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

If it be due so many ways, what Injustice will it be in thee to deny to Christ that which is his due? Art thou not careful to give to every one their own? And is it not an ease to thy mind, that though thou art not Rich, yet thou hast to give every one his due? Dost thou not Trade, Work, Cark and Care, to give all their own, and shall Christ be the only Person to whom thou wilt be Unjust? If thou hast not enough to satisfy all thy Creditors, yet of one, whom thou lovest, and bearest more respect unto, thou sayest, If it please God, such a one shall lose nothing by me. Poor Sinner! wilt ⟨p. 171⟩thou say, Though I cannot do what I should, yet Christ shall not be so far a Loser by me, as not to have my Heart and Love. Look to it, that he do not; for if he do, thou wilt lose thy Soul; and then who will be the greatest loser?

If it be due so many ways, what Injustice will it be in thee to deny to Christ that which is his due? Art thou not careful to give to every one their own? And is it not an ease to thy mind, that though thou art not Rich, yet thou hast to give every one his due? Dost thou not Trade, Work, Cark and Care, to give all their own, and shall Christ be the only Person to whom thou wilt be Unjust? If thou hast not enough to satisfie all thy Creditors, yet of one, whom thou lovest, and bearest more respect unto, thou sayest, If it please God, such a one shall lose nothing by me. Poor Sinner! wilt ⟨p. 171⟩thou say, Though I cannot do what I should, yet Christ shall not be so far a Loser by me, as not to have my Heart and Love. Look to it, that he do not; for if he do, thou wilt lose thy Soul; and then who will be the greatest loser?

XIV. Is it not great condescension in Christ, that he will so kindly accept of thy Love? One so great accept the Love of one so mean! One so holy accept the love of one that is so sinful! One so glorious, of one so vile! Do great Men value the love of Beggars? or Princes, the love of Peasants? Would a Man of great Birth and Estate give leave to one clothed in Rags to love him in order to Marriage? Or would he not scorn and reject both the person and her love? Methinks, considering what Christ is, and what thou art, thou shouldst say, If Christ will give me leave, I will love him. Give thee leave! Not only so, but gives the command, and that upon pain and peril of everlasting Damnation, if thou dost not. He doth give thee leave and charge to love him, but no leave to live without love to him, though for thy long refusal he might justly leave thee to live without love to him.