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

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, Gen. 3.10. I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid. —Sin had brought such an aversation in the heart of man from God and all good, that without Christ's undertakings for man, man could have loved him no more than Devils.

Why did the Son of God become the Son of Man? Why did he shed his Blood, lay down his Life? Why did he suffer, sweat, bleed, and dye? Why did he bear our Punishment, satisfy Divine Justice, endure the Wrath of God, the Rage of Men and Devils, but to bring man back again to God, from whom he had departed? And that the ⟨p. 102⟩stream of man's affections might be turned again into its right Channel?

Why did the Son of God become the Son of Man? Why did he shed his Blood, lay down his Life? Why did he suffer, sweat, bleed, and dye? Why did he bear our Punishment, satisfie Divine Justice, endure the Wrath of God, the Rage of Men and Devils, but to bring man back again to God, from whom he had departed? And that the ⟨p. 102⟩stream of man's affections might be turned again into its right Channel?

Couldst thou not have loved the World, and Self, if Christ had never dyed? Couldst thou not have loved thy Pleasures and thy Sins, if Christ had never died? And having died, wilt thou love no better? Hath he come from Heaven to gain thy Love, and shall he not have it? Hath he given himself a Ransom to deliver thee from thy Captivity, and paid thy Debt, for which thou shouldst have gone to the Prison of Hell, to gain thy Love, and shall he not have it? Hath he given his Life for thine, his Soul for thine, in dying when thou shouldst have dyed, and all this to gain thy Love, and shall he not have it?