Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety

5. What if thou hadst been in hell thy self a month or two, and felt the pains and torments there, and God should let thee out again, and put thee in the same capacity as now thou art in, and place thee again under the same means and ministry as now thou dost enjoy, and the same Doctrine should be preached unto thee, and the same ⟨p. 122⟩offers of Christ and pardon, of heaven and eternal life, as now thou hearest; Wouldst thou then hearken to our Doctrine, and renounce the Devil's service, and beg and pray that God would knock off thy fetters and thy chains, and of a slave of Satan, make thee a willing servant of the blessed and the living God? Or wouldst thou still live as now thou dost, and hope again upon the same grounds as now, that thou shouldst not the second time be cast into that place of torments? Oh then why then wilt thou not believe that God that cannot lye as well as thy own experience?

Though this God will never do; he will never try thee again, nor set thee in this life again; for once in hell, and for ever there; God will not give thee a second life, to mend what was amiss in thy living upon earth. If thou thinkest thou shouldst be more careful, if God shouldst try thee after he had damned thee, that thou mayest not be damned again; why shouldst thou not be as careful now that thou mayest not be damned at all?

What then poor captive sinner! wilt thou after all this that hath been said go on in sin, and yet hope thou shalt do well? Or shall the Devil still keep thee in captivity, and hold thee fast in this bond and chain of ⟨p. 123⟩a false persuasion, that thy state is good and groundless hopes that thou shalt be saved? I am afraid he will, oh I do greatly fear he will. Poor Prisoner! what dost thou think of it? what ails thee? why art thou no more concerned at the hearing of these things? wilt thou still remain in the fools paradise? why do I preach, and why dost thou come and hear, if thou wilt not regard what is spoken to thee from the word of God, in the name of God? Oh how hard a thing is it, to stand and view so many Souls, and think after all the study, pains, prayer, and preaching, for you and to you, so many should still be in the Devils fetters, and are going in chains to the prison of hell, and bound fast in sin to a place of everlasting torments? Oh how shall I do to bear the thoughts of your damnation? O it is a burden, it is a burden, it is indeed a heavy burden to my Soul to think that any of you should be damned; that you should go from hence to hell; from a place of Solemn worship to a place of torment and of blasphemy. Do you think it is not enough to break a poor Ministers heart, to preach and labour that your bonds may be broken, and your souls escape and set at liberty, and after all you are in fetters still? Were it not that