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…

We are next to observe, that the ground of all this is the Law: The sting of Death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law, 1. Cor. 15. 56 1. Joh. •. 4. from the Law it is, that sin hath both strength to condemn, and to ⟨p. 131⟩command us, or have dominion over us, Rom. 6. 14. Now the Law gives life or strength to sin three ways: First, by the curse and obligation of it, binding the soul with the guilt of sin unto the Judgement of the great Day. Every sinner hath the sentence past upon him already, and in part executed; He that believeth not is condemned already, the wrath of God abideth on him. All men come into the world with the wrath of God like a talent of lead upon their soul, and it may all be poured out within one hour upon them, there is but a span between them and judgement. In which interim, First, the Law ^astops the mouth of a sinner, ^bShuts him in, and ^cholds him fast under the guilt of his sin. Secondly, it passeth ^dsentence upon his soul, sealing the assurance of condemnation and wrath to come. Thirdly, it beginneth even ^eto put that sentence in execution, with the ^fspirit of bondage and of ^gfear, shaking the conscience, wounding the spirit, and scorching the heart with the pre-apprehensions of Hell, making the soul see some portion of that tempest which hangeth over it, rising out of that sea of sin which is in his life and nature (as the ^h