The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

2. The Corruption of the Will is more incurable than that of the Mind. For 'tis full not only of Impotence, but contrariety to what is spiritually good. There are some weak strictures of Truth in lapsed Man, but they dye in the Brain, and are powerless and ineffectual as to the Will, which rushes into the embraces of worldly Objects. This the universal Experience of Mankind since the Fall, doth evidently prove, and the account of it is in the following Considerations.

1. There is a strong inclination in Man to Happiness. This desire is born and brought up with him, and is common to all that partake of the reasonable Nature. From the Prince to the poorest wretch; from the most knowing, to the meanest in understanding, every one desires to be happy: As the great flames and the little sparks of fire all naturally ascend to their sphere.

2. The constituting of any thing to be our Happiness, is the first and universal Maxim, from whence all moral consequences are derived. 'Tis the rule of our Desires, and the end of our actions. As in natural things, the principles of their production operate according to their quality, so in moral things the end is as powerful to form the Soul for its Operations in order to it. Therefore as all desire to be happy, so they apply themselves to those means, which appear to be convenient for the obtaining of it.

2. The constituting of any thing to be our Happiness, is the first and universal Maxime, from whence all moral consequences are deriv'd. 'Tis the rule of our Desires, and the end of our actions. As in natural things, the principles of their production operate according to their quality, so in moral things the end is as powerful to form the Soul for its Operations in order to it. Therefore as all desire to be happy, so they apply themselves to those means, which appear to be convenient for the obtaining of it.