St. Bede on Proximity to God

Bede the Venerable ca. 673-735

Jas 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Draw near to the Lord by following his footsteps through humility, and he will draw near to you by freeing you from your difficulties through his mercy. For not everyone is far from God by distances, but by dispostions. For though both he who is inclined to virtues and he who falls away in the filth of vices dwell in one place on the earth, the one is far from God, the other has God near. Hence the psalmist also says, The Lord is near to all who call upon him in truth, (Ps. 145 [144]:18) and again, Salvation is far from sinners, (Ps. 119 [118]:155) that salvation is certainly of which we sing, The Lord is my light and my salvation. (Ps. 27[26]:1)