Captives bound in chains made free

2. Those that you do see so much to mourn and weep, and grieve for their sins, they have cause and ground and reason to rejoice, and so have not you that yet are captives to the Devil; and are not they in a better condition, that have ground and reason to rejoice, but do not, then you are in, that do rejoice, when you have no cause nor reason so to do? of the two I would rather have my Soul in their Souls condition, than in thine.

2. Those that you do see so much to mourn and weep, and grieve for their sins, they have cause and ground and reason to rejoyce, and so have not you that yet are captives to the Devil; and are not they in a better condition, that have ground and reason to rejoyce, but do not, then you are in, that do rejoyce, when you have no cause nor reason so to do? of the two I would rather have my Soul in their Souls condition, than in thine.

3. You do not know how sweet and pleasant, and delightful these bitter tears of Repentance are unto them that shed most of them; It is exceeding comfortable to have an heart to mourn and grieve kindly for their sins; their tears thou seest, but their inward peace and comfort that often follows after these, thou takest no notice of.

4. But how dost thou know the true cause and reason of their sorrow? Thou art apt to impute it to the way that they walk in; did ever any truly godly Soul, that leads the saddest and most sorrowful life, tell thee, his sorrow is, because now he is become an holy man; did ever any tell thee, it is because they have left their former wicked ways? and because they are become new creatures, and have given up their names, their wills, their hearts, and all to God, and Christ? if this, and no ⟨p. 45⟩