The divine life in three treatises

1. If All things be from God as the Creator and Preserver, then we must be deeply possessed with this truth, that All things are for God as their ultimate end. For he that is the Beginning and first cause of all things, must needs be the End of all. His Will produced them, and the Pleasure of his Will is the End for which he did produce them. Isa. 43. 7. I have created him for my glory] Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea even the wicked for the day of evil] I think the Chaldee Paraphrase, the Syriac and Arabic give us the true meaning of this, who concordantly translate it, [The wicked is kept for the day of evil] as Job hath it, 21. 30. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. And 2 Pet. 2. 9. [To reserve the unjust to the day of judgement to be punished] God made not the wicked as wicked, or to be wicked; but he that gave them their Being and continueth it, will not be a loser by his Creation or preservation, but will have the glory of his Justice by them in the day of wrath or evil, for which he keeps them, and till which he beareth with them, because they would not obediently give him the glory of his Holiness and mercy. So it is said of Christ, Col. 16, 17. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible—all things were created By him and For him. If they are By him, they must needs be For him. So Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created] This Pleasure of Gods will is the End of all things: and therefore it is certain that he will see that all things shall accomplish that end, and his will shall be pleased. Rom. 11. 36. we have all in few words [For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, and to whom be glory for ever, ⟨p. 78⟩Amen.] Of him as the first efficient that giveth them their Beings: and Through him as the Preserver, disposer and conductor of them to their end: and To him as the Ultimate end.