Love to Christ, necessary to escape the curse at his coming

Eighthly, This Love chooseth Christ for himself, and for the Excellency of his own Person; tho not with the exclusion of our own Benefit and Salvation by him. Our own Benefits by Christ might be looked at by the returning soul at first, as ordine prima, but not quoad dignitatem praecipua & ultima. The Soul might first be allured and drawn to look after Christ, and to love him, by the consideration of the matchless Good and Benefits it might have by him, which the convinced sinner seeth he can find in no other; but in process of time, and in his progress in the way to Heaven, he learns and sees that Excellency and Beauty in Christ, that he is in himself more amiable than all the Objects of his former Love.

EIghthly, This Love chuseth Christ for himself, and for the Excellency of his own Person; tho not with the exclusion of our own Benefit and Salvation by him. Our own Benefits by Christ might be looked at by the returning soul at first, as ordine prima, but not quoad dignitatem praecipua & ultima. The Soul might first be allured and drawn to look after Christ, and to love him, by the consideration of the matchless Good and Benefits it might have by him, which the convinced sinner seeth he can find in no other; but in process of time, and in his progress in the way to Heaven, he learns and sees that Excellency and Beauty in Christ, that he is in himself more amiable than all the Objects of his former Love.

To ask therefore, Whether we are to love Christ for himself, or for his Benefits we have by him? is to propound a question which yet I have not observed in the Scripture, nor disjunctively answered therein; for one is subordinate to the other, and subordinata non sunt opposita, nec pugnant. I am to love Christ for himself, and for the Goodness, Excellency, and Amiableness of his own Person; and I am to love Christ for the good I have received by ⟨p. 36⟩him, and for the benefits I hope further for his sake to be made partaker of; and the one is an help unto the other: Though I am to love Christ more for himself, than for my advantage by him; yet in loving of him, I do not conceive I am to cast away the consideration of the benefits by him.