A36315:353
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.
3. Christ knew most certainly that he should pay undoubtedly the Debt of all, he became a Surety for. Many men are Sureties for others, hoping ⟨p. 194⟩they shall never be called upon for the Debt, but that the Debtor will pay it himself; some will be bound for a man, whom they judg to be worth as much as they owe and more too; but if it be a poor man, not worth one farthing, and his debt be thousands, Who will then become Surety for him? a Prisoner he is, and so he is like to be: and if any become bound for another, and pay the debt for him▪ what trouble doth this cause unto him? it breaks his sleep & he is displeased with himself, that ever he entered into Bond, and saith it shall be a warning to me, while I live, how I become a Surety for another; I thought him able enough, else I would not have brought my self into such snares.
3. Christ knew most certainly that he should pay undoubtedly the Debt of all, he became a Surety for. Many men are Sureties for others, hoping ⟨p. 194⟩they shall never be called upon for the Debt, but that the Debtor will pay it himself; some will be bound for a man, whom they judg to be worth as much as they owe and more too; but if it be a poor man, not worth one farthing, and his debt be thousands, Who will then become Surety for him? a Prisoner he is, and so he is like to be: and if any become bound for another, and pay the debt for him▪ what trouble doth this cause unto him? it breaks his sleep & he is displeased with himself, that ever he entred into Bond, and saith it shall be a warning to me, while I live, how I become a Surety for another; I thought him able enough, else I would not have brought my self into such snares.
But all this was known to Christ, when he did become our Surety. He knew our beggary and our poverty, and that we could not contribute the smallest mite, towards the satisfaction to be made in order to the freeing of the Captives from their Bondage; and he knew that God would not spare him, but exact the utmost from him, and yet he did voluntarily undertake our ransom. Oh what love was this!