A36315:182
Captives bound in chains made free
Captives bound in chains made free by Christ their surety, or, The misery of graceless sinners and their recovery by Christ their saviour by T. Doolittle.
London: printed by A.H. for Tho. Parkhurst, 1674
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Believe me then, or believe rather Christ himself, that tells thee, without converting-grace thou shalt be damned, and except thou art converted do not hope thou art delivered ⟨p. 104⟩out of thy Captivity, or that thou shalt be saved, and so be befooled by the Devil, and thereby be kept still in bondage by him.
2. What if God should send an Angel from heaven to thee, and tell thee while thou art a drunkard swearer, profane, a liar, an hypocrite, a worldling, art unsanctified, Thou art a captive to the Devil, and abiding so, shalt not be saved? Wouldst thou after such a message from God by a glorious Angel, still hope thou art made free, and shalt be saved? Or would you then leave your sins, and look after Grace, and make it your business to get out of bondage? Why, if an Angel should come from Heaven, he would preach this Doctrine to you, the very same that is contained in the Word of God, or else a blessed Angel would be a cursed Creature, Gal. 1. 8. But behold, you have a surer and more certain way of knowing the mind of God, and that is the Scripture, 2 Pet. 1. 17, 18, 19. For if an Angel came from Heaven, you would be doubting whether he came from God or no; but that the Scripture is from God, we have plain, full, and undeniable reasons to believe; and the truth is, if you will not believe the Scripture, neither would you believe an Angel that should come from Heaven.
2. What if God should send an Angel from heaven to thee, and tell thee while thou art a drunkard swearer, profane, a lyar, an hypocrite, a worldling, art unsanctified, Thou art a captive to the Devil, and abiding so, shalt not be saved? Wouldst thou after such a message from God by a glorious Angel, still hope thou art made free, and shalt be saved? Or would you then leave your sins, and look after Grace, and make it your business to get out of bondage? Why, if an Angel should come from Heaven, he would preach this Doctrine to you, the very same that is contained in the Word of God, or else a blessed Angel would be a cursed Creature,