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, consider the universality of this sin, and that manifold. Universality of Times: from Adam to Mos•s, even when the Law of Creation was much defaced, and they that sinned did not sin after the similitude of Adam, against the clear Revelation of Gods pure and holy will. For that I take to be the meaning of the Apostle in those words, Until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed where there is no Law. Though the Law seemed quite extinct between Adam and^t ⟨p. 137⟩^uMoses in the wicked of the world, and with it sin, because sin hath no strength where there is no Law; though men had not any such legible Characters of Gods will in their nature as Adam had at first, and therefore did not sin after the similitude of his prevarication; yet even from Adam to Moses did sin reign over all them, even the sin of Adam, and that lust which that sin contracted. And if sin reigned from Adam to Moses▪ in that time of ignorance, when the Law of not lusting ³was quite extinct out of the minds of men, much more from Moses after; for the Law entered by Moses that sin might abound, that is, That that concupiscence which reigned without conviction before, during the ignorance of the original implanted Law, might by the new edition and publication of that Law be known to be sinful, ⁴and thereby become more exceeding sinful to those who should be thus convinced of it: that so the exceeding sinfulness of sin might serve both the sooner to compel men to come to Christ, and the Grace of Christ might thereby appear to be more exceeding gracious: for the Law was revived, and promulgated anew merely with relation to Christ and the Gospel; and therefore the Apostle saith, It was added and ordained by Angels in the ⁵Hand of a Mediator, or by the ministry of a Mediator. Where there are three reasons to show Gods Evangelical purpose in the publication of the Law anew. First, it was not published alone, but as an Additament, with relation to the Evangelical promise which was before made. Secondly, the service of Angels, or Messengers; which shows, that in the Law God did send from Heaven anew to instruct men, and therein to take care of them, and prepare them for salvation; for Angels minister