3. If the end that moveth your will, be not the service and glory of God, but only your own Interest, this is but self-will. God giveth you leave to look to your selves as his servants in a due subserviency to him: But if you will principally look at your own interest, and make light of Gods, and fetch the reason of your will and desires from your own ends and commodity, rather than his Glory, this is an ungodly selfish-will. And yet alas, how many are there that know not any better frame of will than this? If they were truly to give an account of the principal reason and motive of every desire of their hearts, why they would have this, or why they would do that, must they not confess it is for themselves, because it serveth their own ends or interests, and because it pleaseth their own wills, and not because it furnisheth them better to serve and please the will of God. If you ask men in their buying, and selling, and marrying, and trading, and dealing with men, why it is that they do this or that; can they truly say, I do it because I think in this way I can do God the best service, and the Church or Commonwealth most good; and this is my chief reason? Alas, I fear they are too few that have any higher principal end and motive than self. Self-will is the spring of their whole Conversations, that sets them upon all they do. Nay doubtless, in the very duties of Religion, in praying, hearing, reading and the like, they are but serving self, while they take on them to serve God; and their holiest devotions is but such a serving of God, as flatterers ⟨p. 111⟩will serve their Prince or Landlord, merely that he may do them a good turn, and may serve their Ends, and be serviceable to them; or else as some Indians serve the Devil, for fear of him lest he should do them a mischief. The will that is moved chiefly by self-interest, is a self-will.
3. If the end that moveth your will, be not the service and glory of God, but only your own Interest, this is but self-will. God giveth you leave to look to your selves as his servants in a due subserviency to him: But if you will principally look at your own interest, and make light of Gods, and fetch the reason of your will and desires from your own ends and commodity, rather than his Glory, this is an ungodly selfish-will. And yet alas, how many are there that know not any better frame of will than this? If they were truly to give an account of the principal reason and motive of every desire of their hearts, why they would have this, or why they would do that, must they not confess it is for themselves, because it serveth their own ends or interests, and because it pleaseth their own wills, and not because it furnisheth them better to serve and please the will of God. If you ask men in their buying, and selling, and marrying, and trading, and dealing with men, why it is that they do this or that; can they truly say, I do it because I think in this way I can do God the best service, and the Church or Commonwealth most good; and this is my chief reason? Alas, I fear they are too few that have any higher principal end and motive than self. Self-will is the spring of their whole Conversations, that sets them upon all they do. Nay doubtless, in the very duties of Religion, in praying, hearing, reading and the like, they are but serving self, while they take on them to serve God; and their holiest devotions is but such a serving of God, as flatterers ⟨p. 111⟩will serve their Prince or Landlord, meerly that he may do them a good turn, and may serve their Ends, and be serviceable to them; or else as some Indians serve the Devil, for fear of him lest he should do them a mischief. The will that is moved chiefly by self-interest, is a self-will.
