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

But yet all this may be prevented; may it? And will ye not endeavour it? How? By calling off your love from other things, and placing it predominantly upon the Lord Jesus. By Faith in him, and Love unto him, the Curse might be escaped, and the Blessing obtained at his coming; and had ye rather be Damned, than love Christ? Indeed! Is your Enmity so much to him, that ye had rather be miserable for ever, than place your Affections upon him? Are ye not yet willing to forsake your Old Love, and get New Love to Christ? Can ye be willing to be miserable, and pained, and tormented, in extremity, to all Eternity? I know ye cannot: And yet I know, ⟨image 8⟩whether ye be willing, or unwilling, without love to Christ, miserable you must be. Oh that ye did clearly see, steadfastly believe, and distinctly apprehend the transcendent Excellency, the amiable Beauty, the invaluable Worth of this Lord Jesus, that ye might prize him more than Gold and Pearls, and costly Jewels, and love him more than all. How is it when ye hear those on Earth, that love him most, so much complain of the smallness of their love to him, that ye do not reflect upon your selves, and say, What Sinners then are we, that have no love at all to him, and yet are not troubled, because we do not love him? For my own part, I do complain I cannot love this Blessed Jesus with that strength of Love I ought, and earnestly do desire, and endeavour to grieve more, because I love him no more, and to loath my self so much the more, by how much I fall short of that Love I ought to have to him. Oh that others may make up what I do want, and might be enlarged, and abound in that love, wherein I am straitened and defective; that what degrees of Love I cannot reach, others on ⟨image 9⟩Earth might attain unto, that while I mourn for the smallness of my own Love, I might rejoice in the greatness of the Love of others unto this lovely Jesus; and yet when all this is less than he is worthy of, let it be some joy unto my grieved Soul, that saved Souls above, and Angels in Glory, do love him with a perfect and eternal Love, that though I cannot love him as they do, yet I may rejoice on Earth, that there are Ten Thousand times Ten Thousands, and Thousands of Thousands in Heaven, rejoicing in the fullness of Love which is in them to him, when Thousands upon Earth never will, and Millions in Hell never can, love this most lovely Lord Jesus Christ.