Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety

Remember, thou hadst better have thy body possessed by a thousand Devils, or torn by a thousand Devils into a thousand pieces, than to have thy precious soul led captive by the Devil, and held his Prisoner by the reigning power of any one lust whatsoever. Wilt thou think of this, It is thy Soul that is a Captive, and in bonds?

2. This captivity and bondage to Satan and to Sin, is worse than any other, in that these Captives are not sensible of their thraldom; do not lament themselves, nor bewail their own condition, though it be so bad, so very bad. The children of Israel did groan and sigh by reason of their bondage, Exod. 2.22. When Manasseh was bound with fetters, and carried captive to Babylon, he was sensible of the fetters on his body, that had before no sense of the bonds of sin, with which he was held in bondage by the Devil. And how do poor Captives sigh and groan under Turkish ⟨p. 160⟩slavery, and bitterly lament because of the hard usage they are under? And how do many Prisoners grieve and take on that they ever did that fact for which they are in Irons? Do men need to spend many hours, and make many long Orations, to convince a Captive amongst the Turks of the sadness of his condition there? But how many hours must a Minister spend in studying and in preaching, before these Captives can be brought to a sense of their own woeful and miserable condition? Before he can convince that indeed they are in this captivity? It is indeed but here and there one amongst a multitude that do see it, believe it, and bewail it. Who is witness of your groans, and of your tears? When did you complain to God or man of the fetters and the bonds of sin that have been so long upon your souls? When didst thou retire to thy Closet, and there lament thy woeful case? Is not this a dreadful case to be near to Hell, and not to see it? to be near to damnation, and not to fear it? to be led by the Devil in the chains of sin, to a place of torment, and to be not at all sensible whither you are going? Shall nothing but the flames of Hell convince thee of thy bondage? Wilt thou not believe the Devil is leading thee to Hell, till thou seest, and