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…

The trial of this title of sin, that we may discern whether we are under it or no, must be as other Titles are; we must first inquire who they are, unto whose right and possession a man may belong, and then examine the Evidences which either can make for himself. To sin we know doth appertain the primitive right of every¹ natural and lapsed man (for we are by nature the Children of wrath.) A purchase then there must come between, before a man can pass over into another's right; this purchase was made by Christ, who bought us with his blood: And the treaty in this purchase was not between Christ and sin, but between him and his Father; Thine ²they were and thou gavest them me, for the fall of Man could not nullify Gods Dominion nor right unto him▪ for when man ceased to be Gods Servant, he then began to be his Prisoner; and though Sin and Satan we• in regard of man Lords, yet they were in regard of God, but Jailers, to keep or part from his Prisoners at his pleasure. Besides though Christ got man by purchase yet Sin and Satan lost him by forfeiture; for th• prince of this world seizing upon Christ in whom he had³ •o right, (for he found nothing of his own in him) did by that means forfeit his former right which he had in ⟨p. 280⟩men of the same nature. We see then, all the claim that can be made is either by Christ, or Sin; by that strong man, or him that is stronger; A man must have evidences for Christ, or else he belongs unto the power of Sin. The evidences of Christ are his Name, his Seal, and his Witnesses. His Name, a new Name, a name better⁴ then of sons and daughters, even Christ formed in the heart, and his Law engraven in the inner man. As it is fabled of Ignatius, that there was found the Name of Jesus written in his heart; so must every one of Gods House be named by him with this new name, Of Him