Gods People in their greatest Straits and Wants make their recourse by Prayer to God this good Agar did The times of tribulation ought especially then to be the times of supplication Christs Suffering hour was his praying hour Times of Afflictions puts Saints upon Petitions at the Throne of Grace 2. Strange and unexpected ways and means of Deliverance hath God for his People This is a glorious Truth but I must but name it Little did poor Agar think to find Supplies in the Wilderness no visible means attainable 3. Observe That there are such Bowels of Mercy and Love in God towards his that he usually yea frequently not onely grants their Desires but gives them more yea over and above Poor Agar begs a little Water of God to preserve the life of her and her little babe and lo God gives her a Well of Water So Solomon asked for Wisdome God did not onely give him That but Riches and Honour also I must proceed A Second notable Instance you have is concerning Sampson Judg. 15.18 19. He having a very great thirst like to die the Lord in a miraculous maner preserved him and communicated a Sutable Mercy to him and gave him Water out of the Jaw-bone of an Ass One thing here I shall mind unto you that is Sometimes I have marvelled at the exceeding Drought and Thirst that came upon Sampson immediately after the Deliverance obtained by the help of the Lord against his Enemies I suppose that his great Thirst came not by reason of his great Fighting He might be thirsty but not upon that account unto death considering the Lord helped him But now for him to be by thirst near death there lies something in it and therefore I humbly judge that this thirst was sent as a Judgement from the Lord and that upon two accounts 1. His too much Vaunting Applauding and Praising of himself for this Victory See his high proud Words With the Jaw of an Ass have I slain a thousand men 2. Not returning the Praise and Honour to whom it was due and therefore the Lord might be angry displeased with him to shew him his own weakness frailty and infirmity that he might not glory in himself but to see that without the Lords assistance he was but a dead man therefore I conceive this thirst came And then betook himself to prayer and though after mercy received he was unmindful of his duty yet now his great wants and straits make him mind his duty and help and when Sampson had tasted of Gods anger then you shall have him acknowledge God having a hand in the Deliverance but not before So likewise the Prophet having fled into the Wilderness being driven to great wants the Lord administred food to him by Ravens and so the Lord communicated Sutable Comforts to his Servant I might name many more but I would hasten and briefly now give you the Reasons of it I shall at present name but two Why God proportions out Sutable Mercies to his Peoples Conditions The First is To enlarge their Experiences of Him Not a Sutable Mercy or Comfort comes to us from God but it is to stock us with Experience for Experience of God's goodness is of great use to a dependance on God Secondly It is To heighten our Praises to Him that we may much be carried forth in new Songs of Praises to the Lord. A word of Use to this and so proceed and come to the thing I aim at Seeing God doth proportion out Sutable Comforts to his Peoples Conditions then be Exhorted To walk Sutable to such a God as this is be perswaded to walk answerable to a God of such Sutable Comforts and seasonable Mercies Oh the Sutable Comforts that his poor Servants have enjoyed in their Bonds and Sufferings that when all the World shall frown then to have the God of Heaven smile that when the World strips us of all outward Injoyments then to have them made up with inward and special Injoyments when the men of the World put a bitter cup into our hands then for our Father to sweeten it for us when we hear the worst news from Earth we can then have the best news from Heaven Oh this is Seasonable and Sutable Comfort It 's true we want our Liberties but yet we have the blessed Liberty of the Sons of God It 's true we are in Bonds under Restraint Oh but yet our souls are not in bonds our Consciences are not captivated to sins and lusts it 's true we are in the hands of cruel and unreasonable men but yet we are in the hands of a faithful Creator Fellow-sufferers consider it and believe it you that experience Gods goodness in Sutable Comforts to you know that he expects that it should work rare effects in you and produce eminent and sutable walkings towards him Thus much for the first thing being occasional from the Words I shall now come to the chief thing I aime at I AM THAT I AM this is my Name for Ever and my Memorial unto all Generations The Doctrine Conclusion or wholsome Truth which arises from these Words is this That the great and serious Consideration of Gods Name I AM being the same to his People in all ages is of mighty use and benefit to Comfort and Consolate the hearts and spirits of his People in the midst of all their Troubles and Sufferings This is a great and weighty Truth and there lieth much sap and marrow in it and therefore I do earnestly desire that it may dwell in the hearts of all the Suffering sons of Sion this day and this Truth I judge ariseth naturally from the Words for in the Doctrine you may observe these several Branches 1. That Gods Name is I AM. 2. That it is so for EVER to his People 3. That the serious consideration thereof is of use to Comfort and Consolate the People of God in their Sufferings Now consider well the Text and you shall find this Truth couched in it And consider the Persons to whom it was communicated being the People of the Lord under great Sufferings and Troubles and you may plainly perceive that the great aime and designe of God here is that his People through a serious Consideration of his Name I AM THAT I AM should be much consolated and refreshed in the midst of their Troubles and Sufferings In the managing of this weighty Truth I shall lay down Four Things I. Prove it to you and shew you what is Gods Name and how it endures for Ever II. Declare how and wherein Gods Name I AM is the same to his People in all ages and shew you that this Truth is of mighty use and benefit to bear up their hearts in Suffering III. Give you the Reasons of this Truth which are very considerable Why the Lords Name I AM THAT I AM is his Name for EVER and continued to his People to all Generations IV. Give you the wholsome and seasonable Uses and Conclusions
so many while the VVorld continues Oh lay up this Word of God in your hearts our God is a Faithful God 1 Cor. 10.13 God is Faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it The faithfulness of God is as much ingaged in his Peoples sufferings as any other of His Attributes In His Peoples Sufferings His Faithfulness is engaged Three ways First that their Sufferings shall not exceed 1. His Precepts to them 2. Other Saints before them 3. The strength he gives them Secondly His Faithfulness is engaged that in their Sufferings for Him He will stand by them own them and be with them Thirdly His Faithfulness is ingaged to make good his Promises to them in delivering and freeing them from troubles Oh Christians are your troubles and Sufferings great and like to be greater and you are even ready to sink under them well remember your Gods Name I AM THAT I AM He is the Faithful God as Faithful now as ever Psal 36.5 Thy Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth to the clouds This Scripture holds forth the multitude or abundance of Gods Faithfulness that it reacheth to the clouds As wicked mens sins when they are multitudes and numerous they are said to reach up to Heaven so the Faithfulness of God is so continued to his that it even reacheth up to the clouds Psal 119.90 Thy Faithfulness is to all generations This also is a precious Scripture that no soul in no age though in the last days and in the latter end of the World when wickedness will abound and strange and dark Providences with desmal dispensations will be seen in the earth yet Gods faithfulness abides still it endures unto all generations therefore no soul in what age or state soever should be cast down or troubled but to mind the Name of God I AM THAT I AM the Faithful God Oh that Christians in all their troubles and sufferings would have an eye to the Faithfulness of God and unfeignedly believe it for it 's of mighty use to bear up your hearts in the midst of troubles and truly I am perswaded that when God sent Moses with his Name I AM to his afflicted People he had thus much in his eye and upon his heart His Faithfulness in keeping Covenant with them and performing His Promises to them The Faithfulness of God is one of his principal Attributes and the great splendor and beauty of his Name though all the Attributes of God are Perfect What were it if I may speak with holy reverence for God to be Powerful and Wise if not Faithful The Faithfulness of God is the great Bulwark of his People in their Troubles Consider that in no age there was no Saint whatsoever to whom God was unfaithful If some say there may be some one or other shew me that man or woman what is their Name where dwell they when was it or where was it that God was not Faithful I dare engage my soul and its eternal welfare that God is not unfaithful to any of his Far be it from me or any to think that there is unfaithfulness in God His People may be unfaithful to Him but He will not be so to them If there be any of Gods Promises not performed it 's not His fault but His Peoples His Promises being Conditional they breaking or not keeping the Condition and so miss of the Promise to which the Condition is annexed They break their Words and Promises with the Lord but as for God Let Him be true and every man a liar nay it 's impossible for God to lye Thus much for the Third thing A Fourth thing concerning Gods Name is His Justice God is very Just and Righteous and that is in rendering punishment on his Enemies Dear Friends your Enemies are great and they are many and their malice cruelty and oppression is very much and increased Well be not troubled remember you the Name of your God I AM He is Just yea and as Just now as ever in punishing his enemies Turn to the Testimony Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the Judgments which he executeth the wicked are ensnared in the work of their hands Higgaion Selah This is a Scripture of great weight There are two ways whereby he is known to the World 1. By His Mercies 2. By His Judgements And they that will not know Him the former way shall know him the latter But what shall the wicked know of God by his Judgements that he is a Just God a Righteous God and saith the Spirit of God The wicked are ensnared in the work of their own hands This is a certain and assured truth That wicked mens handy-works or their actions prove their own ensnaring This was true in Ahithophel Haman and Judas and therefore the Lord writes upon this Scripture Higgaion Selah that is to be often Observing and diligently Meditating on it to see the Justice and Equity of God to the wicked in that their own works should ensnare them Job 34.17 God is called there most Just exactly and compleatly Just as God is faithful in rewarding His People so he is as faithful and Just in punishing the Wicked I will make a little Use of this and so hasten Fret not your selves at the Prosperity and welfare of the wicked your enemies neither do you seek after revenging your cause on them commit that to the Lord Vengeance is His and he is both Mighty and Able to deal with your adversaries and He will do it in His due time For He will plead the controversies of His People against their enemies And believe it the Lord is cutting short the work and hastening the ruine and destruction of his enemies by their filling up the measure of their iniquities and ripening their sins and the deliverance of His People draweth nigh by his casting them into the Furnace of Affliction to purge and purifie them that they may come forth like Gold Again The Fifth and last thing relating to the Name of God I AM. He is the God of all comforts and consolation Oh this Name I AM is a precious Name there is exceeding great Comforts and Cordials in God for the refreshing of his poor Peoples Spirits 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed the God the God of our Lord Jesus the Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts There is in our God such a Store-house and Fountain of Mercies and Comforts that is able to supply all His Peoples wants and necessities Zechariah 1.17 The Lord shall yet Comfort Zion Notwithstanding the great discouragements and distresses of Gods People yet Comforts God hath in store for poor bleeding and languishing Sion 2 Cor. 7.6 Nevertheless God that Comforteth those that are cast down Comforteth us Oh the choice Comforts that God hath for his dejected People Though God hath in all ages been open handed and hearted
in the dispensing of his Comforts to his People yet He is as full and as rich now as ever His Name is I AM this is His Name for Ever God hath choice and variety of Comforts which he communicates as he sees most necessary I hope by this time that God hath taught his People by experience that there is no comfort in outward injoyments creatures nor relations but onely in their Lord God that they may delight themselves in His Comforts and not in borrowed feigned perishing Comforts Hence see There is no reason why Saints should be sorrowful or cast down there is bread enough in their Fathers house He is the God of all Comforts His Name is I AM. A little to Apply this and so proceed Hence see your Priviledges Excellency and Prerogative that this God that I have been treating of whose Name is I AM is your God poor suffering Sions God Oh Sion though now miserable yet thy condition thy state so good so glorious that the state of Potentates is not fit to be compared with it thy bonds and iron chains are of far greater value than Crowns Diadems there is not a step of Misery or Suffering that doth befal Sion upon Jehovah's account but it conduces a footstep to its further happiness and glory And all this because this God whose Name is I AM is theirs though Sions foes which are many and mighty may bereave her of all comfortable things here yet this God of Comforts they cannot take away 2. Take heed my Brethren and fellow Citizens of Glory of sinning and offending such such a God as this is be careful of grieving of Him lest He withdraw himself and hide his face from you Oh remember and fear that sad Lamentation in Lamentation 1.16 This Church of God had very much sinned against the God of Comforts See vers 8. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned but see the sad complaint she makes vers 16. For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth down with water Why what was the matter that this Church doth so sorrow and lament Mark because the Comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me Oh let their fals be your warnings But Thirdly consider if God be so to his People now as I have declared and continues his Name I AM to them in an afflicted state suffering state low and miserable state Oh do but consider and that with astonishment what will he do for them and be to them when they are in a glorified state perfected state Doth he do thus to them now they are uncomely now they wear raggs now they are the off-scouring now they have their imperfections and failings towards Him Oh oh what will his Name I AM be to them then when they shall be very comely when they shall shine as the Sun be equal with Angels full of holiness and perfection Consider this and stand in admiration If God afords a mighty presence to a burning Bush to a suffering creature oh what will he do to a glorified Saint Thus much for the Second thing Now the Third thing proposed was The Reasons and Grounds why the Lord continues his Name I AM the same to his People First That they might not be destroyed nor consumed Gods unchangableness to us is the cause of our not changing from our condition to worse See Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed as if the Lord should say I am the Lord I AM THAT I AM this is my Name for Ever I change not for this cause my People are not consumed Ah my friends if God were changable as man and as mutable as man where should we have been at this time how soon would our condition be far worse then it is Really if God should not continue his Name to his People I AM His Power His Faithfulness His Wisdom His Comforts their state would be very miserable But Secondly Why this Name of God is continued for ever to his People It is to engage them to Him to draw up the hearts and affections of His People close to Him If any Truth is of an ingaging nature this is it engages the Saints in their whole man for God their life and all for God yea and that in the worst of times If the very Name of God be engaged for me there is all the Reason why my All should be engaged for God And therefore Christians look to it that wherein you come short in this particular you come short in answering the end of Gods Name to you I must but name the Reasons of this Truth because of time Thirdly to shew Why God continues his Name for Ever because that there is none like him nor none to be compared to him he is indeed the chiefest of ten thousand there is no King like Him nor no Potentate like Him a man may be in their favours to day and at a little displeasing of them be turned out to morrow but it s not so with our God whose Name is I AM its not a small matter that moves Him to take hold of Judgement He is said to be slow to anger though its true a small matter moves Him to Mercy and when His People do sin against him yet he is loath to use the rod if Mercy may prevaile yea He waits to be gratious there is no Fathers nor Husbands like to our God for they are momentary and perish but our God endures and his Name to all Generations This being seriously considered is it not reasonable to leave and forsake all to cleave to this God What have we to do to own or stand by any earthly Monarch but onely that Monarch KING JESUS Who in Scripture is declared to be The onely Potentate and all near and dear Relations are to be forsaken when they come in competition with our God But Fourthly Because of the near Relation between God and his People He therefore continues his Name to them God is related to his People not onely as a Father and they his Children but He as their Bridegroom and Husband and they His Wife and Spouse and so from that near Relation to them he reserves entire affection for them But Fifthly Why God continues his Name for Ever to his People Because of the great need and necessity His People stand in of him whilst His People are here they are subject to wants and necessities both to the outward and inward man and therefore the Lord continues his Name But Lastly Because of the sweet Promises of the Lord to his People See the 28. Matth. 18 20. All Power in Heaven and Earth is mine and lo I am with you to the end of the World This I AM hath promised to be with them to the end of the World and therefore continues his Name to them for ever Now I shall come to the last thing I proposed and that was The wholsome Uses and Conclusions of this Truth which are ten