The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

the text saith, that they are under the power of Satan, To open their eyes, saith the text, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. If you ask me how the Devil hath power over poor sinners, the Apostle telleth you, That he catcheth them at his pleasure: the proud man must go no further than he will, and the covetous man must do nothing but that which he list: but this is not all neither, though this be sufficient to discover the power that Satan hath over the soul of a sinner: but when he hath thus taken a poor ⟨p. 5⟩soul, and fettered him in this case, he then shuts him up in prison, Tim. 2.2.26. there the next saith, that the devil takes poor sinners, prisoners at his will. Gal. 3.22. it is said, that all men by nature are under the law, shut up under sin: it is a phrase taken from prisoners; a prisoner that is under the hand of the jailer, and hath his legs fettered, and is shut up in prison, we use to say that such a man is sure enough. And not only so; sin and Satan have not only taken a poor prisoner, and fettered him, and shut him up in prison, but they have slain him, and taken away his life also; and therefore now sin musts needs he fastened deep in the soul of a poor sinner. If a thief, or a Traitor, were apprehended, and convicted, and imprisoned, and had bolts and fetters upon him; and further, if he were condemned, and hanged, drawn, and quartered; then though the party were never so resolute, or his practises never so outrageous, yet •en might say, now he is sure enough, now he will steal no more, nor plot treason any more: just so it is with the soul of a poor sinner, every man naturally, is so far forth under the power of sin and Satan, that he is not only surprised and taken by Satan, but his sins are as so many bolts, and fetters about him, nay he is shut up in prison; nay further, sin hath slain him out right; in so much that a man may as soon pluck hell from the place where it is, as pluck a poor sinner out of his corruptions. The devil hath not only taken a poor sinner, but he hath fettered him and imprisoned ⟨p. 6⟩him, and taken away his life; and therefore now the devil hath him sure enough, as we may so spell; he is now firmly fastened unto sin. This is the first passage, add to this the second.