SUTABLE COMFORTS FOR Suffering Sion OR SAINTS INTEREST in GOD their Chiefest SUPPORT in times of greatest Straits BEING A Brief DISCOVERY of what GOD is to his People in all Ages Which is of great Weight and Use to His in these Trying Times Written by EDWARD DELAMAINE at present under Restraint and a PRISONER of HOPE ISAIAH 40.1 2. Comfort ye Comfort ye my People saith your God Speak comfortably to them LONDON Printed by Simon Dover and are to be Sold at his House in Christophers Alley in Martins Le Grand 1661. SUTABLE COMFORTS FOR Suffering Sion OR SAINTS INTEREST in GOD their Chiefest Support in times of greatest Straits DEar Brethren and fellow Companions of the Kingdom of God This is the day of Jacobs Trouble of Josephs Affliction of Zions Trials and of the Calamities of the whole Israel of God And I find that the People of God in general are very prone and incident to be Troubled Cast down and Disquieted And I find that it is the Design of God that his People should be Comforted Consolated and Refreshed Therefore in order thereunto I shall offer something that may answer the End and Design of God And the Portion of the Word of God which I intend to make the Ground of my Discourse for my own and others Edification is Recorded in that precious Scripture Exod. 3.14 and the last part of Vers 15. And God said to him I AM THAT I AM Say unto them I AM hath sent thee This is my Name for Ever and my Memorial unto all Generations In order to these Words we may consider Three things 1. The Author of these Words 2. The Person to whom they were Spoken 3. The Occasion why they were Spoken For the First The Author of them was the great God of Heaven the Disposer of all things the Judge of the whole Earth the King of kings and Lord of lords and therefore considering the Greatness and Worthiness of Him that speaks we should have the higher esteem and give the more diligent heed to what he saith 2. The Person to whom these Words were spoken and that was Moses of whom Three things are mighty Remarkable and Considerable First His Love to God in that he forsook all earthly Pleasures and Delights and Chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God Ah! there be few that take Moses Choice that choose Goodness more than Greatness esteeming Poverty better than Riches and count Godliness more Gain than Wickedness and rather hazard Bonds and Sufferings than the Violation of their Consciences with false Swearing c. That account Raggs with Christ though on a Dunghil more than Robes without Christ though on a Throne Secondly Another thing Considerable in Moses was his Meekness which is much commended in him Numb 12.3 Now the man Moses was very Meek above all the men that were in the Earth this is a Christ-like Spirit a Mild Gentle Spirit and to exercise such a Spirit to those that are of a Froward Peevish Proud Disposition is an excellent Frame not to return evil for evil but good for evil to use gentleness and mildness for bitterness and frowardness is a Carriage that makes Christians look most like God Now Moses was not onely Meek but very Meek and that above all the men that were upon the Earth A Third thing Remarkable in Moses was his Faithfulness for God See how it is spoken to his Praise Numb 12.7 compared with Heb. 3.2 Touching his Faithfulness you have Three things First His being Faithful to declare to the People the whole mind of God as God communicated it to him Now when God took him up into the Mount he might have taken liberty to have varied and no body have questioned him either to have added or to have diminished to what God had left in charge with him no he doth not but is Faithful to that Trust delivered to him Secondly He was Faithful in doing what God Commanded from him in performing Gods Requirements to him Exod. 11.26 and therefore when he tells Pharaoh That God would have the Children of Israel and all they had go up with them to Worship Pharaoh was not willing that their Cattel and Flocks should go Nay saith Moses We must not leave a hoof behind So Faithful was he for God that not a tittle of the Service of God must be omited or left undone Thirdly His Faithfulness to God appeared in that he closely followed and served the Lord even to his last day He persevered to the last in a full and faithful following of the Lord and therefore the Lord writes this praise and commendation on Moses He was faithful in all things Thus much shall suffice as touching the Person to whom the Words were spoken Now I come to the Third thing the Occasion Why the Words of my Text were spoken And in that we shall consider many things very Remarkable First Moses goes to tend upon his Father-in-Law's flock and in his way sees a Bush burning and turning about said I will see this great sight why the Bush burns and is not consumed The Admiration or Wonder in Moses was not so much that the Bush burned but that it burned and was not consumed this was the Wonder then and it 's the Wonder now yea and will be in all Ages Give me leave to enlarge a little upon it This Bush I compare to the People of God and the Fire or Burning to Afflictions and Persecutions Now it hath been the Marvel in all Ages that the Bush hath burned and hath not been consumed that the People of God have been wonderfully carried forth in the midst of fiery Tryals that they have seemed rather to overcome then to be overcome rather conquerers then conquered to be living daily though dying daily and this hath occasioned marvel and wonder to the men of the World Witness those three Children in Daniel that were in the burning Furnace and yet not consumed Witness those worthy Martyrs of late days whose life and liveliness in Suffering made their Adversaries amazed that the Bush burned and was not consumed when they saw their inward man lived and renewed in the midst of their dying and bitter deaths Now if the men of the World would do like diligent Moses turn aside and be inquirous to behold this great sight to search into the cause thereof they might have their marvel taken away and their wonder removed Moses looked and belold the Lord was in the midst of the Bush Hence see the cause that the People of God have been most Eminently preserved in the Inward-man and have been born up above and beyond all speakings in the midst of all Trials and Sufferings God was in the midst of them there was and is a very gracious Presence of His accompanying and assisting of them This is the Reason this is the Ground why the Bush burns and is not consumed So they in the fire were preserved Dan. 3.24 25. Now when the Lord out
First is Gods Name I AM. Is He the same to his People now that Ever He was doth he not change Then let His People be exhorted in the fear of the Lord to be alwayes the same to the Lord as they have professed and not change in their love and service to Him Oh my friends this that I speak is but your reasonable service God is unchangable to you be you so to him though not in the quantity of it yet in the quality of it the Lord is as Powerful for you now as Ever Oh be you so to Him lay out all your strength and might for him the Lord is as Wise now to order things for your good as ever be you therefore Wise for Him let your care and prudence be to please Him and your wisdom to walk so that he may be honoured the Lord is as Faithful for you now as ever be you therefore Faithful for Him and manifest your Faithfulness 1. In a due observance of all his known Commands 2. In a circumspect Walking before Him 3. In a faithful Testimony against the Abomination of the Day 4. In a close and full Following of the Lord through all Trials and Sufferings Consider that precious Scripture Heb. 10.32 But call to remembrance the former days in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of Afflictions How seasonable might this word of Alarm be given to the Churches of Christ in these Isles how are they degenerated how have they declined and turned their backs upon the great and holy Commands of God that at the Command of a mortal man omit and lay aside the Worship and Service of God It 's my earnest desire that the Lord would rouse and waken his poor shattered and decayed Churches that they may remember from whence they are fallen and repent and remember their former days the days of Liberty and freedom wherein they were very zealous and couragious for God and made solemn Promises and Engagements what they would do and be for God in an evil day Let all the Lords People seriously consider and examine Oh be exhorted to be as zealous for God now as ever be as faithful for Him now as ever seeing Gods Name is the same now as Ever A Second Conclusion of this point is Is Gods Name I AM the same to his People as ever Then This Doctrine speakes terror to the wicked Gods enemies and that upon two accounts 1. This God is none of theirs they have no Interest in His Name and all that I have spoken they are not at all concerned in it its true Gods Name is pretious but its onely to his People the dearly beloved of his Soul 2. This speaks terror to the wicked in that as God is not theirs so he is their enemy their foe His Power His Wisdom His Faithfulness His Justice is all engaged against them God is not become their enemy upon the account of the first mans transgressions for all that is pardoned justified and acquitted and reconciled God stands an enemy to men now by reason of their actual sins their rebellion against God opposing his ways hating his People A Third Conclusion of this truth is Is Gods Name I AM Is He the same to his People now as ever and that for ever Then let this teach us to live by faith to look now on invisibles to live no more by sence but to act faith in a high measure for Gods Name is I AM Rom. 1.28 There are Three principal Things in living by Faith 1. You answer the work of the day the very work of this day calls loudly to Saints for a living by Faith the very dealings and dispensations of God intend no less then a living by Faith Did ever poor Sion see such a day as this They who are awakned and right sensible know my meaning It 's not for you Christians now to live by sence but to look up higher 2. Your living by Faith makes you more singular and peculiar in your life than others this will eminently distinguish the sincere from the hypocrite the precious from the vile If the carnal and lukewarm professor live by sence let not the Spiritual Christian do so Oh you must live more singular than others for to you this Name of God I AM is for ever 3. Living by Faith frees you from fears I never wonder that men are so full of fears they live so much by sence 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by Faith and not by sight It 's the living too much upon sight and sence that produceth fears but the living by Faith doth prevent fears and doubts See 2 Cor. 4.16 The Apostle is declaring there that notwithstanding all their troubles and trials yet they fainted not they were not possessed with fears And what was the reason of it pray see vers 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things that are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Hence see the reason and ground why these pretious souls did not fear nor faint in their trials they lived by Faith and not by sence and this is a great cause and ground of fears and doubts this day in the hearts of many of the Lords People They look upon seen things things that are they see and behold great men are against them the Nobles the Gerals the Mayors the Army is against them they look and see themselves all weak and impotent most of them in strong Prisons I but this was not the Primitive Saints practice for they did look not at things seen for saith the Apostle they are temporal all perishing Kings are temporal Generals Mayors and Armies are temporal and perishing Well saith the Apostle We look at things which are not seen and that looking was by Faith and the things not seen were the great King of kings the Lord of hosts all the powerful and mighty Angels and the like And this was Eternal God Eternal His Name Eternal his Power and Faithfulness Eternal A Fourth Conclusion from these Words is Seeing Gods Name is I AM the same that ever he was to his People Then Take heed of casting dirt on the Name of God be careful of villifying of it It 's very sad to consider that many professing themselves Children of God should be instrumental to help the blaspheming of Gods Name Oh that this precious Name should be blemished by any of His People Rom. 2.24 For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you They were the cause How tender are men of their own Name and Reputation how much more then should they be of Gods Oh me thinks how sad is it to consider that the wicked daily reproach Gods Name and villifie it and yet for his own Children to add and help to it Jam. 2.7 The Apostle calls it A worthy Name which men blaspheme And believe it of all things God takes it most
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