Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A63764
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A discourse of natural and moral impotency by Joseph Truman, B.D., late minister near Nottingham.
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Truman, Joseph, 1631-1671.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing T3139; ESTC R37908
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117,738
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238
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Salvation would part with some sins they can best spare and do some duties they have no great aversness to and so either do leave such sins or would actually if they really thought Going so far would serve the turn Fourthly They or some of them have a remiss Will to perform the whole Gospel-condition to give up themselves to the obedience of Faith but the actual choice the prevailing part of their will is against it Aristotle's Instance is pertinent to explain this by ad Nicom lib. 3. A Mariner casts his goods over-board in a Storm to save his Life and Ship He puts the question Whether such actions should be called voluntary or involuntary he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mixt actions for saith he No man would cast away his goods altogether willingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they are saith he rather voluntary actions for they are chosen and preferred by them as the wisest actions in such Circumstances Such a man would fain have his riches preserved and yet rather than lose his life chuses not to keep them resolved though repining to cast them away with the prevailing choice And though the other weaker inclination be a will a remiss will or volition naturally so called and really being a desire upon some reasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle defines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly yet Morally it may be said to be no-Will For it is not to denominate not being the prevailing choice Qui mavult vult only in this sense so that you may say They will not in ordinary custom of speaking For where this chusing-Will is the imperate acts essentially follow and are performed in some measure or where they do not follow it is as much accepted by God as if they did e. g. If a mans prevailing choyce be to go to the Church he goes If to stay at home he stays if to pray he prays to give he gives except there be such a hindrance as will so far excuse as if he had done it as suppose the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be stiff or stubborn when the Will is not You see wicked men would have Christ and Heaven and would therefore remisly what they are convinced is the only means Holiness of heart and life yet the prevailing will is rather to lose happiness than to forgoe all their lusts to let go the offered happiness rather than live a Spiritual Heavenly life somthing unwilling thus to lose all yet with the prevailing bent of their will prefer this sinful course Fiftly In the regenerate the prevailing choice of their will is for the best Interest and this will Denominate they are willing in the properest sense there is no sin but they habitually would have strength against it and no duty but they would have strength to perform it And this will be accepted of God unto Salvation But yet their Will is renewed but in part and they have much unwillingness to it and will to the contrary they do not will in such a degree as they ought and this is their sin They would do such and such difficult duties and yet they would not and this is a Lamentation and should be for a Lamentation When I say they Would in a prevailing degree I know this cannot always be affirmed particularly pro Hic Nunc else they would never omit any known duty or commit any known sin for the Imperate acts would follow the Elicit I am somthing at a loss here how to express my Conceptions which are not very clear But you may conceive a Child may some-time disobey provoke his Parents though his general and habitual bent of heart and will be to please him And so Gods people's willingness to the whole and in general is greater than their unwillingness though not in the particular Act of known sin else I could not tell how to maintain that a Regenerate man hath the Gospel-condition in the main during a wilful sin and so is not unjustified whereas I cannot think such a one hath quite changed his ultimate end and is become unsanctified like another man for a time Me-thinks those words of the Apostle serve best of any I can think of to express my meaning by which if it be not the meaning of the words I only allude to them viz. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of Sin I my self which part do I my self wish most may prevail which side do I take which interest do I frown at and wish might go down That is I my self my will in the properest sense which I prevailingly habitually choose so as to be most displeased with my unwillingnesse and I find I am not displeased or not much at my unwillingness to sin I know it is difficult when a mans choice but-just turns the scale and is not vehement to discern which part he prevailingly takes And people though of great and strong affections to things above and in whom things below have very little Interest yet if their Reason be clouded with Melancholy or otherwise it is hard for them to know which is I I my self and which side they mainly take yet this is the way to enquire For come to a wicked man and he may say I my self serve the flesh and world and that interest I am most careful to secure and maintain whatever become of the Spirit 's Interest though my mind and Conscience is for the Law of God and serving of that and so I have a will to do somthing but the side I my self take and am most careful it go not down is the Flesh-interest And to answer to Rom. 7. I grant that Paul speaks in the person of a Regenerate man though some worthy men oppose it and as for what they object that he speaks of it as Aristotle represents his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Incontinent man who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 below a Moral man it is easily made apparently unlike if one by sin mean not gross sins but those of daily infirmity which Aristotle accounted no sins and by Flesh mean the most subjugated hated part of his will and affections and by his Mind the prevailing interest which he sided with However there is as much said Gal. 5 17. For the Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh so that you cannot do the things which you would which words are confessed to speak of the Regenerate But to Answer First I doubt not but the Apostle desired to be freed from many Natural Imperfections that were his sorrows and punishments for sin and not his sins Secondly We must say the reason why the Apostle or any other do not do any duty they would is because they do not will it enough and what he did will in the prevailing degree he did it in some imperfect measure But he would fain have been freed from all unwillingness and have gotten on his Will further