86 ephefians,Chap.i. V E R.7. rfe. under the power of the Devill, a Tim. a. to be taken as beats alive ofthe Devil!, to hiswill ; not that he is the principal! Lord that hath right in the prifoner, but he is the Jáylor and executioner, and fo the prifoners are his, tokeepe them in the dungeonofdarknell"e, and in the chaynes of lufts ofdarkneffe : Yea, God hath put a man under the power ofhis Confcience,which is a keeper,continually going with him and haling him to condemnation, while he isout of Chrift ; and there- fore that effeét which the fpirit worketh through the Law, in the Con- fcience fearing, is called a iirit ofbondage : As among(' the Romans, prifoners had under - keepers, who were chayned arme to arme unto the prifoner whither foever he went ; Thus doth God, to guilty man hisprifoner, hedoth joyne tohim his confcience, as a continpall keeper, which though it may be brought afleepe, yet it (hall ever be foundwhenGod (hallcall,bringing himforth,&witnefling again(' him. For the fecond : Natural! man hath no fpirituall liberty to doe any thing fpiritually good, as he did before finie entred, but is led asa flave by !Lifts, bypaf(ions, by objet is which pleafe him, fo that he is ina bruti(h bondage : for, even as the bruit beat hath noliberty, but is carried by the appetite to every thing that Bothagree; fo natural! men, as Peter fpeaketh, are led with fenfuality, covetoufneffe ; that looke as one would leada fheep with holding out hay oryvie, an oxe with fod- der carriedbefore it ; fodoth the devil! natural! man, with fuch objeéts as he knowethdoth fit their corruption,2Pet. 2.19. Every one if fervant to himofwhom he is overcome; Now finnehath overcome all men, and this Paul did confeffeof himfelfe before hisconverfion,rit. 3.3. Naturall mans bondage is, that he is expofed to fuffer a thoufand evils, to wearifome vanity in every thing, yea through feare ofdeath the upfhotofevils, he is fubjelt to bondage all his dates, while in that Late he abideth,Hebr. s. rç. Pharaoh didnever put Ifrael to fuch hard fer. vices,as the Devill putteth thofeto,whom he keepeth underhis power; Youmay amplifiethefe confiderations: Hauing (hewed what itis,and in what it tandeth, I will conclude thispoint with (hewinghow it entred. Our fir(' parentsby theDevill tempted,wilfully breaking Gods com- mandement, broughtthemfelves into bondage :Now our Parents once inbondage, we that are borne of them cannot be in better condition, till God by his Chrift, outof hismeeregrace,fet us free : The children, you know, ofperfons inbondage, are all bondmen likewife ; Partusfe- quitur ventrum. This Mould make us enter into our felves, to fee if we be not in this wofull thraldome : O ! the mifery of men furpaffethall that is in the beat; for they take it as a grievous thing to be enfnared and taken, but man laugheth in midt of his bondage, he counteth it liberty to live a Lave of Satan ; they thinke that to follow things and courfes pleafing their nature is liberty,though it be nomore liberty then an Oxe is in, while with fodder held before him, he is led to the place where he is to be flaughtered. Againe, they know, nor thinke no- thing of bondage : When Chrift told them, gas Somit fet youfree, you
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