A Golden Chain

Away from me] Here we may learn, what a blessed thing it is for a man to have true fellowship with Christ in this world. For in the day of judgement the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him, and driven away from his presence. Now he that would have fellowship with God after this life, & escape that punishment, must seek to have it in this life: and he that will not seek to have fellowship with him in this life shall never have it after in the day of judgement. Again, let us mark that it is nothing to draw near unto Christ with our lips, if the heart be not with him: for such as come near with the lip and keep aloof in the heart, shall hear the sentence pronounced, Away from me ye cursed; and shall be severed as far from Christ as hell from heaven. Therefore let us not content our selves with formal profession, but open the doors of our hearts, that the king of glory may come in. Ye cursed] They are cursed who are borne in sin and live in their sins, and all the days of their lives so persevere to the last gasp without seeking recovery. Whosoever he be, that is in this estate, the curse of God hangeth over his head, and will so do till he get reconciliation with God in Christ. This being so, above all things in this world we must labour to be at peace with God, and never cease nor be quiet with our selves till we have the same wrought and sealed in our hearts. For before such time as we be in Gods favour, his fearful curse hangs over our heads, and if we so persevere without repentance, the day will come when we shall hear this fearful sentence pronounced against us: Away from me ye cursed into hell fire. What hell fire is, we must not curiously search, but rather give our whole endeavour to learn how we may avoid it: as when a mans house is on fire, his care must be, not to search how it came, but rather how to quench it: yet we are to know thus much, that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame, but it signifies the seizing of the fearful and terrible wrath of God both on body and soul for ever. For howsoever the body be subject to burning with bodily fire, yet the soul being spiritual can not burn; and therefore hell fire is not a material fire, but a grievous torment, fitly resembled thereby. Prepared for the devil and his angels.] There is in every mans heart by nature this corruption;

Away from me] Here we may learne, what a blessed thing it is for a man to haue true fellowshippe with Christ in this world. For in the day of iudgement the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him, and driuen away from his presence. Now he that would haue fellowship with God after this life, & escape that punishmēt, must seeke to haue it in this life: and he that will not seeke to haue fellowship with him in this life shall neuer haue it after in the day of iudgement. Againe, let vs marke that it is nothing to draw neere vnto Christ with our lippes, if the heart be not with him: for such as come neere with the lippe and keepe aloofe in the heart, shall heare the sentence pronounced, Away from me ye cursed; and shall be seuered as farre from Christ as hell from heauen. Therefore let vs not content our selues with formall profession, but open the doores of our hearts, that the king of glorie may come in. Ye cursed] They are cursed who are borne in sinne and liue in their sinnes, and all the daies of their liues so perseuere to the last gaspe without seeking recouerie. Whosoeuer he be, that is in this estate, the curse of God hangeth ouer his head, and will so doe till he get reconciliation with God in Christ. This beeing so, aboue all things in this world we must labour to be at peace with God, and neuer cease nor be quiet with our selues till we haue the same wrought and sealed in our hearts. For before such time as we be in Gods fauour, his fearefull curse hangs ouer our heads, and if we so perseuere without repentance, the day will come when we shall heare this fearefull sentence pronounced against vs: Away from me yee cursed into hell fire. What hell fire is, we must not curiously search, but rather giue our whole endeauour to learne how we may auoid it: as when a mans house is on fire, his care must be, not to search how it came, but rather how to quench it: yet we are to know thus much, that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame, but it signifies the seazing of the fearefull and terrible wrath of God both on bodie and soule for euer. For howsoeuer the bodie be subiect to burning with bodily fire, yet the soule beeing spirituall can not burne; and therefore hell fire is not a materiall fire, but a grieuous torment, fitly resembled thereby. Prepared for the deuill and his angels.] There is in euery mans heart by nature this corruption;