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

1. False signs, many times men make rules to ⟨p. 187⟩judg of themselves by, which are fallacious and deceitful, men make a judgment of themselves by a false Standard: they take such to be signs of salvation as may be found in many a man that perishes; either from their own fancy or the apprehensions of some other men, or from mistaking some other pieces of Scripture, men look upon that to be a sign, which does not distinguish an Heir of glory from a child of wrath: it may be of great advantage for Ministers to lay down sometimes probable signs, but men must have a care that they don't draw conclusions from thence: when men try themselves by false signs they take a ready course to deceive themselves: thus men do when they conclude from hence, that they pray constantly in secret, they don't know that they allow themselves in any known sin, they associate with the people of God, they are liberal to the poor, they are accounted of by the godly &c: that they are in a good estate and shall be saved. 2. True signs misapplied: that many times men mistake in judging of themselves, tho the rule they go by is good, yet falsely apply it to themselves, they take that which they find in themselves to be another thing than it is: the rule is good but the qualification is not found in them: that rule which does indeed condemn them, they do justify themselves by: so they justify themselves by those signs of trial, of love to the Brethren, hatred of sin, believing in Christ, concluding upon some mistakes that it is so with them.

1. False signs, many times men make rules to ⟨p. 187⟩judg of themselves by, which are fallacious and deceitful, men make a judgment of themselves by a false Standard: they take such to be signs of salvation as may be found in many a man that perishes; either from their own fancy or the apprehensions of some other men, or from mistaking some other pieces of Scripture, men look upon that to be a sign, which does not distinguish an Heir of glory from a child of wrath: it may be of great advantage for Ministers to lay down sometimes probable signs, but men must have a care that they dont draw conclusions from thence: when men try themselves by false signs they take a ready course to deceive themselves: thus men do when they conclude from hence, that they pray constantly in secret, they don't know that they allow themselves in any known sin, they associate with the people of God, they are liberal to the poor, they are accounted of by the godly &c: that they are in a good estate and shall be saved. 2. True signs misapplied: that many times men mistake in judging of themselves, tho the rule they go by is good, yet falsely apply it to themselves, they take that which they find in themselves to be another thing than it is: the rule is good but the qualification is not found in them: that rule which does indeed condemn them, they do justifie themselves by: so they justifie themselves by those signs of trial, of love to the Brethren, hatred of sin, believing in Christ, concluding upon some mistakes that it is so with them.