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

2. Is it not great folly to love that which cannot love you again, and not him that would? Ye love your Gold, but that cannot love you again: The Clothes upon your back, the Furniture in your Houses ye love, but these can make no returns of Love. Ye give your love to them, but ye receive no love from them. Are ye not vexed, when ye love a Man that doth not love you again, nor return love for love? And why are ye so well pleased, and are so well contented, in placing the very strength of your love on Worldly things, where the return of love is not only not actual, but impossible? But would ye love Christ, ye should have more love from him than ye give unto him, if ye strive with all your might to love him with the utmost love ye can, Joh. 14.21, 23. Prov. 8.17.

2. Is it not great folly to love that which cannot love you again, and not him that would? Ye love your Gold, but that cannot love you again: The Cloaths upon your back, the Furniture in your Houses ye love, but these can make no returns of Love. Ye give your love to them, but ye receive no love from them. Are ye not vexed, when ye love a Man that doth not love you again, nor return love for love? And why are ye so well pleased, and are so well contented, in placing the very strength of your love on Worldly things, where the return of love is not only not actual, but impossible? But would ye love Christ, ye should have more love from him than ye give unto him, if ye strive with all your might to love him with the utmost love ye can, Joh. 14.21, 23. Prov. 8.17.

3. Is it not great folly to love that which can never satisfy you, and not him that would satisfy your Souls for ever? Did these things ye love, ever fill your desires? Did they ever give you full content? How should they? When God hath made your Souls capable of the enjoyment of an infinite good, how can that which is finite fill them? It is only an infinite good, and not finite, that can satisfy your Souls, though they be finite; all the Creatures cannot fill one. For the Will of Man, though it be subjectively finite, yet it is objectively infinite; that is, (for to be easy and plain in such a place as this, and in such matters as these, before you, is best, because for you most profitable and edifying) though the Will in it self, and in its own Nature, because a Creature, is finite, and limited, yet it is capable of making choice of God, for its chiefest Good,