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

SECT. XII. The Eleventh Thing required in it.

Eleventhly, This Love includes a Resignation of a man's self to Christ, without reservation of any thing he is or hath, unto himself. A Lover of Christ doth so devote, dedicate, and give up himself unfeignedly to Christ, as to his rightful Owner, and bountiful Benefactor, that he looks upon himself to be Christ's, more than his own; to live to Christ, and not to himself, and to seek Christ in all, and not himself. As in Conjugal Love there is a mutual giving each to other; the one, I give my self to thee; the other, and I give my self to thee; so in this holy Spiritual Love between Christ and the Soul, Christ gives himself unto the Soul, and says, I am thine, my Righteousness is thine, my Merits are thine, and all my Benefits shall be thine: So the Soul in love with Christ, saith, Lord, I give my self to thee, my Understanding shall be thine, my Will, my Heart, my Estate, my All shall be thine, at thy Command, at thy Disposal, for me to have, to use, to leave or lose, as thou shalt please. Cant. 2.16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. Hos. 2.23. I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

ELeventhly, This Love includes a Resignation of a man's self to Christ, without reservation of any thing he is or hath, unto himself. A Lover of Christ doth so devote, dedicate, and give up himself unfeignedly to Christ, as to his rightful Owner, and bountiful Benefactor, that he looks upon himself to be Christ's, more than his own; to live to Christ, and not to himself, and to seek Christ in all, and not himself. As in Conjugal Love there is a mutual giving each to other; the one, I give my self to thee; the other, and I give my self to thee; so in this holy Spiritual Love between Christ and the Soul, Christ gives himself unto the Soul, and says, I am thine, my Righteousness is thine, my Merits are thine, and all my Benefits shall be thine: So the Soul in love with Christ, saith, Lord, I give my self to thee, my Understanding shall be thine, my Will, my Heart, my Estate, my All shall be thine, at thy Command, at thy Disposal, for me to have, to use, to leave or lose, as thou shalt please.