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

This appears, because an unregenerate man can't truly mourn for sin: from what principle should he do it before he is born again: he may be grieved for it under other considerations, as it exposes him to a great deal of misery here and hereafter, yea as it is in it self evil; but not as the greatest evil as it is against God: to suppose that a man can sincerely mourn for sin before his conversion, it is to suppose him converted, before his conversion, it is in regeneration that all the graces of the Spirit are implanted in the heart: it is then that the heart of stone is taken away, Ezek. 11.9. while men remain in a state of nature, as they do under this work of humiliation it is absolutely beyond them to hate sin or mourn for sin: nature improved by common ⟨p. 208⟩conviction, will never produce this effect: every natural man is dead in sin, Eph. 2.1. all his works in religion are dead works, Heh. 9.14. there is no inclination in his heart to mourn for sin: men must have a work of new creation upon them before they can do this, Eph. 2.10. created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

This appears, because an unregenerate man can't trnly mourn for sin: from what principle should he do it before he is born again: he may be grieved for it under other considerations, as it exposes him to a great deal of misery here and hereafter, yea as it is in it self evil; but not as the greatest evil as it is against God: to suppose that a man can sincerely mourn for sin before his conversion, it is to suppose him converted, before his conversion, it is in regeneration that all the graces of the Spirit are implanted in the heart: it is then that the heart of stone is taken away,