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

When by the Word this Love is not wrought, God might effect it by the Rod. When thou wast ⟨p. 194⟩deaf to all Instructions, God can open thy Ear and Heart by some Affliction, and shake thee over the grave, if thereby he might shake the love of the World and Sin out of thy Heart; and by threatening thee by sickness, that thou shalt have no longer room in the World, make room for the love of Christ in thy Heart; and by threatening to separate thy Soul and Body, he might part thy Soul and the love of sin. By some sickness he brings thee to the brink of the Grave, and bids thee look where thou must lodge; and then to the borders of Hell, and bids thee look where thou must lie, if thou wilt not hearken to his Son. He lays thee on thy weary Bed, and shows thee a sight of another World, and thy nearness to it, and doth threaten a Divorce of Soul and Body, that thou mightest be willing thy sin might be divorced from thy Soul, that thy Soul might love, and be married to his Son; of which some have had such good experience, that they can say, This was healthful sickness, recovering weakness. The view of Death, the means of Love and Life. If I had not been sick, I had not been well; if God had not shown me Death, I had never seen Life: If I had not been filled with these fears, I had past my days without hope; if I had not been brought into these straits, I had never been set at liberty: If I had not been poor, I had never been rich; if I had not been empty, I had never been filled; if I had not been driven to feed on husks, I had never been feasted in my Father's House; if I had not found bitterness in the love of the Creature, I had never tasted the sweetness of the Love of Christ.

When by the Word this Love is not wrought, God might effect it by the Rod. When thou wast ⟨p. 194⟩deaf to all Instructions, God can open thy Ear and Heart by some Affliction, and shake thee over the grave, if thereby he might shake the love of the World and Sin out of thy Heart; and by threatning thee by sickness, that thou shalt have no longer room in the World, make room for the love of Christ in thy Heart; and by threatning to separate thy Soul and Body, he might part thy Soul and the love of sin. By some sickness he brings thee to the brink of the Grave, and bids thee look where thou must lodge; and then to the borders of Hell, and bids thee look where thou must lie, if thou wilt not hearken to his Son. He lays thee on thy weary Bed, and shews thee a sight of another World, and thy nearness to it, and doth threaten a Divorce of Soul and Body, that thou mightest be willing thy sin might be divorced from thy Soul, that thy Soul might love, and be married to his Son; of which some have had such good experience, that they can say, This was healthful sickness, recovering weakness. The view of Death, the means of Love and Life. If I had not been sick, I had not been well; if God had not shewn me Death, I had never seen Life: If I had not been filled with these fears, I had past my days without hope; if I had not been brought into these straits, I had never been set at liberty: If I had not been poor, I had never been rich; if I had not been empty, I had never been filled; if I had not been driven to feed on husks, I had never been feasted in my Father's House; if I had not found bitterness in the love of the Creature, I had never tasted the sweetness of the Love of Christ.