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

Pos. 9. WE may well suppose that what seems in holy scripture from time to time to be spoken of as the main end of the goodness of the good part of the moral world, so that the respect and relation their virtue or goodness has to that end, is what chiefly makes it valuable and desirable; I say, we may well suppose that to be the thing which is God's last end in the creation of the moral world; and so by position fourth, of the whole world. For the end of the goodness of a thing, is the end of the thing. Herein, it was observed before, must consist the goodness or valuableness of any thing in the eyes of him that made it for his ⟨p. 56⟩use. viz. its being good for that use, or good with respect to the end for which he made it.

Pos. 10. THAT which persons who are described in scripture as approved saints, and set forth as examples of piety, sought as their last and highest end in the things which they did, and which are mentioned as parts of their holy conversation, or instances of their good and approved behaviour; that we must suppose, was what they ought to seek as their last end; and consequently by the preceding position, was the same with God's last end in the creation of the world.

Pos. 10. THAT which persons who are described in scripture as approved saints, and set forth as examples of piety, sought as their last and highest end in the things which they did, and which are mentioned as parts of their holy conversation, or instances of their good and approved behaviour; that we must suppose, was what they ought to seek as their last end; and consequently by the preceeding position, was the same with God's last end in the creation of the world.

Pos. 11. THAT which appears by the word of God to be that end or event, in the desire of which, the souls of the good parts of the moral world, especially of the best, and in their best frames, do most naturally and directly exercise their goodness in, and in expressing of their desire of this event or end, they do most properly and directly express their respect to God; we may, I say, well suppose, that event or end to be the chief and ultimate end of a spirit of piety and goodness, and God's chief end in making the moral world, and so the whole world. For doubtless the most direct and natural desire and tendency of a spirit of true goodness in the good and best part of the moral world is to the chief end of goodness, and so the chief end of the creation of the moral world. And in what else can the spirit of true respect and friendship to God be expressed by way of desire, than desires of the same end, which God himself chiefly and ultimately desires and seeks in making them and all other things.