a rotten and putrid Nature, by Reason of the corrupt Source from which it was derived.

495. All Freedom which is from the Lord is true effential Freedom, but that which is derived into Man from Hell is not Freedom, but Servitude; ftill however fpiritual Freedom muft needs appear like Servitude to one who is under the Influence of infernal Freedom, because they are in Oppofition to each other; neverthelefs all who are in the Enjoyment of fpiritual Freedom have not only a clear Knowledge, but also a clear Perception, that infernal Freedom is Servitude, on which Account the Angels hold it in the utmost Averfion, like the Stench arifing from a putrid Carcafe, whereas the infernal Spirts regale themselves with it as with an aromatic Perfume. It is an acknowledged Truth collected from the Word of the Lord, that Worship proceeding from a free Prin ciple is true and acceptable Worship, and that the Lord is well pleased with whatever is fpontaneous or voluntary, wherefore it is said in the Pfalms, "An Offering of a free Heart will I give thee," liv. 6; and in another Place," The Voluntary of the People are gathered together, the People of the God of Abraham," xlvii. 9. Hence amongst the Children of Ifrael fpontaneous or Free-Will Sacrifices were inftituted, and their facred Worship confifted principally in Sacrifices; for the fame Reason it was enjoined, "That every one whofe Heart firreth him up, and every one whom his Spirit made willing, Should bring the Lord's Offering to the Work of the Tabernacle," Exod. xxxv. 5, 21, 29; and the Lord faith, If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my Difciples indeed, and ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free; if the Son therefore fhall make you free, ye shall be free indeed," John viii. 31 to 37.

496. The Reason why thofe Things remain which are received from a free Principle is, because the Will of Man adopteth and appropriateth fuch Things to itself, in Confequence whereof they gain Admiffion into the Love, and the Love acknowledgeth them as it's own, and formeth and fashioneth itself thereby. This Circumftance may be illustrated by Comparisons taken from natural Things, fuppofing only that in the Place of Love we fiubftitute Heat. Now it is well

known, that by Means of Heat, and according to it's Degree, the Doors are opened in every Vegetable, and in Proportion as they are open, the Vegetable returns inwardly into the Form of it's proper Nature, and fpontaneously receiveth it's Nutriment, retaining what is fuitable and falutary to it, and thus growing to it's proper Perfection. The Cafe is the fame with Respect to the Brute Creation; whatever any of them choofeth, and eateth, by Virtue of the Love of Nutrition, which is called Appetite, that incorporates itself with them, and thereby remaineth and abideth; and the Reason of fuch an Incorporation of fuitable and falutary Subftances is, becaufe all Things that enter into the Compofition of the animal Body are in a perpetual State of Renovation; a Circumftance this, which is known only to a few. Heat alfo, in it's Action on the Brute Creation, openeth all Parts of their Bodies, and causeth their natural Love to act freely; and this is the Reason why in the Time of Spring and Summer they experience a Return of the Inftinct of Prolification, and Education of their Young, which Functions they perform with the utmoft Freedom, because they are Effects of that ruling Love implanted in them by Creation, for the Sake of preferving the Univerfe in it's created State. The Reason why Freedom of Love may be illuftrated by the Freedom occafioned by Heat, is, becaufe Love produceth Heat, as is evident from it's Effects in caufing Man to take Fire, grow warm, and burst out into a Flame, when the Love is exalted into Zeal, or kindled into Wrath; this is the true and only Source of the Heat of the Blood, or the vital Heat of Man, and in general of all Animals; and it is owing to this Correfpondence, that the bodily Organs, by Means of Heat, are adapted to receive fuch Things as the Love defires and feeks after. All the internal Parts of the human Body are in this fame Kind of Equilibrium, and confequent Freedom; the Heart in this State of Freedom impels it's Blood with an equal Force upwards and downwards, and the Mefentery it's Cycle; in a like State of Freedom the Liver, the Kidneys, and the Glands perform their feveral Operations of feparating, fecreting, and purifying the Blood, &c. fuppofing this Equilibrium fhould be affected, each Member would be difordered thereby, and would fuffer either a Paralyfis, or an Ataxy. Equilibrium

and Freedom are here confidered as one and the fame Thing; and there is not a Subftance to be found in the Universe of Creation, which hath not a Tendency towards an Equilibrium, in Order to it's being in a State of Freedom.

That the Will and the Understanding of Man enjoy this Freedom of Determination; but that a legal Reftraint is laid on evil Actions, both in the fpiritual and natural World, for the Sake of Society, which must otherwife of Neceffity perish.

497. Every Man may be convinced of the Freedom he enjoyeth in Regard to fpiritual Things, by attending only to his own Power of Thinking; for who is not at Liberty to think about God, about a Trinity, about Charity and his Neighbour, about Faith and it's Operation, about the Word of God, and all Things thence derived, and about every particular Part of Theology with which he is acquainted? And who hath not the Power to think, to determine, to teach, and to write, either in Favour of fuch Subjects, or against them? Suppofing this Freedom to be removed from Man but for a Moment, muft not his Thought inftantly ceafe, his Tongue be dumb, and his Hands hang down motionlefs? Wherefore, my Friend, if you are fo difpofed, you may, by attending only to your own Power of Thinking, reject and difavow that irreconcileable and damnable Herefy, which at this Day hath brought a Lethargy on Men's Minds, throughout all Chriftendom, in Regard to the heavenly Doctrine concerning Charity and Faith, Salvation and eternal Life. The following Reasons may ferve to fhew that this Freedom of Determination refideth in Man's Will and Understanding. 1. Because those two Faculties ought firft to be inftructed and reformed, and by Means of them the two Faculties of the external Man, whereby he fpeaketh and acteth. 2. Because those two Faculties of the internal Man conftitute his Spirit, which continueth to live after Death, and is fubject to no other than the Divine Law, the first Priciple of which requireth that Man fhould confider the Law, thould practife and obey it, as of himself, and yet from the Lord. 3. Becaufe Man with Refpect to his Spirit is in the Midft between Heaven and Hell,

TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

384 here veve the cloth test percein confequently between Good and Evil, and thereby in Equilibrium, which is the Cause and Source of the Free-Will he enjoyeth in fpiritual Things, as was fhewn above, No. 475; fo long however as he liveth in this World, he is with Refpect to his Spirit in Equilibrium between this World and Heaven, and in this State is little aware, that in Proportion as he withdraweth his Affections from Heaven, and fixeth them on the World, in the fame Proportion he draweth nigh towards. Hell; this Circumftance is partly known to him, and partly unknown, to the End that in this, as in other Cafes, he may be left to his own Freedom, and thereby be in a Capacity of being reformed. 4. Because thefe two Things, the Will and the Understanding, are two Recipients of the Lord, the Will a Recipient of Love and Charity, the Understanding a Recipient of Wisdom and Faith, and the Lord operateth and produceth each of thofe Graces, whilft Man is in the fulleft enjoyment of Freedom, in Order that a mutual and reciprocal Conjunction may be effected, and thereby Salvation be accomplifhed. 5. Because all the Judgment which a Man poffeffeth after Death, dependeth on the Ufe and Application of his Free-Will in fpiritual Things. 4.

498. It follows as a Confequence from thefe Confiderations, that effential Free-Will hath it's Refidence in the human Soul in a State of the fulleft Perfection, and thence, as from a Fountain-Spring, floweth into the Mind, into the two Parts thereof, the Will and the Undrftanding, and through these into the bodily Senfes, the Words and Actions. For there are three Degrees of Life in Man, the Soul, the Mind, and the Senfual Body, and whatever is in one of the superior Degrees, is in a State of Perfection above what is in an inferior Degree. It is this Freedom belonging toMan, by which, in which, and with which, the Lord is prefent in him, and is continually urgent to be received, but ftill without ever affecting or removing Man's Freedom, fince as was faid above, Nothing remaineth with Man but what is received from a free Principle, fo that it may truly be affirmed, that it is this, Freedom belonging to Man in which the Lord dwelleth with him in his Soul. But that the outward Commiflion of Evil is reftrained by Laws, both in the fpiritual and in the natural Worlds, in Order to the Well-being of Society, which

otherwife could not poffibly subfift, is a Truth which requireth no Explication. It may be expedient however to fhew, in the Way of Illuftration, that without thofe external Reftraints, Society would not only not fubfift, but the whole Race of Mankind would alfo inevitably perith. Man is under the evil Influence of two Kinds of Love, the Love of ruling over all, and the Love of poffeffing the Wealth and Property of all; thefe two Kinds of Love, in Cafe they are not fubjected to Controul, are unlimited in their Tendencies; all the hereditary Evils, in which Man is naturally born, take their Rife chiefly from these two Kinds of Love; Adam finned only in this, that he wished to become as God, which evil Inclination was infufed into him by the Serpent, wherefore in the Curfe pronounced against him it is faid, "That the Earth Should bring forth to him Thorns and Thiftles," Gen. iii. 5, 18; by which is fignified every Kind of Evil, and it's attendant Falfes. All fuch as are en flaved to thofe two Kinds of Love regard themselves alone, as a Sort of fingle central Point, in which, and for which, all other Things and Perfons were created; they are therefore void of Compaffion, void of the Fear of God, and void of Neighbourly Love, and in Confequence thereof, are full of Unmercifulness, Savageness, and Cruelty, attended with an infernal Covetoufnefs; and greedy Defire of robbing and plundering other People, to effect which Purposes they ftop at no Sort of Craft, Deceit, and Treachery. Such evil Propenfities are not innate in the Beafts of the Earth, for they never kill and devour one another, unless when impelled by Hunger, or in Order to defend themselves; wherefore an evil Man, regarded as under the Influence of thofe evil Kinds of Love, is more favage, fierce, and abominable than any Beaft. That this is a true Defcription of Man, as to his internal Part, is plain from what is obfervable in Cafes of any public Disturbance, when a lawless Mob throw off all Reftraints of Obedience to civil Authority;" it is plain alfo from the horrid Barbarities and Rapines which enfue in a befieged City, when the Conquerors are permitted the free Exercife of their Refentment against their Enemies, in which Cafe it is very rare for any one to moderate his Rage and Covetoufnefs, until a Signal is given for a Ceflation .from Plunder. Hence it is evident, that unlefs Men were kept in Awe by the Fear of Punishment which the Law inX x

VOL. II.