A36315:361
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.
Fifthly, Consider, That God was pleased to accept of the undertaking of Christ, and what he hath laid down for your ransom from captivity. God might have exacted the debt from man that did owe it. It is a voluntary act for a man to become a surety, no man is to be compelled to it; and it is a voluntary act of the creditor to accept of such a surety, they are both free and at their choice; but when the one offers himself to become bound, and the other doth accept of his suretyship, then is the debtor or prisoner relieved.
Fifthly, Consider, That God was pleased to accept of the undertaking of Christ, and what he hath laid down for your ransom from captivity. God might have exacted the debt from man that did owe it. It is a voluntary act for a man to become a surety, no man is to be compelled to it; and it is a voluntary act of the creditor to accept of such a surety, they are both free and at their choice; but when the one offers himself to become bound, and the other doth accept of his suretiship, then is the debtor or prisoner relieved.
It was free love in Christ to become our Redeemer; it was grace in God to accept of Christs ransom for us. The Son might have said, Man hath sinned, why should I suffer? man hath deserved the wrath of God, let him undergo it: And the Father might have said, Man hath transgressed ⟨p. 198⟩my Law, and violated my Covenant, and I will make him suffer for it; they have brought themselves into bonds of misery, and they shall lie therein, and they that sinned, themselves shall die. Oh wonder then at this blessed agreement between the Father and the Son, for the bringing forth poor Souls in Bondage from their Captivity.
Seventhly, From all the former it follows, the Salvation of such as are made free, is sure and certain. Heaven now belongeth unto you; and the glory above you have a title to; Doth Satan object against you, that you have sinned, and deserved to lie in everlasting Chains, you might reply: it is true, but Christ is my Surety and Redeemer, and hath set me free? Doth the Law or Conscience accuse you, you might answer all from the Ransom of your Redeemer. Do you fear the Justice of God, why your Debt is paid by your Surety, and then the Debtor cannot be cast into Prison. The Surety and the Debtor in Law are but one Person, and the Surety is liable to make satisfactory payment,