The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of the nature of an end in generall, and some distinctions about it.
THe aAn end with the means ther of described wi…hend of any thing, is that which the Agent intendeth to accomplish, in, and by the operation which is proper unto § I its nature, and which it applieth it selfe unto: that which any one aimeth at, and designeth in himselfe to attaine, as a thing good and desireable unto him, in the state and condition wherein he is: so the end which Noah proposed unto himselfe in the building of the Arke, was the preservation of himselfe and others, according to the will of God, he made an Arke to preserve himselfe and his family from the flood, according to all that God commanded him so did he. Gen. 6. 22. that which the Agent doth, or whereto he applyeth himselfe, for the compassing his proposed end, is called the meanes, which two doe compleate the whole reason of working in free Intellectuall Agents, for I speake onelyonly of such as worke according to choyse or election: so Absolom intending a revolt from his father to procure the Crowne and kingdome for himselfe, he prepared him horses and chariots, and fifty men to runn before him. 2 Sam. 15. 1. and further, by faire words and glozing compliances, he stole the hearts of the men of Israel, ver. 6. then pretends a sacrifice at Hebron, where he makes a strong conspiracy, ver. 12. all which were the means he used for the attaining of his foreproposed end.
Between both these, end and meanes, there is this bTheir mutuall relation, set forth by,Relation, that (though in sundry kinds) they are mutually causes one of another: § II the end is the first principall moving cause of the whole: it is that, for whose sake the whole worke is, no Agent applyes it selfe to action but for an end: and were it not by that, determined to some certaine effect, thing, way, or manner of working, it c1. Reas.would no more doe one thing than another. d2. Examples, andThe inhabitance of the old world, desiring and intending unity and cohabitation, with (perhaps) some reserves to provide for their safety against a second storme, they cry, go to, let us build us a City and a Tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. Gen. 11. 4. First they lay downe their ayme and designe, and then let out the meanes in their apprehension conducing thereunto, and manifest then it is that the whole reason and method of affaires, that a wise-worker, or Agent according to counsell proposeth to himselfe, is taken from the end which he aymes at, that is in intention and continuance the beginning of all that order which is in working. Now the meanes are all those things which are used for the attaining of the end proposed: (as meate, for the preservation of life: sailing in a ship, for him that would passe the sea: laws for the quiet continuance of humane society,) and they are the procuring cause of the end in one kind or another, eDistinct considerations. of relation.their existence is for the ends sake, and the end hath its rise out of them: following them either morally as their desert, or naturally as their fruit and product. First, in f1 Morall.a morall sense, when the action & the end, are to be measured or considered in reference to a morall rule, or Law prescribed to the Agent, then the meanes are the deserving, or meritorious g2 Naturall.cause of the end: as if Adam, had continued in his innocency, and done all things according to the Law given unto him, the end procured thereby, had been a blessed life to eternity: as now the end of any sinful act, is death, the curse of the law. Secondly, when the meanes are considered onelyonly in their naturall relation, then they are the instrumentally efficient cause of the end: so Joab intending the death of Abner, he smote him with his speere under the fifth ribb, that he died, 2 Sam. 3. 27. and when Benajah by the command of Solomon fell upon Shimei, the wounds he gave them were the efficient of his death, 1 King. 2. 46. in which regard there is no difference, between the murdering of an innocent man, and the executing of an offender: but as they are under a morall consideration, their ends follow their deservings, in respect of conformity § III The end being occasionally distinguish ed into that which is, 1 operis, of the worke 2 operantis of the work-man which againe is.to the rule, and so there is foreign between them.
The former consideration, by reason of the defect and perversnesse of some Agents, (for otherwise these things are coincident) holds out a two-fold end of things. First of the work, & Secondly of the worke-man: of the act, and the agent, for when the meanes assigned for the attaining of any end, are not proportioned unto it, nor fitted for it, according to that rule which the agent is to work by, then it cannot be, but that he must aime at one thing, and another follow in respect of the morality of the worke, so Adam is intised into a desire to be like God: this now he makes his ayme which to effect, he eats the forbidden fruit, and that contracts a guilt which he aymed not at. But when the Agent acts aright, and as it should doe: when it aymes at an end that is proper to it, belonging to its proper perfection and condition, and worketh by such meanes as are fit, and suteable to the end proposed, the end of the worke, and the worke-man, are one and the same: as when Abel intended the worship of the Lord, he offered a sacrifice through faith acceptable unto him: or as a man desiring salvation through Christ, applyeth himselfe to get an interest in him. Now the sole reason of this diversitie is, that secundary Agents, such as men are, have an end set and appointed to their actions, by him which giveth them an externall rule or Law to worke by; which shall alwayes attend them in their working, whither they will or no. God onelyonly, whose will and good pleasure is the sole rule of all those workes which outwardly are of him, can never deviate in his actions, nor have any end attend or follow his acts, not precisely by him intended.
Againe the end of every free Agent h is either that which he effecteth, or that for whose sake he doth effect it, when a man builds § IV 1 ohgr; or intended. 28 or procuring.a house, to let to hire, that which he effecteth is the building of a house, that which moved him to doe it, is love of gaine. The Physician cures the patient, and is moved to it, by his reward: the end which Judas aymed at, in his going to the Priests, barganing with them, conducting the Souldiers to the garden, kissing Christ, was the betraying of his Master: but the end for whose sake the whole undertaking was set on foote, was the obtaining of the 30. peices of silver: what will you give me and I will do it? the end which God effected by the death of Christ, was the satisfaction of his justice, the end for whose sake he did it, was either supreame, or his owne glory, or subordinate, ours with him.
Moreover the meanes are of two sorts, First, ias also the meanes into those which are in themselves. 1 good and profitable. 2. onelyonly so as conducible, with,such as have a true § V goodnesse in themselves, without reference to any further kind; though not so considered as we use them for meanes: no meanes as a means, is considered as good in it selfe, but onelyonly as conducible to a further: end it is repugnant to the nature of meanes, as such, to be considered as good in themselves: study is in it selfe the most noble employment of the soule; but ayming at wisedome or knowledge, we consider it as good, onelyonly in as much as it conduceth to that end; otherwise as a wearinesse to the flesh. Eccl. 12. 12 Secondly, such as have no good at all, in any kind as in themselves considered, but meerely as conducing to that end, which they are fit to attaine, they receive all their goodnesse (which is but relative) from that whereunto they are appointed; in themselves no way desirable: as the cutting off a legge or an arme for the preservation of life; taking a bitter portion for health sake, throwing corne & lading into the sea to prevent shipwrack: of which nature is the death of Christ, as wee shall afterwards declare.
These kThe application of these distinctions intended.things being thus proposed in generall, our next taske must bee to accommodate them to the present businesse in hand, § VI which we shall doe in order, by laying downe the Agent working, the meanes wrought, and the end effected in the great worke of our Redemption; for those three must be orderly considered and distinctly, that we may have a right apprehension of the whole, into the first whereof foreign we make an entrance in.