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

He dresses up himself in his own righteousness; and when he has made himself as comely as he can, adventures to cast himself upon Christ: he imagines something in himself, why God should bestow the righteousness of Christ rather upon him than upon another, whereas a Saint comes to Christ merely upon Gospel encouragements, from the grace and faithfulness of God, and righteousness of Christ, Isa. 45.24, Surely shall one say in the Lord Jehovah, have I righteousness and strength.

He dresses up himself in his own righteousness; and when he has made himself as comely as he can, adventures to cast himself upon Christ: he imagines something in himself, why God should bestow the righteousness of Christ rather upon him than upon another, whereas a Saint comes to Christ meerly upon Gospel encouragements, from the grace and faithfulness of God, and righteousness of Christ, Isa. 45.24, Surely shall one say in the Lord Jehovah, have I righteousness and strength.

4. Such persons labour after some goodness to prepare them for Christ. They are striving after some in order to their closing with Christ, when they are invited to come to Christ for salvation, they excuse themselves, and think they are not good enough yet to come to Christ: they think it would be presumption to come with such hearts as they have, they think no body ever came to Christ that had such hearts: but they think if they were better, they might come; and so they are labouring after some self-excellency, in order to their closing with Christ, they are purifying themselves and garnishing themselves, that they may be fit to come to Christ: they think if their hearts were more broken, they might come: if they had more love to Christ ⟨p. 167⟩if they did see the real evil of sin: and so they make it their business to get these qualifications: they don't count it their next work to believe: but think they must get some other self-excellency in order to believing: so they make it their present work to mend their own heart, and sometimes they think they get a little forward, and then they go backward: just like a man that undertakes to empty a fountain, which fills as fast as he empties, or like one that attempts to fetch a dead body to life; he chafes it and it grows warmer, but is as far from life as ever: so those men are striving against their dullness & hardness; they tug with their own hearts to make them better; for he thinks he must be better before he believes in Christ: whereas a Saint when he finds his heart bad comes to Christ to make it better.