A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…

Now, 'tis certain, that what naturally makes the Understanding to perceive, is Evidence proposed, and apprehended, considered or adverted to: for Nothing else can be requisite to make us come to the Knowledge of the Truth.—Again, what makes the Will choose, is something approved by the Understanding; and consequently appearing to the Soul as Good. And whatsoever it refuseth, is something represented by the Understanding, and so appearing to the Will, as Evil. Whence all that God requires of us is, and can be only this; to refuse the Evil, and choose the Good. Wherefore, to say that Evidence proposed, apprehended and considered, is not sufficient to make the Understanding approve; or that the greatest Good proposed, the greatest Evil threatened, when equally believed and reflected on, is not sufficient to engage the Will to choose the Good and refuse the Evil, is in Effect to say, that which alone doth move the Will to choose or to refuse, is not sufficient to engage it so to do; which being contradictory to it self, must of Necessity be false. Be it then so, that we naturally have an Aversation to the Truths proposed to us in the Gospel; that only can make us indisposed to attend to them, but cannot hinder our Conviction, when we do apprehend them, and attend to them.— Be it, that there is in us also a Renitency to •he Good we are to choose; that only can indispose us to believe it is, and to approve it as our chiefest Good. Be it, that we are prone to the Evil that we should decline; that only can render it the more difficult for us to believe it is the worst of Evils. But yet, what we do really believe to be our chiefest Good, will still be chosen; and what we apprehend to be the worst of Evils, will, whilst we do continue under that Conviction, be refused by us. It therefore can be only requisite, in order to these Ends, that the good Spirit should so illuminate our Understandings, that we attending to, and considering what lies before us, should apprehend, and be convinced of our Duty; and that the Blessings of the Gospel should be so propounded to us, as that we may discern them to be our chiefest Good; and the Miseries it threateneth, so as we may be convinced they are the worst of Evils; that we may choose the one, and refuse the other.

Now, 'tis certain, that what naturally makes the Understanding to perceive, is Evidence proposed, and apprehended, considered or adverted to: for Nothing else can be requisite to make us come to the Knowledge of the Truth.—Again, what makes the Will chuse, is something approved by the Understanding; and consequently appearing to the Soul as Good. And whatsoever it refuseth, is something represented by the Understanding, and so appearing to the Will, as Evil. Whence all that God requires of us is, and can be only this; to refuse the Evil, and chuse the Good. Wherefore, to say that Evidence proposed, apprehended and considered, is not sufficient to make the Understanding approve; or that the greatest Good proposed, the greatest Evil threatned, when equally believ'd and reflected on, is not sufficient to engage the Will to chuse the Good and refuse the Evil, is in Effect to say, that which alone doth move the Will to chuse or to refuse, is not sufficient to engage it so to do; which being contradictory to it self, must of Necessity be false. Be it then so, that we naturally have an Aversation to the Truths proposed to us in the Gospel; that only can make us indisposed to attend to them, but cannot hinder our Conviction, when we do apprehend them, and attend to them.— Be it, that there is in us also a Renitency to he Good we are to chuse; that only can indispose us to believe it is, and to approve it as our chiefest Good. Be it, that we are prone to the Evil that we should decline; that only can render it the more difficult for us to believe it is the worst of Evils. But yet, what we do really believe to be our chiefest Good, will still be chosen; and what we apprehend to be the worst of Evils, will, whilst we do continue under that Conviction, be refused by us. It therefore can be only requisite, in order to these Ends, that the good Spirit should so illuminate our Understandings, that we attending to, and considering what lies before us, should apprehend, and be convinced of our Duty; and that the Blessings of the Gospel should be so propounded to us, as that we may discern them to be our chiefest Good; and the Miseries it threateneth, so as we may be convinced they are the worst of Evils; that we may chuse the one, and refuse the other.