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prifon to the day of execution, which they know not how foon it may be appointed, how foon death may lead out the prifoner to have the fentence fully executed upon him.—I go on to,

Queft. 3. In what condition are natural men as prifoners in this their natural ftate ?-Their condition is moft difmal; for,

:

(1.) They are under the wrath of God, as the malefactor put in prison is under the wrath of his judge. Hence it is faid, Eph. ii. 3. "And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." A natural state is a ftate of wrath. God bears a legal enmity against thee as long as thou art out of Chrift. There is a black cloud of wrath which always hovers over the head of the natural man, and never will fcatter till he be a new creature. God is ever angry, never pleafed with him Pfal. vii. 11. "God is angry with the wicked every day."His perfon is not acceptable to God: Pfal. v. 5. "The foolish' fhall not ftand in his fight, and he hateth all the workers of iniquity." Nor are his performances acceptable to God, Ifa. lxvi. 3. God will have no communion nor fellowfhip with him: Amos, iii. 3. " Can two walk together except they be agreed?" There is wrath in his word, his looks, and difpenfations towards him.

(2) They are both under the dominion of the law, and alfo under the the lafh of it: Gal. iii. 10. "For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curte, for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them." It has him as fast in its hands as ever a prifoner was. It has him by the neck, faying, Pay what thou oweft; and will never quit the hold through the ages of eternity, unless he get the Surety that is able to take it off

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his hand. Its demands are high, quite above his reach; perfect fatisfaction for what is past; perfect obedience for what is to come. It is a mercilefs creditor, and will abate thee nothing. As long as thou art in its power, (and that is as long as thou art in this prison), thou must lay thy account with the payment of the utmost farthing. What though the fentence is not speedily executed? a reprieve is no pardon, Deut. xxxii. 35.

(3.) They are under the power of Satan, as the keeper of the prifon, Acts, xxvi. 18. He has a commanding and a reftraining power over them,. 2 Tim. ii. 26. "They are in the fnare of the devil, and taken captive by him at his will." They cannot move out without the bounds of his jurifdiction, more than the prifoner out of the dungeon. It is true, Satan keeps not all alike close, fome have the liberty of the form of godlinefs, on account of which, they reckon themselves fecure as to the goodness of their state, and by this delufion they are held the fafter in his hands.

(4.) They are in a moft uncomfortable condition. If a perfon was in a palace as a prifon, it would be uncomfortable; far more in this cafe, the pit wherein is no water has nothing to refresh the foul, Zech. ix. 11. It is true, moft natural men are ftupid, they confider it not; they are blind, and they fee not the fhadow of death about them. But when once their eyes are opened, there is no more rest for them there; they cry, "What fhall we do to be faved?" They fee the filthy prifongarments of unmortified, unpardoned fins about them, which they can no longer wear at ease. The fcanty allowance of the prifoner's diet, unbleffed mercies, which can ferve for nothing but to keep in the wretched life till the day of execution.

(5.) They

(5.) They have no fecurity for a moment's safety; but if their eyes were opened, they would fee themselves every moment in hazard of dropping into the pit of hell; fee the natural man's cafe, Pfal. vii. 1.-16. He is ever standing before God's bent bow, and has nothing to fecure him for a moment from the drawing of it. He is condemned already, and the fentence is paft; no day known for the execution, uncertain but every day the dead-warrant may be given out against him, and he led forth to execution. What can he fee to put it off, but long abufed patience which will wear out at length?

(6.) They are fo fecured, that they can never get away without fatisfaction for their debts and crimes. There is no breaking this prison. Sooner may bars of iron and gates of brass be got over, than a prisoner can get out of the state of wrath without fatisfying the demands of the law. And therefore the finner will die in this prifon, if he come not to Chrift. There is no getting out of this pit but by the blood of the covenant.

For the improvement of this part of the subject,-O! Sirs, be concerned to look to the state of fin in this glafs, and be ye duly affected with it, as the matter requires. Confider, finner, where you are, and in what condition.-Is the ftate of fin a prifon-state? Then who are the men that walk at liberty? Is it not these whofe confciences are purged by faith in Chrift, whofe guilt is removed, who walk after the Spirit, and lead a holy, heavenly, circumfpect life? Or is it thofe who, fcorning to be bound up to the rules of a holy walk, can stretch their confciences at their pleasure, and take to themselves a finful liberty, which others dare not for their fouls, who can laugh at thofe things for which others mourn, and follow their

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lufts to the ruin of their fouls? Truly no. All that finful liberty which thofe do take, and all the pleafures which they have in it, is but the rattling of the chains of the devil's prifoners, while they go up and down in their prifon.-Is the itate of fin a ftate in which ye can quietly fleep another night? It is a Sodom on which fire and brimftone will come down. Hafte ye, and escape for your life. Ah! finner, canft thou be at ease in a ftate of wrath? The world, it may be, fmiles upon thee; it may be that it frowns; but what of either of thefe, while God is angry with thee every day? Thou haft perhaps fomething for many years for thy body, it may be nothing; but what fecurity haft thou for thy foul, when death fhall call thee hence, thou knoweft not how foon? -Is the work of converfion to God a flight bufinefs, about which perfons are under fmall neceffity to trouble their heads? Surely it is a moft weighty business, which, if it be not done, there is nothing at all done for eternity. Let men in an unconverted. ftate put on what appearances of religion they will, perform what duties they will, they are but dead works, wrought in Satan's prifon, and leave the worker in a ftate of death. Turn, turn ye, then, from your fins unto God, cry for regenerating fanctifying grace, reft not till you get it. Will you not eagerly embrace the offer made you in the proclamation of opening the prifon to thefe that are bound? Chrift is come to your prifon-door, offering by his blood and Spirit to set you free. Are you willing to come away? or are you fo in love with your prifon as not to care for deliverance.--We are,

II. To mention the bands, chains, and fetters,

with which unconverted finners are bound in the prifon of a natural ftate. Thefe are twofold, God's and Satan's.-There are,

1. God's bands, for they are his prisoners; and these are heavier than the heavieft irons ever were on prisoners; for,

(1.) There are bands of guilt and the curfe on them all, by which the law binds them over to wrath, Gal. iii. 10. Guilt is a bond binding over the finner to deserved punishment. The curfe of the law devotes him to deftruction. These, worse than iron fetters, enter into the foul; and while they lie on perfons, they cannot ftir out of the prifon, nor make their efcape. No fooner is the foul awakened to feel them, than it feels them heavier than can be borne.

(2.) There are the bands of judicial hardness on fome. Those with whom the Lord has been long dealing, who will not hear, but harden themfelves against calls, warnings, and reproofs; many times the Lord judicially hardens them, makes hardness of heart their punishment, as it is their fin; recals the motions of his Spirit, Hof. iv. 17. "Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him alone." He gives them over, faying, " He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy ftill," Rev. xxii. 11.; he gives them up to their own lufts, Pfal. lxxxi. 12. " So I gave them up unto their own hearts luft; and they walked in their own counfels ;" and he gives them up to Satan to harden them, 2. Cor. iv. 4. "He hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, thould fhine unto them." So that under the most foftening means they grow worse and worse, harder and harder, Isa. vi.、 VOL. III.

9. 10.

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