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

Having observed these things, which are proper to be taken notice of, to prevent confusion in discourses on this subject, I now proceed to consider what may, and what may not be supposed to be God's ultimate end in the creation of the world.

HAving observed these things, which are proper to be taken notice of, to prevent confusion in discourses on this subject, I now proceed to consider what may, and what may not be suppos'd to be God's ultimate end in the creation of the world.

AND in the first place, I would observe some things which reason seems to dictate in this matter. Indeed this affair, seems properly to be an affair of divine revelation. In order to be determined what was aimed at, or designed in the creating of the astonishing fabric of the universe which we behold, it becomes us to attend to and rely on what he has told us, who was the architect that built it. He best knows his own heart, and what his own ends and designs were in the wonderful works which he has wrought. Nor is it to be supposed that mankind, who, while destitute of revelation, by the utmost improvements of their own reason, and advances in science and philosophy, could come to no clear and established determination who the author of the world was, ⟨p. 12⟩would ever have obtained any tolerable settled judgment of the end which the author of it proposed to himself in •o vast, complicated and wonderful a work of his hands. And tho' it be true, that the revelation which God has given to men, which has been in the world as a light shining in a dark place, has been the occasion of great improvement of their faculties, has taught men how to use their reason; (in which regard, notwithstanding the nobleness and excellency of the faculties which God had given them, they seemed to be in themselves almost helpless.) And tho' mankind now, through' the long continual assistance they have had by this divine light, have come to attainments in the habitual exercise of reason, which are far beyond what otherwise they would have arrived to; yet I confess it would be relying too much on reason, to determine the affair of God's last end in the creation of the world, only by our own reason, or without being herein principally guided by divine revelation, since God has given a revelation containing instructions concerning this matter. Nevertheless, as in the disputes and wranglings which have been about this matter, those objections, which have chiefly been made use of against what I think the scriptures have truly revealed, have been from the pretended dictates of reason,—I would in the first place soberly consider in a few things, what seems rational to be supposed concerning this affair;—and then proceed to consider what light divine revelation gives us in it.