Page:Christ's napkin.pdf/13

 beginning and the end." Our Lord here being to make an offer of the water of life; he firſt ſheweth what he is, even the firſt and the laſt letters of the A, B, C; "The ancient of days, the eternal Son of the eternal God." It teaches us that we may crack more of our old holding, and old charter, than all the world can do: For why? When began Chriſt to bear a good-will to a ſinner? Even when he began to be God; and he was God from all eternity. Suppoſe the ſun in the firmament were eternal, the light of it behoved to be eternal: for the light of the ſun is as old as the ſun. Love is a beam of light, and heat that comes from Chriſt the Sun of righteouſneſs; therefore ever-living Chriſt, and ever-loving love: for love comes not on Chriſt the day which was not on him yeſterday: man's love and a king's love are very much hunted for, and yet they die, and their love dies with them, and often their love dies before themſelves: but who ſeeks Chriſt's love that changes not? yea, this is a matter of admiration and wonder that Chriſt ſhould have thought on us worms of clay ere ever we were, and that our ſalvation is as old as evermore, and as old as Chriſt, and Chriſt as old as God; for indeed, if God ſhould begin at any point of time to love ſinners, his love ſhould have had a beginning; and if his love ſhould have had a beginning, Chriſt himſelf ſhould have had a beginning; becauſe love with him is one with his eſſence and nature: But it may be ſaid, can the love of God be older than the death of Chriſt? Anſwer, Chriſt's death doth not make God properly a hater for a lover of man, for then both his will ſhould be changeable, and his love have a beginning. How then? Chriſt's death not only let God kythe the fruits of his eternal love out upon us, but after ſuch