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

VII. Improve the Principle of self-love to the promoting of love to Jesus Christ; and say, Do not I love my self? Have I not so much love to my own Soul, as to wish it well for ever? Would I have my self miserable and accursed for ever? If I be sick, do not I love my self so far as to desire health? If in pain, to desire ease? If in want, to seek supply? And is there any way for me to procure good, everlasting good, but by Jesus Christ? I might love my self, to please my self in sinful delights, to destroy my self and damn my self, without loving of Christ: But such Self-love at last will prove Self-hatred; and is that the best love, I ⟨p. 193⟩have for my self? Surely if I love not Christ, I hate my self.

VIII. Make use of the sense of natural and friendly Love to raise in thee Love to Jesus Christ. Thou hast some experience of the sweetness and delight there is in loving of a Friend, Oh then what will be the delight of love to Christ! Thou feelest what it is to love thy Parents, to love thy Children, thy Wife, thy Husband; if thou meetest with troubles, Love doth make them light. Is there so much sweetness in the love of a Creature, and will there not be much more in the love of the Saviour? If the Streams be sweet, is not the Fountain much more? I have found comfort and pleasure in the love of Relations, I will now try what is to be found in love to Christ the Lord.

IX. Improve the vanity and vexation of the Creature, and all thy disappointments and afflictions, to raise and promote in thee the love of Christ. Thou hast let out thy love upon the world, how hath it proved? and what hath it afforded thee? Hast thou not found it to be a wearisome empty world? A world of Care, and Grief, and Pain? Thou hast looked for Ease, and behold Trouble; for Content, and behold Vexation; for Satisfaction, and behold Emptiness; and is this a World to be loved more than Christ? Is not it's Sweetness, sour? It's Mirth, Sorrow? It's Riches, poor? Oh then I must love Christ, or have nothing to love, out Vanity and Deceit.