The doctrine of the law and grace unfolded, or, A discourse touching the law…

I could have spoken more fully to this, but that I would not be too tedious, but speak what I have to say with as much brevity as I can. But before I pass it, I will besides this, give you an Argument or two more for the further clearing of this; that the substance of the Law delivered on Mount Sinai, was before that delivered by the Lord to man in the Garden. As first, Death reigned over them that had not sinned, after the similitude of Adam's transgression, (that is, though they did not take the forbidden fruit as Adam did) but had the transgression been no other, or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those that did eat ⟨p. 12⟩of that fruit, then those that was born to Adam, after he was shut out of the Garden, had not had sin; in that they did not actually eat of that fruit, and so had not been slaves to death. But in that Death did reign from Adam to Moses, or from the time of his transgression against the first giving of the Law, till the time the Law was given on Mount Sinai, it is evident, that the substance of the Ten Commandments was given to Adam and his Posterity under that Command, Eat not of the Tree that is in the midst of the Garden. But yet if any shall say that it was because of the sin of their Father that death reigned over them: to that I shall answer, that although original sin be laid to the charge of his Posterity, yet it is also for their sins, that they actually committed, that they were plagued: And again, saith the Apostle, For where there is no Law, there is no transgression, Rom. 4. 15. For sin is not imputed where there is no Law: Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, saith he, Rom. 5. 13, 14. But if there had been no Law, then there had been no Transgression, and so no death to follow after, as the wages thereof: for death is the wages of sin, Rom. 6. 23. and sin is the breach of the Law; an actual breach in our particular persons, as well as an actual breach in our public person, 1 John 3. 4.

I could have spoken more fully to this, but that I would not be too tedious, but speak what I have to say with as much brevity as I can. But before I pass it, I will besides this, give you an Argument or two more for the further clearing of this; that the substance of the Law delivered on Mount Sinai, was before that delivered by the Lord to man in the Garden. As first, Death reigned over them that had not sinned, after the similitude of Adam's transgression, (that is, though they did not take the forbidden fruit as Adam did) but had the transgression been no other, or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those that did eat