grace, wherein the covenant of works is predominant: they make some profession of the Gospel, and yet adhere to a covenant of works, therefore the Apostle tells them; that if they be circumcised, Christ shall profit them nothing, Gal. 5.2. they made account to have some benefit by Christ; so they made account to have some benefit by grace; therefore the Apostle tells them, that whoever of them are justified by the Law, are fallen from grace: they did not pretend to the strictness of the Law, but took in Gospel Principles into their way of justification, and yet were legal all the while: this makes the Apostle dispute in that manner against them,