Of Free Will
I. God has endued the will of man with that natural
liberty, that it is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined
to good, or evil.a
a. Matt. 17:12; James 1:14; Deut. 30:19.
II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and
power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God;a but yet,
mutably, so that he might fall from it.b
a. Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:26.
b. Gen. 2:16-17; 3:6.
III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly
lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation:a so as,
a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,b and dead in sin,c
is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.d
a. Rom. 5:6; 8:7; John 15:5.
b. Rom. 3:10, 12.
c. Eph. 2:1, 5. Col. 2:13.
d. John 6:44, 65; Eph. 2:2-5; I Cor. 2:14; Tit. 3:13, 4-5.
IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into
the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin;a and, by
His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;b
yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, nor only,
will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.c
a. Col. 1:13; John 8:34, 36.
b. Phil. 2:13; Rom 6:18, 22.
c. Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 21, 23.
V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free
to do good alone in the state of glory only.a
a. Eph. 4:13; Heb. 12:23; I John 3:2; Jude 24.
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