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

SECT. II. The Explication of Anathema, Maran-atha.

Anathema, where found in Scripture, is usually Translated Accursed. Acts 23.14. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, [Greek or Hebrew], We have bound our selves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul: i.e. with a Curse we have Cursed; that is, grievously Cursed, or bound our selves with direful Curses, Vers. 21. The same word used. Gal. 1.8. But tho we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, [Greek or Hebrew], let him be (Anathema) accursed. Repeated verse 9. Mark 14.71. But he began ([Greek or Hebrew]) to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. Rom. 9.3. For I could wish my self (Anathema) were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 1 Cor. 12.3. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus (Anathema) accursed. Not to love Jesus, is to carry our selves towards him as tho he were Anathema; but forasmuch as he is God over all, blessed for ever; whosoever loves not him, shall be Anathema for ever. This Greek word is used as the Hebrew word [Greek or Hebrew], Cherem, which is Translated utterly to destroy, viz. 1 Sam. 15.9. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, [Greek or Hebrew], and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was vile and refuse, [Greek or Hebrew], that ⟨p. 4⟩they destroyed utterly. The Greek Verb signifieth such Cursing, as when a man either sweareth, voweth, or wisheth himself to dye, or to be given to the Devil, except he—: And the Hebrew word that answereth to it, signifieth, Utterly to destroy, to devote to destruction: As much as to say, If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be utterly destroyed, devoted to destruction, let the Devil take him; and so he will by God's own Order and Command.