Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety

1. Freemen have their spiritual eye-sight restored unto them. When Christ opens the prison-doors to let the Captives out, he doth also open their eyes, to let them see that in sin, in God, in Christ, in grace and ⟨p. 199⟩holiness, that before they never saw. That the redeemed Captive crieth out, Oh I never thought my heart had been so bad, so bad, so very bad as now I see it is: I never thought, that sin had been so vile, so very vile, and so deformed as now I plainly see it is: I never thought that Christ was so excellent, and so necessary, so absolutely necessary for me, as now I see he is; Oh methinks he is now altogether lovely, altogether desirable after I have had a view of the beauty and the excellency of Christ, methinks all the glory of the world, and all the delights in pleasure and sin is darkened, and doth vanish and disappear. Oh how was I blinded in my captivity, that I never saw the excellency of Christ, and deformity of sin till now, Isa. 42.6. Act. 26.18, 23. Col. 1.3. Rev. 3.18.

2. When Christ breaks the bonds wherewith poor Captives were held, he also breaketh their hearts that they have been kept and held thereby in the service of Satan and sin, from God and Christ so long. As the eye doth see and weep, so the heart doth consider, and bleed, and grieve at the remembrance of his former folly and sin. Oh what did I do to sin against this blessed, gracious, merciful God! Oh what did I mean so long to stop mine ears against all ⟨p. 200⟩the calls, and wooings, and entreatings of this Lord-Redeemer, who was so kind to suffer, bleed, and dye for such a wretch as I, for such a wretch as I, for such a rebellious, disobedient, and delaying wretch as I. Oh there is no love like his, there is no mercy like to his, there is no kindness like to his! Oh why did I slight him so much, so long, so very much, so very long as I have done! Oh what a fool was I, to prefer the world, the pleasures and the profits of the world, before this blessed Redeemer! Oh what a beast was I, to prefer my very lusts and sins, and the service of the Devil, before this glorious, gracious Saviour, and the serving of him that died to deliver me from my bondage! O Lord I am grieved that ever I did so; it is the burden and the breaking of my heart that ever I did so; Oh now I could wash my self in tears at the remembrance of my folly and my madness! but if I should, that will not wash me from my guilt, and from my filth; and because that would not do, this blessed Saviour shed his blood for the cleansing of me from my guilt and my pollution. I weep but not enough; my heart is troubled, but not enough, my Soul is humbled within me, but not enough, for so great rebellion against, and slighting of this Lord Redeemer. But I am troubled