N03999:169
Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety
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. Doolittel [sic]. ; [Three lines from Isaiah]
Boston: printed by Rogers & Fowle for J. Edwards, 1742
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. Another Chain wherewith many of these Captives are bound is their satisfying themselves with a moral blameless life; faith one, I live peaceably among my neighbours; I defraud no man, I am just in all my dealings; I give to every one their due; saith another, I am no drunkard, no swearer, no open profaner of Sabbaths, no man can lay any thing to my charge, nor say black is my eye. Many sinners rest here, and do persuade themselves their condition is good and do not think that they are in bondage to the Devil, and so do not look out after Redemption by Jesus Christ.
3. ANother Chain wherewith many of these Captives are bound is their satisfying themselves with a moral blameless life; faith one, I live peaceably among my neighbours; I defraud no man, I am just in all my dealings; I give to every one their due; saith another, I am no drunkard, no swearer, no open profaner of Sabbaths, no man can lay any thing to my charge, nor say black is my eye. Many sinners rest here, and do perswade themselves their condition is good and do not think that they are in bondage to the Devil, and so do not look out after Redemption by Jesus Christ.
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 ⟨p. 139⟩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.