Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety

4. It is a plenary and full Captivity; all the Sinner is in bondage, not only the will, but all the powers and affections of the soul; so that there is nothing in him free. If a man be in bondage to men, his thoughts might be free, and his affections might be ⟨p. 163⟩free to love God, to delight in God, to desire after God. But satan's captives have no freedom to any thing that is spiritually good and pleasing unto God; therefore this is a sore bondage.

5. These captives are Children of the Wrath of God; whereas others that are Captives to men, might be Children of the Love of God; as they love and delight in God when they be in chains, so God may love and delight in them. If a man's outward condition be never so bad, yet he might comfort himself with the thoughts of God's love to him; though I be in prison, yet God loves me; and though I be in chains, yet God loves me: But the Devil's Captives do not love God, nor are beloved by him. A love of good-will God hath had to many of these Captives, a love of Purpose to do them good in delivering them from their bonds; but a love of complacency and delight, so that God should take pleasure in you while you are voluntarily and totally the Devil's Slaves and Servants, there is not in God towards you. O did you but know the Wrath of God, the Fury of the Lord, what it is, how great, how intolerable; Could you please your selves in that condition in which you are the objects of his ⟨p. 164⟩wrath? As there is no love like to the love of God; so there is no wrath like to the wrath of God; therefore that Condition (be it what it will) is not so bad in which you may be the object of God's love, as that condition is in which you are and must be the objects of his wrath.