9. 10. These are fearful bands; but befides thefe there are,

2. The devil's bands, which he puts on his prifoners in their natural state, to fecure them, that they may not come out of it to Christ, may not be converted, may not be turned from their fins unto God. These are many; fuch as,

(1.) The band of prejudices. These are fo fixed on natural men, that Jefus fays, Matth. xi. 6. "Bleffed is he whofoever fhall not be offended in me." Satan dreffes up religion and true holinefs in fuch a monstrous fhape, that they are af frighted at it, they cannot wish it, they can never get a heart to it; and therefore they entertain Chrift's meffage, as Nabal did David's, 1 Sam. xxv. 11. 'Shall we,' fay they, give up with that pleasant or profitable way, in which we are, and betake ourfelves to a way that must needs be a continual wearinefs? This is a strong band, but when the eyes are opened, and God's ways are tried in earneft, it would break like an untwined thread : Prov. iii. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace." Come and fee. -There is,

(2.) The band of ill company. Satan does as the Romans did with fome of their prifoners, he binds his prifoners together, fo that one helps to hold faft another, to their ruin: Prov. xiii. 20. “A companion of fools fhall be destroyed." Thus there are bundles of drunkards, fwearers, Sabbath profaners, defpifers of what is good, worldlings, to whom the world is the chief good; and every one of the bundle is a fnare to the foul of another. With an eye to this is the terrible fentence given, Matth. xiii. 30. "Gather ye together firft the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them." Therefore is the gospel-invitation, Prov. ix. 5. 6.

"Come,

"Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine. which I have mingled. Forfake the foolish, and live, and go in the way of understanding.",

There is,

3. The band of earthly-mindedness. This held them fast who were bidden to the gofpel-fupper, Luke, xiv. 16.-20. The wretched world had its bands on every one of them, fo that they could not stir to come. They must look to this and the other bufinefs, that they do not lofe their advantage; and while the devil's fervant is thus bufy here and there, looking well to this and that, the immortal foul, with the keeping of which God charges him, is loft. The pleafures of the world, like Syren fongs, arreft them like iron fetters covered with filk, these fecure them. The cares of the world, like a thicket, entangle them, they cannot get leifure for them to mind their fouls; and the weary earth ever interpofing betwixt them and the Sun of Righteoufnefs, they are thus kept in a dark prison.-There is,

4. The band of unbelief. This is fuch an one as no less than the arm of the Lord can take off; Ifa. liii. 1. “Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed ?" Men hear the word, but they do not believe it; they believe not the doctrine of the gospel, they count it foolishnefs, 1 Cor. i. 23. The promifes they do not believe, they count them but fair words, and will not quit their certainty in a finful courfe for the hope of them, Heb. iv. 1. 2. 11. The threatenings they confider as mere fcarecrows, and in spite of them promife themselves peace : Deut. xxix. 19. "And it fhall come to pafs, when he heareth the words of this curfe, that he bless himself in his heart, faying, I fhall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart,

Q. 24.

to

to add drunkenness to thirst." They believe not their need of Chrift, and therefore they flight and reject him.-There is,

5. The band of flothfulness. This ties down. the natural man in his prifon-bed, faying, Prov. vi. 1o. "Yet a little fleep, yet a little flumber, a little folding of the hands to fleep." It hangs fo heavy upon his legs, that he cannot move them in the way of God: Prov. xxvi. 13. "The flothful man faith, There is a lion in the way." "A lion is in the streets, yet his feet are swift to evil," Ifa. lix. 7. This band is fo heavy on his head, that he cannot lift up his eyes; and on his hands,

that he cannot lift them to his mouth for his foul's behoof: Prov. xxvi. 15. «The flothful hideth his hand in his bofom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth." This is a hellish gulph on earth, that fwallows up convictions, refolutions, motions of good, and the like. They could be content to be better, if God would work with them as with stocks and ftones, which are at no pains for their own polifhing. They can spend whole days, and even nights, for the world and for their lufts; but to spend a day, or a confiderable part of a day, in clearing their accounts, and laying down their measures for eternity, this is what they cannot be troubled with.-There is,

This held Felix faft, on him were like to When trembling un

6. The band of delays. when the rest of the bands give way, Acts, xxiv. 25. der Paul's preaching, he faid, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee." The prifoners, many of them, are not refolved not to come out, only they put it off, refolving to do it afterwards. The young put it off till they be old, the old till death come to their bed-fide. Some make one refolution, and

fome

fome another, to turn to the Lord; and though the time comes which they had fet, yet they ftill put it off again to another time; and fo on, till death comes at length, and sweeps them off, ere they have power to execute their good purposes.There is,

7. The band of delusion: Ifa. xliv. 20. "He feedeth on afhes; a deceived heart hath turned him afide, that he cannot deliver his foul, nor fay, Is there not a lie in my right-hand ?"--They are under a fearful delufion as to their state, like Laodicea, Rev. iii. 17. "Because thou fayeft, I am rich, and increafed in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked." As one is refused admission by mistake, so Christ is often kept at the door; for the poor deluded finner thinks he is in already.-They abide fast in the gall of bitterness, because they imagine themfelves to be got out of it already. They remain. unconverted, because they reckon themfelves already converted. This is a moft dangerous cafe, which should stir us all up to an impartial examination of our state: Ifa. l. 11. « Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compafs yourselves about with fparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks which you have kindled. This ye fhall. have of mine hand, ye fhall lie down in forrow." -There is,

Laftly, The band of divers lufts: 2 Tim. iii. 6.. "Laden with fins, led away with divers lufts." They are laden with them, as ever a prisoner was with irons, fo that by them Satan holds them fast. Unmortified lufts crawl up and down, preying on their fouls, and keeping them in a state of death. They hang about them, crying, Give, give, fo that they can get nothing done to purpofe for eter

O 3

nity..

nity. And fo many unmortified lufts as there are about a man, Satan has so many handles to hold him by. A luft of covetoufness, of pride, sensuality, and the like, will hold a man fast.

This part of the subject may be improved in an ufe of lamentation.

This is a lamentation, and may be for a lamentation, over all the unconverted, as bound men in the prison of a natural ftate. Thou art little concerned with it, but the mifery of the cafe deferves tears of blood. For--thou art laid up in custody at the inftance of God's law and justice, as a debtor and criminal. As a debtor, thou shalt not be let out till thou haft paid the utmost farthing. But, alas! thou haft nothing wherewith to pay; men and angels cannot help thee; their united ftock is not fufficient to pay off the debt of fin. As a criminal, thou canst not be let out, till thou abide thy trial; and terrible will it be whenever God calls thee to it; when thy indictment is read, and thou art tried for thy life according to law, what canft thou fay? thy crimes are undeniable. -Thou canst not get out by force or fraud, flight or might. Thou art God's prifoner, as the offended party. What canft thou do or fay that is not known to him who fees all things? Whither canft thou flee, where his hand will not find thee out.-Thou art Satan's prisoner as thy jailor. He has malice enough to prompt him to watch and keep thee, power enough to hold thee ftill. His iron-bands and chains are upon thee in the prisonhouse, how canft thou escape? Look to the bands on thee in the prifon; look on them, and mourn, and lament thy cafe. There are bands on thee of God's laying on, and who but he then can take them off? for he fhutteth, and no man can open, Rev. iii. 7. Thou art bound under the curfe of

the