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

1. If,] This if joined to the not loving of Christ is one of the saddest ifs you can suppose; if you should be poor, if you should be cast into Prison, if you should be banished, if you should suffer the loss of liberty and life, it is not so bad, as if you should not love the Lord Jesus Christ: For if you be cast to Hell, if you should be damned for ever, it will be if you love not Christ: If you be ever saved, if you never love Christ, God is not true, and Christ is not true, and this Word of God is not true; if you pray till you wear the skin from off your knees, if you cry for mercy till you waste your Tongue; if you confess sin, and weep your selves blind; if you go as far towards Heaven as ever glossing Hypocrite did, and all this while have no sincere love to Christ, you never shall escape the Damnation of Hell; if you do, say I am a Liar, say I preached falsehood and deceitful words unto you. What! will you drive us to despair? yes, that I would with all my heart, into this despair of ever getting to Heaven without sincere, unfeigned love to Christ; for despair you must of having Happiness and eternal Glory any other way than God hath prescribed in his Word; and Love to Christ is one qualification of that man that shall be saved.

1. If,] This if joined to the not loving of Christ is one of the saddest ifs you can suppose; if you should be poor, if you should be cast into Prison, if you should be banished, if you should suffer the loss of liberty and life, it is not so bad, as if you should not love the Lord Jesus Christ: For if you be cast to Hell, if you should be damned for ever, it will be if you love not Christ: If you be ever saved, if you never love Christ, God is not true, and Christ is not true, and this Word of God is not true; if you pray till you wear the skin from off your knees, if you cry for mercy till you waste your Tongue; if you confess sin, and weep your selves blind; if you go as far towards Heaven as ever glozing Hypocrite did, and all this while have no sincere love to Christ, you never shall escape the Damnation of Hell; if you do, say I am a Lyer, say I preached falshood and deceitful words unto you. What! will you drive us to despair? yes, that I would with all my heart, into this despair of ever getting to Heaven without sincere, unfeigned love to Christ; for despair you must of having Happiness and eternal Glory any other way than God hath prescribed in his Word; and Love to Christ is one qualification of that man that shall be saved.