N00357:503
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Philippians]The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Phillipians]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Phillips, 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Safety of Appearing in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. › Chapter 8
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
you have a strange kind of Faith that will venture upon God, though he witnesses against you, what comfort can men take in such a way: men had need of strong arguments to satisfy themselves that that is a way of salvation, that God calls a way of damnation: would God discourage them from it, if it were indeed a way of salvation: can men expect that God will deny his Word in the Day of Judgment to save them.
you have a strange kind of Faith that will venture upon God, though he witnesses against you, what comfort can men take in such a way: men had need of strong arguments to satisfie themselves that that is a way of salvation, that God calls a way of damnation: would God discourage them from it, if it were indeed a way of salvation: can men expect that God will deny his Word in the Day of Judgment to save them.
3. It is against the rule of Justice for men to be saved in that way: it is against the justice of the Law: the Law puts in an unanswerable objection against the salvation of such men; the law allows the salvation of those that believe on Christ, Rom. 3.26. it has not a word to gainsay: but it stands as a flaming sword to keep other men out of paradise: in a way of confidence in mans own righteousness, there is no way to reconcile the justice of God and mens salvation: if men be saved in such a way, what will become of the Law, and what will become of the justice of God that stands engaged to fulfil the ⟨p. 196⟩Law: what warrant have men to expect salvation in such a way, wherein God must part with his own glory, before he can bestow glory upon them, wherein he must deny his nature, before he can satisfy their expectation; how can men think, that God is so in love with their performances, as to pervert Judgment for their sakes, and pull them into heaven by force, though the Law does possibly declare against such proceedings. God would not save believers but with the leave of the Law, till care was taken that that might be satisfied, and will he sav these men to the overthrow of his Law, and everlasting reproach of his justice, the righteousness of the Law does not admit of their salvation.