The Preface. it i; tt common OhjeflioJJ, That to live in 4/l thingJ according to Rule, to walk cir ~ cumfPt:C.lly a~d exaB:l!,. to. be confi?'d to t he narrow wa~'· wit~ not only infrir.ge, brtt dej/roJ our LtbmJ. 1htS u fo pmtou<a po/Je/lion, that Mm Wtll def<nd thtir LibmJ Wttl1 thur_ f_tve_J : An mgen~0111 Perfon 1vt!l TAfher wear a pl~tn Garment of his OIV» · than . A ruh Ltv.ery , the ~Ark of .!urvitude. Br't if Mm wt!i appeal t~ their 1Jnder~ fland~ngs •. they IVtfl clearly .difcern that the wora, Liberty, is_ Abu/d, to gtve tormtenance to L1Cmtlou/11t{s. 1'here u a free (ubjet1ion, and a fervtle ftberty: Tke Appojlle tells the R?man~, W~tn ye wcr~ the fervants of Sin, ye were free from ~1ghteoufnefs; and be111g made free from Stn, ye became the fervams of Rightcoufnefs. The Soul !w two Facttlties, the Vndtrjfanding •nd Will ' The Objec1 of the Vnder. fl.ang ·ng u Truth, tith~r tn t~ {elf, or appear~nu; ~he Obje{f ~~the Jtf_'t(l is Goodnrj! !ltfgr real or cormurf~u. Ltberty ~ ratA't~AII'! tn the ~nderflandmg, whtch fru!y dd16e~ ratts, and bJ comJMrattve Co11jideratton, dtrdls the Pl't!l to choo{e Good before Evil; ani. of Good the greJttr, and of C."'!il the le(s. Wbtn t/;e Vndtrjlanding ". {11DJ i/111minattd of thr ab{olutt Goodnt{s of an Objtll., wuhout tbt leajl mixture of Evtl, and repre{ents tt to the Wt!l, lt u an at1 retrograde tn Nt~lt#rt, and tJtttrly rtpugnant to tlu Rational A ppttiu, to rejert it. The indr/ference of the Will proueds from fome difetls in the Objefl, "' in the apprehenfton of it ; br1t wlun an infinilt Good i4 dulr repre{tmed to the 1'Vtll, tl;e choice is moft clear and free . Of this thae is an iU"ftriotu Example in the Life of Mof<s; He refufed to be called the Son of Ph.roh's Daughter; chooling rather to fulfer Aflltcbon With the people of God, than to enJoy the pleafures of Sin for a foafon, Eltceming the reproach of Chrill, greater Riches than the treafures of Egypt : For he had an Eye to the recompence of Reward. His inligtmed Mind <onftderately p~ndrr'~ the Er:rnal Hew11rd wttiJ the tranfiaJt pt:afure of Sm, and bin 'Judg. ment rvtU t nftu:~tve on lm 111t!l, to choofe the glortotl4 l'rJIMifJ, before the j41{e Lr~flre of r/;e Court. ~ bar U the f.OodiJ appearance of the pre{enr tempting fVorld, but like the R.zinbmv, painted Tear!? The J;r:a:v.enly Pt!ic1t1 if {r1bjlantial tt ~, d (atiJfjing. . \Vhere the Spirit of t he Lord is, there IS L<berry.. He dtfltls the d.rkne/s of tb · Mmd, and bJ its illt1minating guidance, turns the l!fliD to acupt and _embrace tho{e Obidls that excwl· ingly {ati;jie its vafl defire! and &dpacity. I his i1. an emmtnt p11rt of 1he divine bmtgt engraven on the Sor~J tn tts Creatron 7 For God u f~'llerti.[!,nly free an~ does all things according to the Counfel of his Wil l. O,r Se ..vrtude 1v.u b, /:leduflzon; Eve being deceived, was in the Tnmfgreffion. OM Libnry U nflor'd by Light ;. The Truth m akes us fr ee The neu/lity that procuds from exurnal Compr~ljion, and from the in· deliberatt and Jlrong {way of Nature, that dettrmil'itJ to one thing , U inconjijlent with Liberty. The 'Underjlandinx U a free fa cult1 ;., the apprehmfion of Obje{is , the Wit~ {rte in the efe{/ion of them : But in the con{tqucnt cho;u of the WiU, that inf~tl!tb!J procuds from Light and Love, the rerfr.'!ion .of its {rtedom conftfls. V.'htn God Af)(i hU ( ommands are dsiJ reprt{ nted in thetr amtable c.xcelltncies, the L()7)t of the L aw· giver, and hU La1'S, certain/7 produa~ Obedtt~!ce to it wi~h Choice a~d Complacency. David exprejfes IU A/Jtl!ion to the Dtvine Lmv, and the prmcip~>l motive of it, I love thy Law, btcaufe 'us pure. As the Ha.nds are free zvhen they are diretled by the Eyes and M' t!l; fo a Saint, tha~ IVi~h tmderjlanding and -r.:olrmtarj ~tneration !vor{hips God , :~~:.:"~, ~::: ;.:de:!l .:~ ~:f; ·~:~OI;~b~~h 1!br~~: refio~;:'so~'~:~~~ ~~~'it~, a;:U ·=~ifr::tj~~:~: Deodl: re~nl Freedorr. and J<'eluuy are in{eperabie: Servitr~de u the fatal concomitAnt of Vice. When ~:·po~~.v~~UM a Phi!ofopher IV.U a;k d ' wh4t ttdvantaf!.e he had obtain'd b, the Stt#dJ of Philofopby, F ~:''~j;; to~fo1';t;e ~ h~sntf~~~~ ,0~~~~srdin~,t~ i:h:~~~~11~sL;f"~e~:~~y c:~~el~~~e~y;~~;o~~f~~:~ wltao .A ChrifliaD that lhf4 an imv ~rd frinctp!e of Otvine /(liOIJJlttlge and Love' withor~t t.he co»jJra ;nt of )"enal Laws, JVJO from A clear 'J~tdgment and E/eUion obey God wtlh dtbgb• and conflancy. . . . 1'bere u a {ervile Lzbert1. There drt three rm(lal:eJ 111 t he H1orld of erernal de· jlrt1&1ive con(upunce to the Sor1ls of J11en; conce~nin~ . "'flt{dom 1md FoUJ, HAppinefs and Mi{ery, Lzhtrt1 and Servitude.. Some are {eemtng IVI(t, whofo Ignorance U ejlum,d 'Ju4r.· ment: Such Are the worldiJ wife, who contrive and IAbo11r . to l~y up treafurts for themfcl ves here, but are not rich towards God. Ottr tl'avtottr gtves them tt trHe Cho~· rafler, They are Fools. Others Are ejletmed hapf1 in mjoyin?. tvh~t ~hq IO'V_,e ; . where:# if they {et their Love 11pon tho{t Objdls tbatdt{ervt.not that prmrtpal .A!Jdft~n~ but are perniciom to their .sor~ls. they are tru/1 miferable 11! the fr!u:t~n of them: Tu the ftgn of God's fevere difpleaf•re t• give men up to famfic tllClr vde Atfechons Somt are feeming free, >Vbofe Bondage is ejlmn'd Libm7. Carnal Min prefume. ofthm Ltbmy, be:aufe thry f ollow t he fwinge of their .dppetttes' But they ferve d1vers Lfl~:ru~~~
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