N03999:73
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.
Liberty to the Captives. › Chapter 4: The Second Chain is Prejudice.
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. What if the reason of their Sorrow be because they can do no more for God and Christ, by way of thankfulness to him, who hath done so much for them as of bond-slaves to make them free? that God should give his own only Son, and Christ should give himself, his life, his soul, his blood for a random to bring them out of ⟨p. 54⟩their captivity; to deliver them from hell and wrath to come, and make them that were the other day in bondage, and liable to damnation, now meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light; and yet that they can honour him no more, might be the reason of their sorrow.
4. What if the reason of their sorrow be, because they see so many still remain in bonds, so many still continue servants to the Devil, and to sin, and do refuse to serve and live unto the blessed, holy, glorious God? and is not this matter of sorrow indeed to see the Devil leading precious and immortal Souls captive unto hell? that men should be so forward to follow the Devil, their Destroyer unto eternal torments, and so backward to follow Christ, the only Saviour unto eternal joys? these are mourning not that they are made free, but because you and so many more remain captives to the Devil.
5. What though the reason of their sorrow be for their sin which they did commit when they were bondslaves to the Devil, doth this discommend holiness, to bewail wickedness, or is this for the credit and the commendation of your sinful way of life, that men that are serious and have their eyes opened, do see so much evil in it, that they ⟨p. 55⟩think they can never lament it enough? certainly it doth disgrace the way of sin.