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86
ephefians,Chap.i.
V
E
R.7.
rfe.
under
the power
of
the
Devill,
a
Tim.
a.
to be taken
as
beats
alive
of
the Devil!, to
his
will
;
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,
to
keepe
them
in
the dungeon
of
darknell"e,
and
in
the
chaynes
of
lufts
of
darkneffe
:
Yea, God hath put
a
man under the
power
of
his
Confcience,which
is a
keeper,continually going with
him
and haling
him to condemnation, while
he
is
out
of
Chrift
;
and there-
fore
that
effeét
which the
fpirit
worketh
through the Law,
in
the
Con
-
fcience
fearing,
is
called
a
iirit
of
bondage
:
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 his
prifoner, he
doth joyne to
him
his
confcience,
as a
continpall
keeper,
which though it
may be
brought
afleepe,
yet
it
(hall ever be
found
when
God
(hall
call,bringing him
forth,&
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
as
a
flave
by
!Lifts,
by
paf(ions,
by
objet is
which
pleafe
him,
fo
that
he
is
in
a
bruti(h
bondage
:
for,
even
as
the bruit
beat
hath no
liberty,
but
is
carried by
the
appetite
to every thing that
Both
agree;
fo
natural! men,
as Peter
fpeaketh,
are
led with fenfuality, covetoufneffe ; that looke
as
one would
lead
a
fheep
with holding out
hay
or
yvie,
an
oxe with
fod-
der
carried
before it ;
fo
doth the
devil! natural!
man,
with
fuch objeéts
as
he knoweth
doth
fit
their corruption,2
Pet.
2.19. Every
one
if
fervant
to
him
of
whom he
is
overcome;
Now
finne
hath overcome
all men,
and
this Paul
did confeffe
of
himfelfe before
his
converfion,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
of
death
the
upfhot
of
evils,
he
is
fubjelt
to bondage
all his dates,
while
in
that
Late he abideth,Hebr.
s.
r
ç. Pharaoh did
never put
Ifrael to
fuch hard fer.
vices,as
the Devill putteth
thofeto,whom
he
keepeth under
his
power;
You
may amplifiethefe confiderations: Hauing (hewed
what itis,and
in
what
it
tandeth,
I
will conclude thispoint with (hewing
how
it entred.
Our fir(' parents
by
the
Devill tempted,wilfully breaking Gods
com-
mandement, broughtthemfelves into bondage
:Now
our Parents
once
in
bondage,
we
that
are
borne
of
them cannot be
in
better
condition,
till
God by
his
Chrift,
out
of
his
meeregrace,fet
us
free
:
The
children,
you know,
of
perfons
in
bondage,
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 furpaffeth
all
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
you
free,
you