B10086:359
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard ...
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Phillips, 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Safety of Appearing in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. › Chapter 8
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Let us consider what righteousness such men may attain unto, that seek salvation by their own righteousness: and there is no doubt but such men may go a great way in Religion, some attain one measure and others another: but they may go far, though they fall greatly short of what the least saints do attain; yet they are capable of attaining a great deal: they may attain so much as to exceed what many saints do attain as to the external part of Religion: they may make a glorious show so as to gain the approbation and applause of the people of God:
2. Let us consider what righteousness such men may attain unto, that seek salvation by their own righteousness: and there is no doubt but such men may go a great way in Religion, some attain one measure and others another: but they may go far, though they fall greatly short of what the least saints do attain; yet they are capable of attaining a great deal: they may attain so much as to exceed what many saints do attain as to the external part of Religion: they may make a glorious shew so as to gain the approbation and applause of the people of God:
Take it under these three Heads:
1. They may attain to as much as any Saint, as to the external part of Religion: all the external acts of holiness may be done by him that has no principle of holiness: the external acts of grace may be so imitated that no man can discern the difference: though ordinarily the conversation of the saints be better than the conversation of other men, yet others may attend the external part of godliness as much as any saint; for 'tis not grace that gives men power to do that which is externally good: nature gives men the power to do the action, and grace gives men power to do it in a right manner, and for a right end: and the corruption in natural men be strong to hinder them from the external acts of Religion, yet that may be over-ruled: natural men have a power to do the external duty, and they may have a will too through some over-ruling consideration: Paul tho a Pharisee, may have a blameless conversation; tho Urith was