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

A chief end is opposite to an inferior end: An ultimate end, is opposite to a subordinate end. A subordinate end is something that an agent seeks and aims at in what he does; but yet don't seek it, or regard it at all upon it's own account, but wholly on the account of a further end, or in order to some other thing, which it is considered as a means of. Thus when a man that goes a journey to obtain ⟨p. 2⟩a medicine to cure him of some disease, and restore his health,—the obtaining that medicine is his subordinate end; because 'tis not an end that he seeks for itself, or values at all upon its own account; but wholly as a means of a further end, viz. his health: Separate the medicine from that further end, and it is esteemed good for nothing; nor is it at all desired.

AN ultimate end is that which the agent seeks in what he does, for it's own sake: That he has respect to, as what he loves, values and takes pleasure in on it's own account, and not merely as a means of a further end: As when a man loves the taste of some particular sort of fruit, and is at pains and cost to obtain it, for the sake of the pleasure of that taste, which he values upon it's own account, as he loves his own pleasure; and not merely for the sake of any other good, which he supposes his enjoying that pleasure will be the means of.

SOME ends are subordinate ends, not only as they are subordinated to an ultimate end; but also to another end that is itself but a subordinate end: Yea, there may be a succession or chain of many subordinate ends, one dependent on another,—one sought for another: The first for the next; and that for the sake of the next to that,—and so on in a long series before you come to any thing, that the agent aims at and seeks for it's own sake:—As when a man sells a garment to get money—to buy tools—to till his land—to obtain a crop—to supply him with food—to gratify the appetite. And he seeks to gratify his appetite, on it's own account, as what is grateful in itself. Here the end of his selling his garment, is to get money; but getting money is only a subordinate end: Tis not only subordinate to the last end, his gratifying his appetite; but to a nearer end, viz. his buying husbandry tools: And his obtaining these, is only a subordinate end, being only for the sake of tilling land: And the tillage of land, is an end not sought on it's own account, but for the sake of the crop to be produced: And the crop produced, is not an ultimate end, or an end sought for itself, but only for the sake of making bread: And the having bread, is not sought on it's own account, but for the sake of gratifying the appetite.