A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is, by pregnant texts of Scripture vindicated from false glosses / by Anthony Burgess.

¶. 3.

The Will is wholly perverted about the Ultimate End.

ALthough the will of man be subject to more defilements, then the body of a man is exposed to diseases, yet I shall briefly select some of the more re∣markable instances. And

First, Herein is the natural sinfulnesse of the will manifested, In that it is wholly perverted about the ultimate end, which is the proper and adequate ob∣ject of it; God is the supream and ultimate end of the will: Therefore were our souls endowed with this noble faculty, that the will might firmly and immo∣vably adhere to him; That as the elements have their proper principles of mo∣tion, whereby they never rest, till they come to their center, or ultimate term in which they wholly acquiesce; Thus also if we respect the primitive institution, the will was given us for such a principle which should carry us out constantly to the enjoying of God. But oh the sad perversion and inordinacy that is now come upon this chief power of the soul, for now a mans self is put into Gods room; So that whereas God was the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of a mans will; Now a mans self is made his god, he willeth himself, he loveth him∣self, all things are done in reference to himself, as the utmost end: So that this self-seeking, this self-loving is the root of all other iniquities; when the Apostle was to reckon up a Catalogue of manifold notorious impieties, 2 Tim. 3. 2. he reckons up men, lovers of themselves, as the bitter root of all wormwood spring∣ing from it; you cannot reckon up any sinne, whether spiritual or carnal, that doth not flow from this, because a man doth inordinately will, and love himself; That as Aristotle reporteth of one Antipheron, which through the weakness of his eyes, the very air was in stead of a Looking-glasse, making a constant refle∣ction,

so that he saw himself, beheld himself all the day long; Thus it is with the will, all the motions and actings of it are onely to self-glory, self-pleasure, self-profit, &c. whereas at first the will was created so subordinate to God, that it did will the glory, and honour, and blessedness of God infinitely above its own self; If they could say to David, Thou art worth ten thousand of us, how much more could Adam in the state of integrity say unto God, that his Name, his Glory and Majesty were to be esteemed and set up farre above the good of all men and Angels. Austin observeth truly, That those two Cities, Jerusalem and Babel, of God and the Devil, had these two contrary foundations, Babel had Amor sui usque, and Contemptum Dei, The love of a mans self, even to the contempt of God and Jerusalem, The love of God, even to the contempt of a mans self: Oh then look upon this as the Goliah-sinne, as the Beelzebub-evil in thy will, that it cannot, it doth not any thing, but excessively will and love it self to the contempt of, and rebellion against God! The Command of God is, To love him with all our heart, soul, and might, and to love our neighbour al∣so, but there is no injunction to love our selves; Indeed that is supposed as a duty, when a mans self is made the rule and measure of love to our neighbour: Some think the reason why there is no expresse command to love our selves, is, because that is required in loving of God, because he onely loveth himself that loveth God, and in loving of God we love our selves; whereas when we love our selves for our selves sake, not subordinately to God, we do indeed hate our selves, pro∣curing our self damnation. Let us then bewail this fall of the will by original sinne from God into its self, whereby we will our own glory rather then Gods; our own interest then the great Gods, who yet giveth us all we have; This is to break the order which the wise and holy will of God hath immutably ordained, viz. the submission and subjection of the creature to the Creator.