Captives bound in chains made free

1. By Christ believers have a freedom from the guilt of sin. We are free from the obligation that lay upon us to eternal torments; so that now we shall never come into condemnation for our sins; our many sins are all pardoned, our great and heinous sins are all forgiven, Rom. 8. 1, 33, 34. Many might accuse; the Devil might accuse, and Men might accuse, and Conscience might accuse, and the Law might accuse us; but Christ hath so freed us, that none can condemn. Oh what a blessed piece of our freedom lieth in this! What wouldst thou have done, to have answered for thy sins? What wouldst thou have done to bear the punishment of thy sins? Indeed thou couldst neither answer for thy self, nor yet have born the wrath of God due to thee for thy sin. Oh then see the everlasting obligation laid upon thee to love this blessed Christ, to prize, and value, and esteem this once crucified, and now glorious Christ, that hath taken off this obligation from thee; he hath freed thee from one obligation, and thereby laid upon thee another; he hath freed thee from an obligation to eternal condemnation, and hath laid upon thee a strong and lasting obligation to love him, ⟨p. 165⟩and to praise and admire his love and grace to thee for ever.

2. Christ hath set us free from the dominion of sin. The Sinner was the Captive, and Sin the Lord and Conqueror; but he that is made free by Christ, is become the Conqueror, and Sin the Captive; the Victory indeed is not yet completed, yet sin is dethroned; the sinner when a captive was in chains; but now made free, sin is become bound. Sin was delighted in, but now it is abhorred; sin was voluntarily yielded unto, but now resisted and opposed; sin was welcomly entertained, but now lamented and bewailed; it was looked upon with pleasure and content, but now it is beheld with a sorrowful heart, and with a weeping eye; it is become the burden and the grief, that before had the love and complacency of the sinners heart; it is now prayed against, and watched against, and endeavoured against, that before was indulged, and allowed, and provided for, and willingly submitted to. Now saith the Redeemed sinner, my hard heart is a burden to me; my proud and unbelieving heart is a burden and a grief unto me; my vain and worldly heart is a burden, and a trouble, and a sorrow to me; he is freed from the reigning power of sin,