language.) When the preference of no other perfon recollected is a partial cause of our determination, fuch volition is called our own, and we fay my will. But when the manifefted preference or approbation of another chiefly concurs to volition, and when if the faid preference of that other had not influenced us, we fhould not have willed the action or forbearance we actually did, but the negation thereof, we call that volition, not ours but that other perfons-That other's will. Thus a fervant fays, I did not my own will, but my mafter's. It has been faid, If I had my will, he would have been forbidden the house: but this expreffion wants precifion, as wifh fhould be fubftituted in ftead of will. (2.) Self will and felf denial. When a man, through an error of judgment, or violence of paffion, suffers not the opinion of others to have due motive influence on his determinations, he is faid to be felf willed, refractory, unfubmiffive, unrefigned, and this may refpect either an inftance or a general character. But when our preference clashes with the preference of a fuperior, and our volition is influenced by the manifefted preference of that fuperior, the ftate of mind or volition is felf denial. This divifion differs from the former only as having refpect to virtue and vice, which the former has not. (3) Volitions are compulfive and restraintive. When by the apprehended superior ability and advantages advantages of another agent, we are induced vo luntarily to do what otherwife we fhould not have been willing to do, the volition is compulfive. When by the fuperior ability and advantages of an agent, we are induced voluntarily to refrain doing, what otherwife we should have been willing to do, the volition is restraintive. (4.) Volitions are fpontaneous and reluctant. When the action or forbearance proposed is of a nature tending to excite the paffion which is the immediate requifite to the volition, the volition is fpontaneous or hearty. Thus to fing, to dance, or on the other hand, to reft or repofe. When the action in its own nature is undefirable and difagreeable, and the mind is determined through the medium of a diverfe final end or other confideration, which raises the motive paffion, then the volition is reluctant-The man acts or refrains without his heart. Thus a man bridles his tongue, or forbears to reply under provocations, through the fear of God, or defire to perform felf-denial. And thus a good father corrects his fon, through defire of his profit, however trying to his parental feelings,-We are fometimes faid to do a thing against our will; but this is an inde fenfible mode of expreffion for doing it reluctantly through the influence of perfons or things, or both on our motives.-I will add a familiar in fance of fpontanity and reluctance. A grocer and tea-dealer refufes to ferve you with fugar, unless unless you likewife buy your tea of him-His fugar you approve as being of a fuperior quality, but do not like his tea, having weighed the matter, that is, compared the objects in reference to the notion of good, your approbation of his fugar preponderates, and you voluntarily take of him. both fugar and tea. You buy them both voluntarily, but the sugar spontaneously, and tea reluc-. tantly. Thus also we fpontaneously take food, but reluctantly take phyfic.—To give an hiftorical cafe, we may advert to the reluctance of Lot, when he left Sodom, previous to its deftruction, Gen. 19. His volition was reluctant, but that of the angels fpontaneous. Volitions, according to their nature, are diftinguished into direct and indirect, effective and admiffive. (1.) Direct and indirect. Where the forbearance or action is fuppofed the immediate object of the volition, the volition is direct; thus, to ftretch forth the hand or forbear it. The known confequences of a volition are of two kinds: first, fuch as coincide with, or which are the end of our volition: or fecondly, such as make no part of our end. Now the former of these are virtually and directly willed in the voli tion of action or forbearance. But the latter clafs although virtually willed yet are indirectly willed by the volition of acting or refraining. Thus, Thus, by willing to paint, I indirectly will the neceffary imperfection of my picture. An indirect volition refpects the undefired forbearances, actions, or events, which are confequents, and perceived to depend on the immediate act or forbearance. It goes to every thing diverse from our end, which is a known confequent in the nature of things, of our immediate acting or forbearing, whether that knowledge is, respecting its evidence, poffible, probable or cer. tain. All these are indirectly willed in the direct volition. Thus our Lord indirectly made himself of no reputation, by directly taking human nature and submitting to the forrows of the present state. But the following fteps of a journey, and the following notes of a tune are directly willed as approved dependent confequents of our direc volition to walk and fing.-Again, if I voluntarily risk a guinea on the tofs of a halfpenny, or throw of a die, and it falls to my disadvantage, though I prefer the contrary, yet I have not will ed the contrary, but have indirectly willed wha hath come to pass, in willing to rifk my guine on a tofs, or throw, which might be, and in fac was to my disadvantage, the antecedent of th confequent lofs of a guinea. I think indirect volition is rightly restrained to those consequences only which are thought of at the time. The man who voluntarily hired a fervant that eventually killed his fon, did not by that volition volition indirectly will that murder: because he had no foreknowledge, or even conception of that event. The event was never thought of, and confequently there could not exist a thought of it under the modification which occafions it to be called will: and what never exifted, could not be a direct or indirect volition. Yet I think that knowledge on the mere evidence of poffibility is fufficient to fupport indirect volition ;-that thus the people of England indirectly will the various acts paffed by their Representatives in Parliament -That the members in the minority indirectly will every aft of the Houfe; and that the absent members indirectly will whatever is done by the House, in their voluntary abfence. The direct volition, of which the firft is the confequent, is the voluntary appointment of their Representatives in Parliament. The direct volition on which the second depends, is that of carrying all ques tions by the majority. And the direct of the latter, is that of absenting themselves. The dependent enjoyment or fuffering is indirectly willed, when we voluntarily act or forbear, as is requifite to its existence. Volition cannot directly affect the paffions whether to excite or calm them. They are not indeed the objects of volition, for the most fanguine inclination of any kind cannot directly af fect them. Every one may make experiments for his fatisfaction.-Many people cannot debate a point |