A brief discourse of justification. Wherein this doctrine is plainly laid down according to…

1. All those that dare not come to Christ in their sins for his mercy; but they must have some reformations, and some specious duties of their own laid in, to bring with them, before they can come to him: and when they suppose themselves to have gotten something of this kind, now they can from them take heart, and by looking upon them take some confidence in their coming: This very thing manifestly discovers that men are not as yet fitted for the Gospel dispensation of Grace; for that bids men to come in their unworthiness, and when they have nothing at all of theirs to commend them to God; but these must have some worthiness for which they may be received, or else they dare not to adventure: and though men here plead for evangelical works, as those which they only design; viz. they have a desire to be more humbled, they are not sufficiently abased in themselves; they would be more penitent, they have not suitably grieved for, nor enough mourned by reason of sin, and they would fain wait till they have gotten a little more of this, and they will come; this will not free them; for ⟨p. 139⟩let the enquiry be made, what is all this for? why do they not dare to come to Christ in the present state, but must wait for these dispositions? why thus it is, they are afraid that Christ will not accept of them, such as they are, but if they were thus of so, could but find in themselves these desired frames, then they should have encouraging hopes, that he would bid them welcome; and here is a trusting in their own Righteousness so far as to hope that they may without Christ get something that may commend them to him for his Righteousness: and though it is certain that God in converting a sinner, doth so far make discoveries of him to himself, as to let him see his absolute need of a Saviour, else he would never believe in him for Salvation; yet these are always not soul filling, but soul emptying discoveries, and till men can come plumply up to practice as the Publican, and say with him, Luk. 18.13. Lord be merciful to me a Sinner, finding nothing but sin in themselves, looking for all mercies to derive from his undeserved favour and good will, they are not gotten so clear of their own, as to be ready to rely on the Righteousness of Christ alone.

1. All those that dare not come to Christ in their sins for his mercy; but they must have some reformations, and some specious duties of their own laid in, to bring with them, before they can come to him: and when they suppose themselves to have gotten something of this kind, now they can from them take heart, and by looking upon them take some confidence in their coming: This very thing manifestly discovers that men are not as yet fitted for the Gospel dispensation of Grace; for that bids men to come in their unworthiness, and when they have nothing at all of theirs to commend them to God; but these must have some worthiness for which they may be received, or else they dare not to adventure: and though men here plead for evangelical works, as those which they only design; viz. they have a desire to be more humbled, they are not sufficiently abased in themselves; they would be more penitent, they have not suitably grieved for, nor enough mourned by reason of sin, and they would fain wait till they have gotten a little more of this, and they will come; this will not free them; for