God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon
choice, that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or
evil. (1)
Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was
good and well-pleasing to God,(2)
but yet was unstable, so that he might fall from it.(3)
Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any
spiritual good accompanying salvation; (4)
so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin,(5)
is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.(6)
When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He freeth him
from his natural bondage under sin,(7)
and by His grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually
good;(8)
yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he doth not perfectly, nor only
will, that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.(9)