An exposition with practical observations upon the three first chapters of the book of…

That an estate of bondage is a miserable restless estate. There ⟨p. 431⟩the prisoners rest together; Captives and bondmen have little rest until they rest in the grave: The language of prisoners is a sorrowful language; their speech is sighs, Psal. 79.11. Let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee, and Psal. 12.5. because of the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy. It is a restless condition which yields nothing but sighs and groans: Indeed we read in the Acts, (chap. 16.25.) of prisoners that spake another language, even the language of joy; we read there of the singing of the prisoners, Paul and Silas did not sigh but sing in the night while they were bound in prison, but this was extraordinary; They receiving enlargement of heart, and wonderful consolation from the holy Ghost, pray in prison and sing praise to God: Christ sent the comforter that night to them, who made them a feast in the prison, and they sung to it, they made music, heavenly music, they sung praise to God. It was not from the good cheer, or any comfortable message which they had from the Jailer, or from their oppressors, but Christ came and visited them; any place, or any estate is comfortable, when Christ is present to the soul: But in it self imprisonment is a sad condition. Therefore the Apostle biddeth us, remember those that are in bonds, even as bound with them, Heb. 13.3. and Christ takes a prison visit as a special point of service and kindness done unto him, I was in prison and ye visited me, Mat. 25.36. I, in my afflicted members was in prison, and your visit was an ease to my affliction, and (as it were) a loosening of my chains. Such visits are now seasonable: now remember the bondage and captivity, the hard usage and imprisonment of our brethren in many parts of this nation, Let the sighing of the prisoners come up before you, even the sighing of those Josephs whose feet are hurt in the stocks, and the iron enters into their souls, As some translate that, Psal. 105.18. When you are at your tables, and have plenty, then remember the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction which the poor prisoners your brethren are served with, and must be contented with every day or starve in prison.