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

He bears witness often to his acceptance of the obedience of his people: God is all along in the Scripture witnessing the regard that he has unto holiness; sometimes he tells us that he does delight in it, Psal. 15.8. The prayer of the upright is his delight: that he loves it, Psal, 11.7. the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness: that he loveth the Righteous, Psa 146 8. The Lord loveth the Righteous; that he is reconciled to such as do amend their ways, Isai. 55.7. let ⟨p. 176⟩him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him: and God makes promises of all sorts of blessings unto holiness: of outward blessings peace and plenty, and honour and long life; and of spiritual mercies, of the manifestation of himself, and communion with them: and of eternal life; you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life, Rom. 6, 22. men meeting with abundance of such passages in the Scripture; are greatly strengthened in their apprehensions of the efficacy of their own righteousness, to procure their justification: such passages of Scripture are strained by them, and they grow up thereby into a more established opinion of their safety upon the account of their own righteousness: meeting with such commendations of the practice of holiness: they are much confirmed in their carnal confidence, in such ways as these.

1. Hence they think their own righteousness does draw the heart of God unto them, they think that their holiness does attract the affection and good will of God unto them; they imagine that their holiness does work them into Gods love: that the beauty of their holiness does captivate the affections of God, and their cries and carriages do work upon divine compassions, and make God willing to bestow salvation upon them: and indeed a self-righteous man doth attribute more to his own righteousness, than a Saint does to the righteousness of Christ: a godly man neither does nor ought, to make the righteousness of Christ the foundation of Gods sove. Christ has purchased the favour of God and reconciliation with him: but he did not purchase the good will and love of God there was no need of purchasing that.