PezLad
Puritan Board Freshman
" Thus, it is owing to such a connection early established, and growing up with a person, that he judges a mountain, which he sees ten miles distance, to be bigger than his nose, or further off than end of it. Having been used so long to join a considerable distance and magnitude with such an appearance, men imagine it is by a dictate of natural sense, whereas, it would be quite otherwise with one that his eyes new opened, who had been born blind; he would have the same visible appearance, but natural sense would dictate no such thing, concerning the magnitude or distance of what appeared." quote from freedom of the will. This follows Gordon H Clarke, in so interpreting our senses in the mind, it is subject to understanding and lack there off, due to our total depravity, so that lust appears so easy and comely, and iniquity not at all hateful. With such a lack of understanding in the mind, the fleshly nature does find glory in shame, and godness in its belly
"...as soon as ever men begin to use reason and speech, they have occasion, to excuse themselves, from the natural necessity signified by thee terms, in numerous instances - "I cannot do it" ; " I could not help it." And all mankind have constant and daily occasion to use such phrases in this sense, to excuse themselves and others, in almost all the concerns of life, with respect to disappointments and things that happen...that we or others fail of."
"They do consider, that the volition's which a wicked man may have that he loved God, are no acts of the Will at all against the moral evil of not loving God; but only some disagreeable consequences. But the making the requisite distinction requires more care of reflection and thought than most men are used to."
"..arise in their minds a supposition, that it may be so indeed, that true desires and endevours may take place, but that invincible necessity stands in the way and renders them vain and to no effect." Edwards speaks of the arminian notion of the will creating an illusory self determination of necessity, whereby the natural man submits himself to his faulty sense perception as born of necessity, and so rejects the law of God and the accusation of conscience.
"...as soon as ever men begin to use reason and speech, they have occasion, to excuse themselves, from the natural necessity signified by thee terms, in numerous instances - "I cannot do it" ; " I could not help it." And all mankind have constant and daily occasion to use such phrases in this sense, to excuse themselves and others, in almost all the concerns of life, with respect to disappointments and things that happen...that we or others fail of."
"They do consider, that the volition's which a wicked man may have that he loved God, are no acts of the Will at all against the moral evil of not loving God; but only some disagreeable consequences. But the making the requisite distinction requires more care of reflection and thought than most men are used to."
"..arise in their minds a supposition, that it may be so indeed, that true desires and endevours may take place, but that invincible necessity stands in the way and renders them vain and to no effect." Edwards speaks of the arminian notion of the will creating an illusory self determination of necessity, whereby the natural man submits himself to his faulty sense perception as born of necessity, and so rejects the law of God and the accusation of conscience.
