bowe abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob Psal. 3. 2. Many say of my soul There is no help for him in God See so sweet a But vers. 3. But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head So is the childe of Gods condition made up of two haltes Psal. 18. 18. Hence the fall They prevented me in the day of my calamity Then the rise But the Lord was my stay Psal. 22. 7. All that see me laugh me to scorn c. Hence faiths rise vers. 9. But thou art he that took me out of the wombe c. Psal. 30. 5. Weeping may endure for a night then the returne But joy cometh in the morning Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous this is their down but they lie not But the Lord delivereth them out of all Psal. 71. 7. I am a wonder to many that is dark night but the day dawneth againe But thou art my strong hold So doth the servant of God fall Psal. 109. 4. For my love they were mine adversaries but faith riseth again But I give my self to prayer Psal. 118. 13. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall see the escape But the Lord helped me vers. 18. The Lord hath chastised me sore shall he lie in that condition No But he hath not delivered me to death Esay 54. 7. For a smal moment I have forsaken thee behold the returne But with great mercies wil I gather thee Esay 63. 6. For we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnes as filthy rags we all do fade as a leafe our iniquities like the winde have taken us away this is death and look to life again vers. 8. But thou O Lord art our Father c. Jer. 1. 19. They shall fight against thee there were but a whole Parliament all the estates of the Land Kings Princes Priests and People against Jeremiah but he must not lie on the dust But they shall not prevaile against thee for I am with thee to deliver thee Joh. 16. 22. Ye now therefore have sorrow that is a sad case yet it hath a turne But I will see you againe and ye shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you so are these two at once in the Lords witnesses his Apostles 2. Cor. 4. 9. persecuted But not forsaken cast down But not destroyed 2. Tim. 4 16. At my first appearing no man stood with me but all men forsook me yet is he lifted up vers. 17. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me Secondly There is a contexture of contraries as black and white sweet and sowre woven through other as day-light and night in a morning twy-light as contraries in one subject 2. Cor. 6. 9. As dying and behold we live as chastened yet not killed verse 10. Or as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all things How can these two be in one They kill us but we die not they bury us but we live againe in the grave we have nothing and we have all things we have we want not Rom. 8 36. Killed all the day long and counted as sleep for the slaughter 37. Neverthelesse in all these more than Conquerours c. Hence they are killed all the day long and they live all the day long I know not how it is but the Churches death is a living and a breathing death their poverty a rich poverty their shame glorious shame their sadnesse joyfull sadnesse their foyles victorious foyles their paine an health and an easie paine their weaknesse strong and mighty weaknesse I desire to make some use of this And 1. There be no worldly States and Monarchies of whom this can be said Their Kingdome such as cannot be destroyed Where is there a worldly Kingdome that cannot be shaken Moab was a Kingdome and yet Moab shall die in his own vomit Jer. 48. 26. Aegypt is a great Kingdome and yet it is broken like an old Clay-pot or a lame Vessell The foure great Monarchies are become like foure May-flowres withered and their rosie blossoms are fallen off them in their moneth Did they mean no truth who said of earthly Kingdomes Omnis faelicitas ad culmen perducta retrogreditur and Magna suo pondere ruunt VVorldly felicity when it is at the height of the Stairs sitteth downe and slippeth back againe And great things of this Earth are a burden to themselves summisque negatum stare diu It is denied to great things to stand long Alas how long did one of the Kings of Gods People raigne even Zachariah poore six moneths Shallum came not to this he raigned in Samaria one moneth And Zimri who came to the Crowne by blood had a shorter raigne He did walk with a Crowne seven dayes If Pope Victor the fifth had a longer time of a golden chaire it was but five years and Clemens the third ruled but three yeers and Alexander the eleventh only two yeers And though it be but a fiction that Kingdomes have their fatall yeers and Monarnarchies are under Planetary houres yet some truth must be in this Kingdomes have their infancy and come to a greater strength till they come to their flowre and then they begin to turn and it is congruous to their experienced truth That Kingdomes finde old age And gray hairs are here and there upon Ephraim and he knoweth not 7. 9. It is much better to bee a subject or one of the States of the Kingdome of grace for grace knoweth no old age nor hath grace an internall principle of corruption for it is the seed of eternall glory and though the Powers of the Earth may subvert the foundation and Fundamentall Laws of earthly Kingdoms yet cannot Christs Kingdome or the constitution of it be broken But that which doth loose the Pillars of a Kingdome is sinne Amos. 1. For three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof So Ammon Moab Judah are under the same punishment There is no way to secure England from wrath but turning to the Lord And especially two sinnes in the State are to be seriously taken to heart 1. You suffered many worthy servants of God who pleaded the Lords cause for a Reformation against the Prelates to be silenced deprived imprisoned banished Both in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth and of King James Prelates oppressed the servants of Christ and did tyrannize over the conscience of the Lords people in this Land former Parliaments did not give Christ and his servants faire Justice and now hath the Lord stirred up these oppressors to oppresse your Parliament and to raise bloody wars against the Land 2. It is said Hos. 5. 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgement because he willingly followed the Commandement It hath been the sinne of this Land that when
Dominion herein is so eminent that in necessary causes the Lord worketh a sort of contingency and in contingent causes a sort of necessity as he saith to the fire Burn Burn not Burn those who cast into the Furnace the three Children Burn not the three Children Daniel 3. 22 24. He commandeth the Sun to move and it moveth Psal. 104. 19. He commandeth it to stand still and it doth so in the dayes of Ioshua He saith O sea ebbe and flow Ier. 5. 22. and it doth so He saith O sea stand still as a VVall or as an heap of Ice do not ebbe nor flow while my people go through dry and it doth so And what he hath decreed must be though it fall out in a contingent way Iosephs Brethren must fell him Potipher must cast him in prison King Pharaoh must exalt him to honour 5. VVhen causes seeme confused in their operations God exerciseth his Dominion Why should an Arrow smite Achab betwixt the joynts of the harnesse and kill him many thousands may bee killed as soone as he But God shot the Arrow the Bow and the Arrow of JEHOVAHS Dominion was here when two Armies of many thousands on every side joyne battell What confusion is there when thousands are rolled in bloud who marshalleth bullets through the Aire God ranketh Bullets Arrows and Fire-works as his Souldiers flying in the Air and will have a good man killed in a good cause and a wicked man in an evil cause to come faire and safe off here must be the Dominion of God 6. How is it that Satan and wicked men in their blackest works of hell are as Chariots and Horsemen carrying on the counsels of Heaven and serving Gods eternall counsell when they are not serving God himself we are to draw this into our selves for God communicateth an inferiour Dominion to his Church and people for the which he is to be adored 1. God is conquering mens judgement that they yeeld to truth 2. He hath given a Dominion to his saints and given them to bee above all things and put all Creatures under the childe of God and hath put the world life death court glory riches under the fear faith love and joy of his own children nothing is great to a believer but Christ nothing high but the most high nothing fair but he who is white and ruddy and the fairest of the sonnes of men Cant. 5. 10. Psal. 45. 2. Nothing ancient as the ancient of dayes Nothing honourable as the King of ages Nothing desireable as the Lord the desire of all Nations when creatures have Dominion over us and are above us and too great in our affections we be then under their power and our hearts are mastered and over-loaded by clay and shadows especially if death torture the sword losse of the sweet pleasures of this life have a Dominion over us our life is a bondage to us The people of God are Rom. 8. 36 37. killed and yet conquerors and victors 3 We are to effect a Dominion over sin How can this be for the children of God for the most are foyled in their combat betwixt the spirit and the flesh Paul was led captive I answer This may be and yet the Dominion is on the childe of Gods side 1. Because victory must not be measured by one blow but by the issue of the battell Christ at length in all his Saints shall bring forth Esai 42. 3. judgement unto truth Mat. 12. 20. into victory The Gospel at length is victorious in the heart of the childe of God 2. That the spirit keepeth the fields in that same soule with the flesh is a great Dominion in carnall men the spirit is not in the Fields at all and therefore he is a servant not a captive and when the childe of God sinneth it is but with the half of the will and so the flesh hath but half a vote and there is a protestation made on the contrary by that supernatural instinct A morgaging or a woodsetting is not a buying the soul giveth half consent but with reversion and a power to take back again at another time what is now given A man is legall proprietor and Lord of Lands morgaged though he want the present use of them 3. The foyles of the childe of God are the seed of humility of hunger for a fuller measure of grace of cautelous and more strict walking and often here falling one way is rising another way and this fall is a vertuall Dominion over pride Sinne helpeth by Gods grace to mortifie it self 4. We are to pray that the Gospel may have a Dominion O that we might be witnesses to see him who rideth on the white horse go forth through the habitable world with his Bow and his Crowne conquering and to conquer and that he would cause his servants alwayes to triumph in Christ and make manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place Revel. 6. 2. 2. Cor. 2. 14. Pray exalted be the glory of Jesus high high for evermore be his Throne O that the Pearles and Diadems of his royall Crowne may glister as farre as the beames of the Sun in the Firmament shine Let the wheeles of his Chariot be as the wings of an Eagle Let his enemies bow before him and those brazen knees which will not bow to Jesus Christ let them be broken O Lord let thy Kingdome come FINIS Esa 31. 9. Jer. 9. 21. Esa. 29. 8. Ezech. 28. 9. Ezech. 25 6. D. Tobias Crisp. Christ exalted Serm. 15. Serm. 16. Serm. 17.
made not God his strength Mahhuzzo his fortitude saith Jerome and in the matter of giving assent to truthes Consider in this comparison how Faith layeth it selfe upon God There bee six men condemned to die for treason the King sendeth a sealed pardon to one all the sixe reade the pardon and all believe it is the true deed of the Prince but five of them doe beleeve it with sorrow and no love to the Prince because their names are not in the pardon but the pardoned man beleeveth it not onely as true but his heart cleaveth to it with a heate and warmenesse of soule resting upon the grace of the Prince So doth the believer thrust his heart upon Christ and his free grace and hath a soule-kindenesse to the promises when hee heareth them which is not in these who onely take the word as true Canticles 8. 5. Who is she that cometh upout of the Wildernesse associating or neighboureth her selfe upon her well-beloved Faith maketh Christ a neighbour and a companion to the soule and therefore here must bee an Application of the heart to God in Christ 2. Assertion Some even deserted and missing the Lord to their feeling may and doe apply him to themselves as their owne Lord Psalme 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Canticles 5. 6. I opened to my well-beloved and my well-beloved had withdrawne himselfe then a God hiding himselfe and withdrawing his felt love to my faith may be my God Esay 49. 14. Zion saith My Lord hath forgotten me so Mary Magdalen saith Iohn 20. 13. They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him then hee may be a forgetting and taken away Lord to my feeling and yet to my faith also my Lord as though I were in Hell and Christ in Heaven I may beleeve and apprehend the relation standing to mee as the wife may beleeve that the angry and the forsaking husband is still her husband Gods glooming sometimes doth not breake the relation of a Lord or Saviour to mee no not in my apprehension and feeling 3. Assertion To beleeve that God is my Lord who from eternitie did chuse mee and of intention sent Christ to die for mee is not essentiall to saving faith for the doubtings of many beleevers who dare not say hee is my God and yet dare not renounce God or give over their claime and interest in Christ doth evidence manifestly that such doubting ones doe also beleeve though they cannot beleeve so much as appropriation of Christ as proper possession Hence two cases they be in who thus doubt 1. They beleeve but in the darke They stay on Jehovah and yet see no light Esay 50. 10. as children say their lesson sometimes without their booke and as those who are in the darke make their hands serve for their eyes and grope with their hands stretched out when they cannot see with their eyes 2. They be ready to halfe the Covenant and to divide it betwixt God and their soules and beleeve God to bee a father and yet dare not say they are Gods sonnes so the Prodigall divideth as it were the relation of a father from the relation of a sonne which is the bad Logicke of unbeleefe Luke 15. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against thee then hee beleeved him with a broken and halting faith to bee his Father yet his petition saith hee did not fully beleeve himselfe to bee a sonne and therefore hee craveth a place in the house inferiour to a sonne ver. 19. Make me as one of thy hired servants The other question is What warrant hath any weake doubter to beleeve that God is his God in Christ And there bee two grounds on which the doubt is bottomed 1. No man knoweth whether he be elected or reprobated when he is first charged to beleeve 2. The Lord is not really a parte rei the God and the Lord of the thousand part who heareth the Gospel and are condemned because they beleeve not on the onely begotten Sonne of God I set downe these Assertions for an Answer 1. Assertion The question is often not so much whether a poore soule would have Christ or no for there is no question of that as if hee would have Christ to bee his God in his owne legall way that is if hee would first be holy and worthy and then take Christ for his Saviour 2. Assertion Gods Decree of Election or his intention to save me is not the proper object of my Faith but rather of my sense and feeling wee goe mightily beside the line in the method of beleeving when we goe to beleeve at first Gods intention to save me The order is being humbled for sinne wee are to adhere to the goodnesse of the promise not to looke to his intention to persons but to his complacencie and tendernesse of heart to all humble sinners So Paul 1 Tim. 1. 15. embraceth by all meanes that good and faithfull saying Iesus Christ came to save sinners before he put himselfe in as the first of these sinners as the condemned man beleeveth first the Kings grace and clemencie to all humbled supplicants who sueth for grace before hee beleeve grace to himselfe and if this were not the method of applying Christ were unreasonable The woman diseased with the bloudy issue heard of Jesus and therefore came and touched the hemme of his garment What had she heard nothing of his exorable kindnesse and tender mercy towards her selfe but towards others and upon this beleeved so a Rope is cast downe in the Sea to a multitude of drowned men and all are bidden for their life lay hold on the Rope that they may be saved it were unseasonable and foolish curiositie for any of these poore men now upon death and life commanded to hold fast the Rope to dispute whether did the man who cast downe the Rope intend and purpose to save me or not and while my minde be at a point in that I will not put out one finger to touch the Rope but foole dispute with hands and armes and lay hold on the remedy and doe not thou begin a plea with Christ and leave that question to another time A Prince proclaimeth a free market of gold moneyes fine linnen rich garments and all precious Jewels to a number of poore men upon a purpose to enrich some few men whom of grace he purposeth to make honourable Courtiers and Officers of Estate all these men are now not to dispute the Kings secret purpose but to repaire to the market and to improve their Princes grace and buy without money Christ holdeth forth his Rope to drowned and lost sinners and layeth out an open market of the rich treasures of heaven doe thou take it for granted without any further dispute as a principle after to be made good that Christ hath thoughts of grace and peace concerning thee and doe but now husband well the grace
that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have our conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1. 12. must be a dream David Job Moses Samuel the Prophets and Apostles their joying in a good conscience arise from doubtfull and conjecturall evidences yea no man can say in any assurance I beleeve in Christ in the inner man I delight in the Law of the Lord I am crucified to the world my conversation is in Heaven for all these are inherent qualifications in the childe of God but they are doubtfull and uncertain How then hath God promised to love the righteous to reward beleeving with life eternall to give the prize to him that runneth c. 2. The testimony of the Spirit bearing witnesse to our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. is in this sence an immediate act of the Spirit because reflex acts of the soul are performed without any other medium or means but that whereby the direct acts are performed I know that I know I know that I beleeve my sence by that same immediate operation of the Spirit by the which I know God without any other light teacheth me to know that I know God even as by light I see colours but my common sense needeth not another Sun or another light to make me know that I see colours The Lambe when it seeth a Wolfe though it never did see a Wolfe before knoweth it to be an enemy and fleeth but to make it know that it knoweth the Wolfe there is nothing required but the internall and common instinct of nature So when I beleeve in Christ that habituall instinct of the grace of God actuated and stirred up by the Spirit of God maketh me know that I know God and that I beleeve and so that I am in Christ to my own certain feeling and apprehension but this doth not hinder but the assurance of my interest in Christ is made evident to me by other inferiour evidences 1 Joh. 2. 3 And hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements By the keeping of Gods Commandements we doe not know simply that we know God by certainty of faith But wee know that we know God these two wayes 1. We know the instinct of the new man being stirred up to action by that winde which bloweth when and where it listeth our knowing of God to bee sound saving and true Wee doe not so much know our knowing of God by this supernaturall sense as we know the supernaturall qualification and sincerity of our knowing of God So that we rather know the qualification of the act that the worke is done according to God then the act according to its substance though wee doe also know it in this relation 1 Ioh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren that is our love to the brethren doth evidence to us both that wee are translated to the Kingdome of grace and also it doth evidence that that translation is reall true sincere sound and effectuall by love and all the fruits of the Spirit 2. By these works of sanctification we have evidence that we have interest in Christ not as by former light suggesting to us that the immediate impression of this great and broad Seale of the King of glory and his personall and particular testimony is true for Gods Spirit needeth not another witnesse to adde authority to what hee saith but because this conclusion Thou Iohn Anna hast interest to Christ to thy owne feeling must be proved by Scripture except with Enthusiasts and fanatick Spiritualists wee separate the Word and the Spirit therefore these workes of sanctification prove the conclusion consequenter by Scripture and sence and so lead us to the word of promise thus to prove this conclusion I Iohn Peter Anna have interest in Christ to my owne reflect and private assurance the major proposition is made good by Scripture the Assumption by sense and the conclusion leadeth us to the certainty of faith in the promises as He that beleeveth and maketh sure his beliefe by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit hath a cleare evidence to his owne feeling that he hath interest in Christ But I Iohn Peter Anna doe believe and doe make sure my beliefe by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit Therefore I Iohn Peter Anna have a cleare evidence to my owne feeling that I have interest in Christ The proposition is Scripture Iohn 3. 36. Ioh. 5. 24. Ioh. 11. 25 26. Rom. 8. 1 2. 1 Ioh. 1. 4. 1 Ioh. 2. 3. The Assumption is made sure by sense not at all times but when the wind is fair and the Spirit is breathing upon the soul for though I do believe and walk after the Spirit yet to my owne feeling I have onely evidence of my interest â—n Christ when the Spirit stirreth up my sense to compare my saith and walking with the promises of God in Christ But saith the Antinomians Alas all the certainty then and the whole personal evidence that I have to know that I have interest in Christ is ultimately and principally resolved on this weak rotten foundation to wit On my own good works which being examined by the law of God will be found so sinful as they shal involve me under the curse of God so the debate of conscience shal stand in ful vigor I shal never be satisfactorily resolved of my interest in Christ for you lead me from the impression of the immediate seal of the spirit to my good works this is to drive me off Christ and put me back again to my old Jaylor and my old keeper the law But I answer this consequence is just nothing for if my good works of sanctification were causes of my peace of conscience this connexion had some colour of truth but though those works be sinfull by concomitance because sin cleaveth to them yet because my supernaturall sense of the Spirit suggesteth that these works are the fruits of faith and are done in some measure of sincerity and flow not from the spirit of the Law but from the Spirit of the Gospel therefore they lead me to Christ and drive me upon a cleare Evangelick promise That 1. the adhering sinfulnesse of my workes are purged in Christs bloud 2. That this promise is a shoare before mine eyes He that fighteth the good fight of faith a Crown of righteousnesse is laid up for him 2 Tim. 4 7 8. He that runneth shall obtain 1 Cor. 9. 24. And here is an Evangelick word Revel. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates to the City So that the right of your peace and clear evidence in assurance of your right to the Tree of life is not laid upon your works but upon the promises of the
being and it is most agreeable to reason that JEHOVAH who is the first being and hath being of himself should be the living God And you do not finde man called living man though man have a life as God is called the living God he is the living God because all life is originally in him Psal. 36. 9. With thee is the well of life Joh. 1. 4. In him was life all heat is orignally in fire and in other things at the second hand all light originally in the Sun and other things have light by loane onely and light in other things is from the Sun by a sort of grace 2. He is the living God in opposition to dead Idols who Psal. 115. want life 3. And have mouthes and speak not eyes they have but see not you need not be afraid of the Paâ—ists gods of wood and silver and gold But because I haste to an â—nd The use is 1. If all things that live and we mortall men borrow our life from God we are to correct three errours 1. We take this borrowed breath for our proper heritage and we make this lifâ— our Idol and our last end hence all is done for this life men betray the cause of God for their life men desert the cause of God Parliament Countrey and Religion for a life to them and theirs men kill and destroy for life men rise early in the morning and go late to bed at night and eat the bread of sorrow for life but oh little do wee for the living God and a communion with the living God in the best life the life of grace Our second error is that as our life is but a borrowed thing we do not think on two things 1. The paying of the annuall of this borrowed sum even the dedication of our life actions wayes and purposes to God and his honour Secondly we doe not think of paying back again the principall sum and who hath the sum in his hand and his soul in readinesse to render to God 2. But like bankrupts we minde not to pay except we be arrested and then the soul is taken from money but if we do not render it the ghuest is pulled out but doth not come out anima ejicitur non egreditur Who liveth as having no morrow who walketh as if death were alwayes at his right side 3. We love best the worst of our life we are much for the time-accidents and the clay-accidents of this life such as are court honour riches pleasure ease some sell Religion to be free from plundering others to keep a whole skin and to go to heaven as they imagine without losse of bloud comply with Papists Prelates Court and the Times And for that which scarce deserveth the name of Life men give as the Lyer saith Job 2. 4. skinne for skinne and all that they have for life but oh that noble accident of life eternity of life or rather that excellent substance eternall life is much neglected the life hidden up with Christ in God Col 3. 3. is regarded 2. How sweet is it to make God a friend sure and induring to thy soule who cannot die is it sure to trust in the Prince who returneth to his Earth the Earth whereof he is a landed heritor when he dieth Psal. 146. 3. Is it not surer to trust in the Lord who made the Heaven and the Earth vers. 6. Is it sure to trust 1. Tim. 6. 17. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in riches which deale not plainly and fairly with us nor go out the high way but are uncertain like a friend and you know not when to have him and when to want him Is it not better to trust in that living God that God who liveth for ever whereas riches is a dead and a dying God David speaking of his owne greatnesse valour in war through Gods strength and of Nations People and Kingdomes who served him yet looketh on one above all Psal. 18. 46. The Lord liveth and blessed bee my Rock this putteth me in minde of a Prince who heard of the death of many of great and noble friends in war and that this Duke and this Prince and this and this worthy friend was killed in war yet comforted himself with this vivit imperator sat habeo the Emperour liveth and I am happy enough But is not this better to a soule that knoweth God my father is killed my brother lost my Prince dead my deare friend buried but God liveth and blessed be my Rock yea but say thy God the King of Brittaine liveth yet his favour to thee may die before he die himself and then what hast thou Court Court is made of glasse and can glister and be broken in one houre the pavement of the chamber of presence is Icy and slidy and thou maist fall It is known to many the Courtier is as a compter laid downe in the compting Table to day for a thousand pound and taken up and laid downe in the next accompt for a farthing O but these two be sweetly combined The ever-living God and The ever-loving God how comfortable that I beleeve Gods love toward me is as old as God and that as God did never begin to be God so he never began to love me but as he is eternall so his love is eternall and I know the Court shall not change upon me And abiding or stedfast for ever This is another attribute of Gods blessed nature that Darius ascribeth to God He is a God eternall Daniel 7. 13. He is the ancient of dayes Psal. 102. 26. The Heavens shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them wax old as a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed 27. But thou art the same and thy yeers shall have no end I know now that the whole created masse of heaven and earth and all therein is but as a web of cloth and as a Sute of clothes and the best end of the web is old and moth-eaten and shall bee laid by as an old threed-bare Cloak ragged and holed when God shall endure for ever and ever 2. Time goeth not about God as it goeth about creatures there is not with him yesterday and to morrow and this yeere and the last yeere but his duration is an instant standing alwayes still you and I slide through moneths and yeeres and at length wee are over ears in time and under the water by death but he standeth still his being is in no flux or motion from first and last from time past to time to come because he is Revel. 1. 17. The first and the last and v. 8. The Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord he which is and which was and which is to come Imagine there were a verbe that doth involve an action done and ended yesterday and in doing to day and to be done to morrow and yet a compleatly perfected action that should expresse