Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II.…

for if all men by nature, Jews and Gentiles are apt to be puffed up with their own righteousness, and to bless themselves in their own righteousness, and so to feel no such need of Christ, then this humbling work of the law to slay men of all their fond conceits and foolish confidences in their own righteousness, and to make men feel the horrible nature of sin, by revealing the curse and malediction due to it, is of moral and perpetual use: And hence it is that though the Gospel strictly taken (as is intimated Thesis 110.) hath no terror properly in it, because thus it reveals nothing but reconciliation through Christs righteousness applied by saith; yet the Gospel largely taken, for that doctrine which reveals the glad tidings of Christ already come, so there is terror in it, because in this respect the Gospel makes use of the law and confirms what is moral and perpetual therein: The sin and terror which the Gospel (largely taken) makes use of out of the Law, are but subservient to the Gospel strictly taken, or for that which is principally and most properly Gospel, for thereby the righteousness and free-grace and love of the Lord Jesus, and preciousness and greatness of both are the more clearly illustrated: The law of it self wounds and kills and rather drives from Christ then unto Christ; but in the hand of the Gospel▪ or as Christ handles it, so it drives the soul unto Christ, and (as hath been shown) is the means to that end: and 'tis a most false and nauseous doctrine to affirm that love only draws the soul to Christ, unless it be understood with this caution and notion, viz. love as revealed to a sinner, and condemned for sin; which sin and condemnation as the law makes known, so the Gospel makes use of to drawn unto Christ: If indeed the Gospel did vulnerare ut vulneraret, i. wound that it may ⟨p. 106⟩wound and terrify only (which the law doth) then it (saith Chamier) was all one with law which Bellarmine pleads for) but when it wounds that it may heal,¹ this is not contrary but agreeable to the office of a good Physician whose chief work is to heal, and may well suit with the healing Ministry of the Lord Jesus;

for if all men by nature, Jewes and Gentiles are apt to be puft up with their own righteousnesse, and to blesse themselves in their own righteousnesse, and so to feel no such need of Christ, then this humbling work of the law to slay men of all their fond conceits and foolish confidences in their own righteousnesse, and to make men feel the horrible nature of sinne, by revealing the curse and malediction due to it, is of morall and perpetuall use: And hence it is that though the Gospell strictly taken (as is intimated Thesis 110.) hath no terrour properly in it, because thus it reveals nothing but reconciliation through Christs righteousnesse applyed by saith; yet the Gospel largely taken, for that doctrine which reveals the glad tidings of Christ already come, so there is terrour in it, because in this respect the Gospell makes use of the law and confirms what is morall and perpetuall therein: The sin and terrour which the Gospell (largely taken) makes use of out of the Law, are but subservient to the Gospel strictly taken, or for that which is principally and most properly Gospel, for thereby the righteousnesse and free-grace and love of the Lord Jesus, and pretiousnesse and greatnesse of both are the more clearly illustrated: The law of it selfe wounds and kils and rather drives from Christ then unto Christ; but in the hand of the Gospel or as Christ handles it, so it drives the soul unto Christ, and (as hath been shewn) is the means to that end: and 'tis a most false and nauseous doctrine to affirm that love only drawes the soul to Christ, unlesse it be understood with this caution and notion, viz. love as revealed to a sinner, and condemned for sin; which sin and condemnation as the law makes known, so the Gospel makes use of to drawn unto Christ: If indeed the Gospel did vulnerare ut vulneraret, i. wound that it may