Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The…

Pos. 8. THAT, which the word of God requires the intelligent and moral part of the world to seek as their main end, or to have respect to in that they do, and regulate all their conduct by, as their ultimate & highest end, that we have reason to suppose is the last end for which God has made them; and consequently by position fourth, the last end for which he has made the whole world. A main difference between the intelligent and moral parts, and the rest of the world, lies in this, that the former are capable of knowing their creator, and the end for which he made them, and capable of actively complying with his design in their creation and promoting it; while other creatures can't promote the design of their creation, only passively and eventually. And seeing they are capable of knowing the end for which their author has made them, 'tis doubtless their duty to fall in with it. Their wills ought to comply with the will of the creator in this respect, in mainly seeking the same as their last end which God mainly seeks as their last end. This must be the law of nature and reason with respect to them. And we must suppose that God's revealed law, and the law of nature agree; and that his will, as a lawgiver, must agree with his will as a creator. Therefore we justly infer, that the same thing which God's revealed law requires intelligent creatures to seek as their last and greatest end, that God their creator has made their last end, and so the end of the creation of the world.

Pos. 8. THAT, which the word of God requires the intelligent and moral part of the world to seek as their main end, or to have respect to in that they do, and regulate all their conduct by, as their ultimate & highest end, that we have reason to suppose is the last end for which God has made them; and consequently by position fourth, the last end for which he has made the whole world. A main difference between the intelligent and moral parts, and the rest of the world, lies in this, that the former are capable of knowing their creator, and the end for which he made them, and capable of actively complying with his design in their creation and promoting it; while other creatures can't promote the design of their creation, only passively and eventually. And seeing they are capable of knowing the end for which their author has made them, 'tis doubtless their duty to fall in with it. Their wills ought to comply with the will of the creator in this respect, in mainly seeking the same as their last end which God mainly seeks as their last end. This must be the law of nature and reason with respect to them. And we must suppose that God's reveal'd law, and the law of nature agree; and that his will, as a lawgiver, must agree with his will as a creator. Therefore we justly infer, that the same thing which God's revealed law requires intelligent creatures to seek as their last and greatest end, that God their creator has made their last end, and so the end of the creation of the world.