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…

Secondly, it is Causa exemplaris, The death of Christ was the Exemplar pattern, and Idea of our Death to sin.¹ He did bear our sins in his Body on the tree, to show that as his Body did naturally, so sin did by analogy and legally dye. Therefore the Apostle saith that he was made sin for us; to note that not only our persons² were in Gods account Crucified with him unto Justification; but that sin it self did hang upon his Cross with him unto mortification and holiness. In which respect Saint Paul saith, That he condemned sin in the flesh, ³because he died as sin in Abstracto. And in this regard of mortification we are said to be planted in the likeness of Christs Death; because as when an Ambassador doth solemnize the marriage of his king with a foreign princess, that is truly effected between the parties themselves, which is transacted by the agent, and representative person to that purpose and service author: so Christ being made sin for us (as the Sacrifice ⟨p. 530⟩had the sins of the people emptied upon him) and in that relation, Dying; sin it self likewise dieth in us. And there is a proportion between the Death of the Cross which Christ died, and the Dying of sin in us. Christ died as a Servant, to note that sin should not rule, but be brought into slavery and bondage: He died a Curse, to note that we should look upon sin as an accursed and devoted thing, and therefore should not with Achan hide, or reserve any: He Drank vinegar on his Cross, to note that we should make sin feel the sharpness of Gods displeasure against it▪ he was fast nailed unto the Cross, to note that we should put sin out of ease, and leave no lust or Corruption at large, but crucify the whole body thereof. Lastly though he did not presently die, yet there he did hang till he died; to note that we should never give over subduing sin while it hath any life or working in us. Thus the Death of Christ is the pattern of the death of sin.

Secondly, it is Causa exemplaris, The death of Christ was the Exemplar pattern, and Idea of our Death to sin.¹