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

3. Another temptation to make men depend upon their own righteousness, and seek salvation in that way, is the seeming excellency of their own righteousness: there is a real excellency in true holiness, it is the perfection of mans nature; sin is a vile thing, but holiness does advance and perfect mans nature; holiness is the glory of man: The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour: the Righteous are called excellent ones, Psal. 16.3. and though all the righteousness of self-righteous men is but hypocrisy, and therefore an abomination in Gods sight, yet they themselves do imagine that there is an excellency in it, and from hence they make it ⟨p. 179⟩a ground of confidence: imagining an excellency in it, they think God is taken with it, and that it is meritorious; they do from the excellency of their carriage promise salvation to themselves.

3. Another temptation to make men depend upon their own righteousness, and seek salvation in that way, is the seeming excellency of their own righteousness: there is a real excellency in true holiness, it is the perfection of mans nature; sin is a vile thing, but holiness does advance and perfect mans nature; holiness is the glory of man: The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour: the Righteous are called excellent ones, Psal. 16.3. and though all the righteousness of self-righteous men is but hppocrisie, and therefore an abomination in Gods sight, yet they themselves do imagine that there is an excellency in it, and from hence they make it ⟨p. 179⟩a ground of confidence: imagining an excellency in it, they think God is taken with it, and that it is meritorious; they do from the excellency of their carriage promise salvation to themselves.

And there is a four fold excellency which they are wont to take special notice of.