Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety

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 ⟨p. 124⟩some do hearken and obey, were it not that some give great grounds of hope that they are leaving off the Devils service, and that their Chains are broke, it would be a sore temptation, to preach no more; but alas! that though some are set at liberty, what shall we do for the rest that still remain in bonds? especially in this, that is so strong, a false persuasion that you are already free, and false hopes that you shall be for ever saved. Sirs, the stronger is your false hopes, the greater is poor Ministers true and real sorrow; and the more you hope for heaven upon such slender grounds, the more we do despair of being instruments to help you out; the more confident we see you to be that you are not in bondage, the more discouragement it is unto us;

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