The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

2. The Nature of the Will holds forth thus much: The Will naturally wills Blessedness or the ultimate End in general, because it is a Good perfective and expletive of the Soul, but the Will doth not naturally fix on this or that thing as its blessedness or ultimate End in particular. One Man fixes on Mammon as his chief Good, another makes his Belly his God, a third is all for the Pride of Life; whence is the Will thus determined? Either it must be determined by it self, or else by the Understanding; not by it self, for it is a blind Faculty, and cannot of it self judg any thing to be a chief Good, much less can it fix it self on it as such; wherefore it must be determined by the Understanding. One Man chooses Mammon to be his chief Good, because (as the Psalmist hath it) his inward thought is, that his house shall continue for ⟨p. 455⟩ever, Psal. 49. 11. that's lasting happiness, saith his carnal Understanding. Another makes his Belly his God, because his inward thought is, Eat, drink, and be merry, Luk. 12. 19. there is nothing better, saith his brutish Understanding. A third is all for the Pride of Life, because his inward thought is, to be a Lucifer in Self-excellencies, that's the top of Bliss, saith his soaring Understanding. In every one of these, first the Understanding makes the Idol, and then the Will doth fall down and worship. Now if the Will may be determined by the Understanding to such false Beatitudes as these, how much more may it be determined by the Understanding to God who is the true blessedness?

2. The Nature of the Will holds forth thus much: The Will naturally wills Blessedness or the ultimate End in general, because it is a Good perfective and expletive of the Soul, but the Will doth not naturally fix on this or that thing as its blessedness or ultimate End in particular. One Man fixes on Mammon as his chief Good, another makes his Belly his God, a third is all for the Pride of Life; whence is the Will thus determined? Either it must be determined by it self, or else by the Understanding; not by it self, for it is a blind Faculty, and cannot of it self judg any thing to be a chief Good, much less can it fix it self on it as such; wherefore it must be determined by the Understanding. One Man chuses Mammon to be his chief Good, because (as the Psalmist hath it) his inward thought is, that his house shall continue for