First, Herein is the natural sinfulness of the will manifested, In that it is wholly perverted about the ultimate end, which is the proper and adequate object of it; God is the supreme and ultimate end of the will: Therefore were our souls endowed with this noble faculty, that the will might firmly and immovably adhere to him; That as the elements have their proper principles of motion, whereby they never rest, till they come to their centre, or ultimate term in which they wholly acquiesce; Thus also if we respect the primitive institution, the will was given us for such a principle which should carry us out constantly to the enjoying of God. But oh the sad perversion and inordinacy that is now come upon this chief power of the soul, for now a mans self is put into Gods room; So that whereas God was the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of a mans will; Now a mans self is made his god, he willeth himself, he loveth himself, all things are done in reference to himself, as the utmost end: So that this self-seeking, this self-loving is the root of all other iniquities; when the Apostle was to reckon up a Catalogue of manifold notorious impieties, 2 Tim. 3. 2. he reckons up men, lovers of themselves, as the bitter root of all wormwood springing from it; you cannot reckon up any sin, whether spiritual or carnal, that doth not flow from this, because a man doth inordinately will, and love himself; That as Aristotle reporteth of one Antipheron, which through the weakness of his eyes, the very air was in stead of a Looking-glass, making a constant reflection, ⟨p. 294⟩so that he saw himself, beheld himself all the day long; Thus it is with the will, all the motions and actings of it are only to self-glory, self-pleasure, self-profit, &c. whereas at first the will was created so subordinate to God, that it did will the glory, and honour, and blessedness of God infinitely above its own self; If they could say to David, Thou art worth ten thousand of us, how much more could Adam in the state of integrity say unto God, that his Name, his Glory and Majesty were to be esteemed and set up far above the good of all men and Angels.
First, Herein is the natural sinfulnesse of the will manifested, In that it is wholly perverted about the ultimate end, which is the proper and adequate object of it; God is the supream and ultimate end of the will: Therefore were our souls endowed with this noble faculty, that the will might firmly and immovably adhere to him; That as the elements have their proper principles of motion, whereby they never rest, till they come to their center, or ultimate term in which they wholly acquiesce; Thus also if we respect the primitive institution, the will was given us for such a principle which should carry us out constantly to the enjoying of God. But oh the sad perversion and inordinacy that is now come upon this chief power of the soul, for now a mans self is put into Gods room; So that whereas God was the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of a mans will; Now a mans self is made his god, he willeth himself, he loveth himself, all things are done in reference to himself, as the utmost end: So that this self-seeking, this self-loving is the root of all other iniquities; when the Apostle was to reckon up a Catalogue of manifold notorious impieties, 2 Tim. 3. 2. he reckons up men, lovers of themselves, as the bitter root of all wormwood springing from it; you cannot reckon up any sinne, whether spiritual or carnal, that doth not flow from this, because a man doth inordinately will, and love himself; That as Aristotle reporteth of one Antipheron, which through the weakness of his eyes, the very air was in stead of a Looking-glasse, making a constant reflection, ⟨p. 294⟩so that he saw himself, beheld himself all the day long; Thus it is with the will, all the motions and actings of it are onely to self-glory, self-pleasure, self-profit, &c. whereas at first the will was created so subordinate to God, that it did will the glory, and honour, and blessedness of God infinitely above its own self; If they could say to David, Thou art worth ten thousand of us, how much more could Adam in the state of integrity say unto God, that his Name, his Glory and Majesty were to be esteemed and set up farre above the good of all men and Angels.
