en's
souls, as if there were no light about us. Certainly this declares the
height of enmity, the strength of the opposition. This prison of your
minds is a stronghold indeed, that is proof of all preaching or
instruction, and certainly they will hold out, till almighty power storm
them, and beat or batter open some entry in your souls to receive this
shining light of the gospel.

Then, there is a rebellion of the will against God's holy will revealed in
his law or word, it cannot be subject to the law of God. It neither is nor
can, for enmity and antipathy is sunk into its nature so, that it is the
most deformed monstrous thing in the world, if the disfigured face of
man's soul were visible, O how ugly were it! How would you loathe it! If
there were a creature that could do nothing but hate itself and sought its
own destruction, that were a hateful enough object. But self hatred and
enmity is nothing so deformed and abominable, as for the creature's will
to be set in opposition to the holy will of him that made it. It needs not
much demonstration this, if you had but a little more consideration. Look
back upon the tenor of your ways, set them beside the will and commands of
God, and what find you? Whether agreement or disagreement? Take a view of
the current of your inclinations and affections, and compare that with the
holy will of God, and what find you? Friendship or enmity? You cannot
digest the reproach of that, to be called enemies to God, but I pray you
consider if there be not as perfect contrariety in your desires,
affections, inclinations, and actions to the will of God as if you did
profess it. What would you do if you professed yourselves enemies to God?
Could you possibly vent your enmity any other way than this, in
withdrawing from the yoke of his obedience, in revolting from that
allegiance you owe to him? You could wrong him no further than by setting
your hearts and ways contrary to his heart and ways in loving what he
hates and hating what he loves. For his own blessed being you could not
impair it. Now, consider if that be not acted as really as if you did
profess it. Can you say that cursing, swearing, lying, railing, anger,
strife, envy, revenge, and such like works of darkness, are the things
which his soul loves? Are these suitable to his holy will? And yet these
are your inveterate customs, to which your natures are so inured and
habituated, that you can no more forsake them than hate yourselves.