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

3. Was it not Goodness in God to accept of Christ's Sufferings for thy Sinnings? Of Christ's Death, instead of thy Damnation, if thou wouldst believe on him and love him? And wilt thou slight this Goodness, by withholding thy love from him?

4. Was it not patience in God to wait so long for thy Love? Might he not have damned thee for thy first refusal? And have taken thy first denial for thy final answer? And have scorned thy love, after thou hadst so long given it to the world and sin, and denied it unto his Son? And when in thy wicked heart thou hadst once said, Thou wilt not love him; God in his righteous judgment might have said, I have thine answer; and for this, Thou shalt not love him. If God had been thus quick and short with thee, who hast been so slow to love his Son, what a deplorable condition would thy Soul have been in this day, and to all Eternity? But if God hath waited so many years, and doth still wait, if perhaps thou wilt change thy mind, return unto thy wits, and give a wiser answer? Wilt thou still abuse his Patience, by persisting in the denial of thy love to Christ? Take heed lest his Patience towards thee ⟨p. 106⟩should end, before thy Love to Christ begin; for then when thy Punishment for not loving of him doth once begin, it shall never end. The longest Patience turned into Wrath, thou shalt find the longest and the hottest Wrath, and most fiery Indignation.

V. Not love Jesus! What is this but an utter subverting of the whole design of the Gospel, and refusing life and salvation by the Covenant of Grace? God gave to innocent man a Law and Covenant of Works, but he quickly transgressed that Law, and thereby by that Covenant Happiness became impossible to man. After that, God gave a Law and Covenant of Grace to fallen man, and established the same in the Blood of his Son; and will you also refuse Life and Happiness by going on in your sin of not loving Christ? For hereby 1. The Conditions of the Gospel are Neglected. 2. The Threatenings of the Gospel are Slighted. 3. The Commands of the Gospel are Disobeyed. 4. The Promises of the Gospel are Undervalued.