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

But whatever be thy confidence, I do declare to thy face, it is a great and Soul-damning mistake; for as Love and Obedience are conjoined in the Scripture, so they are never parted in the true and sincere Lover.

Weigh these Scriptures, and thou wilt find thy Love pretended to without obedience, to be so light, that it will be driven away by the evidence of the Word, like chaff before the wind. Exod. 20.6. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. The same words repeated, Deut. 5.10. and Deut. 7.9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. And 11.13. And it shall come ⟨p. 126⟩to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments, which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart, and with all your soul—Neh. 1.5. I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him, and observe his commandments. Joh. 14.15. If ye love me, keep my commandments. 21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is, (yes, that is the man) that loveth me—23. Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words—24. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings.—Do ye see how in all these Texts Obedience is joined with Love? If Love go before, Obedience follows after, and the latter is a proof of the former.

Weigh these Scriptures, and thou wilt find thy Love pretended to without obedience, to be so light, that it will be driven away by the evidence of the Word, like chaff before the wind.