Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

First, it is a Lord and Master, in which respect it hath these ties upon us: First, a Covenant, there is a virtual bargain between lust and a sinner, Isaiah 28. 15. we make promise of serving, and obeying sin, Joh. 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. and that returneth unto us the wages of iniquity, and the pleasures of sin, 2. Pet. 2. 15. Heb. 11. 25. Secondly, love unto it, as unto a bountiful and beneficial¹ Lord. Sin exerciseth authority over us, and yet we account it our benefactor, Hos 2. 5. 12. 13. Job 20. 12. 13. Thirdly, an easy service, the work of sin is natural, the instruments all ready at hand, the helpers and fellow servants many to teach, to encourage, to hasten, and lead ⟨p. 130⟩on in the broad way. Fourthly, in sin it self there is a great strength to enforce men to its service: First, it is edged with malice against the soul, armed with weapons² to fight against it, and enmity is a great Whetstone to valour. Secondly, it is attended with fleshly wisdom, supported with stratagems and deceits, hastened and set on by the assistance of Satan and the world, Eph. 4. 22 Heb. 3. 13. Thirdly, it hath a Judicature and regiment in the heart, it governs by a Law, it f•nds forth lusts and temptations like so many edicts into the soul; and when we object the Law of God against the service that is required, then as that Persian King, who could not find out³ a Law to warrant the particular which he would have done, found out another, That he might do what he would; so sin when it hath no reason to allege, yet it hath Self-will, that is, all Laws in one,