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

They find things since their coming to Christ much contrary to their expectation: they thought that they should have had more expressions of the love of God, more quicknings of the Spirit, more help against corruption, more visible answers of prayer, they thought that if they came to Christ, they should have had little trouble or temptation, but have lived a sweet, easy and pleasant life: but things are far otherwise, things run very low in their souls, they have a great deal of darkness and temptation, they find very ⟨p. 328⟩evil workings of heart, and therefore they fear whether God has accepted of them, or be willing to accept of them, and to bestow salvation upon them, did they walk in the light of the Lord, and enjoy such communion with God as they expected, and feel such evident fruits of the love of God as they promised themselves they should not be so backward to believe; but since it is otherwise, it begets a trembling and fearfulness in them, it puts them to a great stand, hence the calls of God take less impression on them: especially because they think it is not so with others that come to Christ; others do enjoy more manifest tokens of divine acceptance, but they are both in inward and outward respects under tokens of divine displeasure: and this is an hindrance unto their believing, Job 9 16, 17. If I had called and he had answered, yet would I not believe that he had bearkened to my voice, for he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

They find things since their coming to Christ much contrary to their expectation: they thought that they should have had more expressions of the love of God, more quicknings of the Spirit, more help against corruption, more visible answers of prayer, they thought that if they came to Christ, they should have had little trouble or temptation, but have lived a sweet, easie and pleasant life: but things are far otherwise, things run very low in their souls, they have a great deal of darkness and temptation, they find very