N03999:271
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.
1. Believers by Christ are free to a state of friendship and favour with God. As there is a freedom betwixt friends, so there is betwixt God and his redeemed by Christ, that are partakers of the benefits of his redemption; from a state of enmity to a state of friendship and reconciliation; God is no more your enemy, nor you any longer enemies to God, a peace is made by Christ betwixt God and your souls, and this is a firm and lasting an everlasting peace, Col. 1.20, 21. Now with comfort thou mayest conclude, though men do hate me, yet God ⟨p. 194⟩doth love me; though men are my enemies, yet God is my friend, my surest and my safest friend.
2. By Christ Believers are free to a state of Justification, the righteousness of Christ is freely imputed to them. That as the Devil's Captives are under the imputation of Adam's disobedience, so the Lord's free-men are under the imputation of Christ's righteousness and obedience, Rom. 5.19. 2 Cor. 5.21; and you are free to trust to, and to plead the righteousness of Christ for your Justification in the sight of God.
3. By Christ believers are made free to a state of Sonship, and the privilege of Adoption. Of Slaves you are become not only Servants but Sons; of the children of the Devil, are become the children of God; of the children of God's wrath, the children of his love. Men may redeem Captives but do not adopt them for their children, but all that Christ redeems, have the liberty to become the Sons of God,