A36315:210
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.
Though all this be good in it self, yet it doth not argue that thy condition is good, because it is not sufficient to salvation, forasmuch as God requireth this and something more; nay, much more than this that thou mayst be meet for Heaven: towards the breaking of this bond, Consider,
1. Negative holiness is not a ground of hope for future glory, nor a proof of a present good condition. Negatives in reference to affirmative Precepts will damn, but negatives in reference to forbidding Precepts will not save. There are commands of God enjoining you to repent, and believe, to pray and to forsake sin; your not repenting, not believing, will undo your souls; and there are commands enjoining you to be no drunkards, to be no swearers, not to defraud, nor over reach others in your dealings; now if you be no drunkards, yet if you are not believers you are still in Satan's bonds: you must not only not do evil, but you must also do that which is good. Isa. 1. 16, 17. Mat. 25. 42.
1. Negative holiness is not a ground of hope for future glory, nor a proof of a present good condition. Negatives in reference to affirmative Precepts will damn, but negatives in reference to forbidding Precepts will not save. There are commands of God enjoyning you to repent, and believe, to pray and to forsake sin; your not repenting, not believing, will undo your souls; and there are commands enjoyning you to be no drunkards, to be no swearers, not to defraud, nor over reach others in your dealings; now if you be no drunkards, yet if you are not believers you are still in Satans bonds: you must not only not do evil, but you must also do that which is good. Isa. 1. 16, 17. Mat. 25. 42.