'The Preface. Love, the perfection of its freedom con- fifts. VVhen God and his Commands are dimly reprefinted in their amiable excellen cies, the Love of the Lawgiver, and his Laws, certainly produces Obedience to it with Choice and Complacency. David ex preffes his Affection to the Divine Law, and the principal motive of it , I love thy Law, becaufe 'tis pure. As the Hands are free when they are directed by the Eyes and VVill ; fo a Saint, that with underftanding and voluntary veneration worjhips God , and obeys his Precepts , which is our reafonable Service, exer- ci f s and enjoys the trueft , frveetef , and molt honourable Liberty : If the Son make you free, ye are free indeed. Freedom and Felicity are infparable : Servitude is the fatal concomitant of Vice." VVhen a Philofopher ,tsk'd, what Advantage he had obtain'd by the Study of Philofoyhy, he replied, This among others, that if all the Laws were cancell'd, a Philofo- pher would live as uniformly, according to the Rules of Decency and Honefty, as before. A Chriftiln that hes an in- ward Principle of Divine K,norvledge and Love , without the confiraint of Penal Laws , will from a clear f udgment and Election obey God with delight and con- ftancy. There In regno nati fumus, parere Deo eft regna- re. In virtu- te pofita eft vera felicitas. Sen. de Vita Beata.
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