188 ilgainfi Principalities. of thy life to be thy Liege Lord, how then comes this gretti change ? Satan furely would not of his own accord refigne his Crown and Scepter to Chrift ; and for thy fell thou wert nei- ther willing to renounce, nor able to refill his power : this then mull only be the fruit of Chrifis victorious armes, whom God bath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviours Alb 5. 3 i . Speak therefore, bath Chtift come to thee, as once Abraham to Lot, when prifoner to Kederlaomer,relcuing thee out ofSarans hands, as be was leading thee in chains of Witco hell ? Didft thou ever hear a voice from heaven in the Miniflery of the Word calling out to thee, as once toSaul, fo as to lay thee at Gods foot, and make thee face about for heaven, to ftrike thee blinde in thine own apprehenfion, who before hadft a good opinion of thy (late, to tame and meeken thee ; fo as now thou art willing to be led by the hand of a childe after Chrift? Did ever Chrift come to thee, as the Angel to Peter in priron, rowfing thee up, and not only caufing the chaines of darkneffe and flopidity to fall off thy minde and confcience, but make thee obedient alto, that the iron gate of thy Will bath opened to Chrift before he left thee ? then thou haft fomething to fay for thy freedome But if in all this I be a Barbarian , and the language I fpeak be Iirange, thou knoweit no fuch work to have paired upon thy fpirir, then thou art yet in thy old prifon ; can there be a change of Government in a Nationby a Conquerour that invades it, and the fubjeas not heare of this one King unthroned, and another crowned in thy locale, and thou hear no fall:lie all this while ? The regenerating Spirit is compared to the winde lobo 3.8. His firil attempts on the foule may he fo fecret, that the creature knows. not whence they come, or whither they tend ; but before he bath done, the foundwill be heard throughout the. 1 foule, fo as it cannot but fee a great change in it felf, and lay, I thatwas blinde,now I fee; I that was as hard as ice, now relent- ing for fin ; now myheart gives, I canmelt and mourne for it. I that was well enough without a Chrift,yea, did wonder what o- thersfain him,to make Inch a do for him,now have changed my note with the Daughters of 7erufalem.; and for whar,is your Be- loved (as.l fcornfully have ask't) I have learn't to ask where he is that Imight leek him with you. 0 foul ! canft thou fay 'tis chars with thee, thoumayeft know, who has been here ; no leffe then
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