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

Dost thou not see that all the Visible Works of God do that for which they were made? Did not God make the Sun to give light unto this World? And dost thou not see what haste it makes to set, and in the morning thou perceivest, when out of view, it kept its course, and hasted to rise to give its light to this our Hemisphere again? Did not God make this Earth to bring forth Fruit for the comfort of man? And dost thou not daily eat thereof? Did not God make other Creatures for the use and service of man? And do they not do so? And hath not God made thee, and made it thy duty to love him? Why then dost thou not do it.

Oh monstrous perverting of the Creation of God! And that in the best of his visible works. If the like were done by other creatures, how ⟨p. 101⟩soon wouldst thou be weary of thy life? If the Sun should withhold its light, what a dungeon would this world be? If the Earth should bring forth nothing but Briars and Thorns, it would yield thee nothing but vexation and sorrow. If the creatures should use their power and strength against thee, as they do in serving of thee, thou wouldst judge it better to want them, than to have them. And shall all that was made for man answer their end, and not man, that was made more immediately for God himself? But a man that wants Love to Christ, is become worse than the beasts that perish, Psal. 49.20. Better thou hadst never had the heart of a man, if Christ hath not thy heart.

II. Not love Christ! What is this, but a thwarting the end of all Christ's undertaking for thee, as thy Redeemer? When man had sinned away the Holy Image of God, and turned his heart and affections from God to the Creature, man might have feared him, but never have loved him,