of the Bush had called to Moses He said in the seventh Verse I have surely seen the Affliction of my People in Egypt Hence observe That God takes notice of his Peoples Affliction yea special notice I have surely seen saith God Oh suffering Souls your Consolations are not small the Eyes of Heaven are upon you and your sufferings the Eye of Love and the Eye of Pity is not onely President over you but Present with you be you never so remote or obscure in Suffering that Eye of Divine Majesty that runs to and fro throughout the whole Earth will be first on you I have saith God surely seen the Affliction of my People in Egypt This is a sweet Word of God My People though Afflicted yet Mine though Oppressed and Hated yet My People It 's not their Sufferings their Miseries their Afflictions that can un-people them that can break that great cord of Union and Relation between God and his People My People though Oppressed and Persecuted yet My People They are never the more Unlovely in my Eyes never the more Uncomely though they are trampled upon as dirt and made as the off-scouring of the World yet I am not ashamed to own them I am not ashamed to acknowledge them to be My People and therefore I will own them and stand by them They are indeed by their Oppressors and Persecutors having the rod of the wicked over them making surrows upon them represented very Unlovely very Uncomely very Despicable and Contemptible yet nevertheless there is not a tittle of my Affection and Love that I bear to them abated or diminished they are My People yea and in Egypt God doth not onely own his People in the worst of Conditions but in the worst of Places also And therefore he saith I have surely seen the Affliction of my People in Egypt Egypt was called The House of Bondage The Nation of their Oppression The Land wherein they were Slaves and Strangers Yet there God owns them My People in Egypt It is not Places that makes God at all Disaffected with his People though they be thrown into Newgate or elsewhere the shamfullest of Goals by his cruelty whose tender mercies are no better nor nothing else yet there will God own them the loathsomest Dungeons shall not at all keep God from Communion with his People He will own them though in Egyt and saith God I know their Sorrows Know their Sorrows he doth and will he not remedie it Yea surely As if the Lord should say I am acquainted with all their Griefs I am concerned in all their sufferings Oh Christians believe this Truth That God sees all the Afflictions of his People and knows their Sorrows God sees for this end and knows for this end that he might the better communicate seasonable good to his People And in Verse 10. saith God Come now therefore that thou mayest bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt Come now saith God now is my Time now is my Opportunity now is my fit Season to Deliver My People God's Time of working Deliverance for his People is when they are in the midst of the greatest straits and sufferings Now the Lord is imploying and sending Moses with a Message both to Pharaoh and to his People Moses very much opposeth it and with the Lord pleads two things 1. His own Unworthiness Who am I saith he that I should go to Pharaoh that I should be imployed in the service of the great God of Heaven The Lord takes off this Objection by Answering I will be with thee The Worthiness of Gods assisting Presence will far surmount and exceed Moses his Unworthiness One thing here you have worth observing and that is That it is not the Meanness Lowness Unworthiness simply considered of poor creatures that doth exclude or exempt them from Gods service or acceptance but sin will hinder from both A Second thing that Moses pleads against his being imployed is Ignorance of Gods Name He did not know what Name of God he should carry to his poor suffering People This God answers and declares and so I come to my Text. I AM THAT I AM I AM hath sent unto them this is my Name for Ever and my memorial unto all generations In which Words you have Three things 1. A Description or Discovery of the Name of God I AM THAT I AM or what I ever was 2. The Perpetuity and Continuance of His Name This is my Name for EVER 3. The use of it to his People This is my Memorial unto all generations From the Occasion of the Words you have this Observation That God Proportions out Sutable and Seasonable Mercies and Comforts to his Peoples State and Condition You may see that this Truth ariseth naturally from the occasion of these Words if you consider that these were a People under great Promises from the Lord and also from Men under great Sufferings and Oppressions Now to this Afflicted Oppressed People God sends this Message this errand I AM THAT I AM No Name of God had been so Sutable so Seasonable as this I AM the same that ever I was I shall shew anon in due place how Seasonable how Sutable this Name of God is to his Suffering People If God had sent to his People his Name Jah or Jehovah it had been something but it had not been so seasonable as I AM. God usually stays and delays Deliverance that it may come most Seasonable and Sutable to his Peoples Conditions Why must they be four hundred years in Affliction May not two hundred years serve No at the end of four hundred years is Gods time for Deliverance then will his Mercies come most Seasonable And truly this I am perswaded is the very Reason why God seems to keep away deliverance from his People they are not yet come to the greatest of straits the Mercy will not come so Seasonable and Sutable as God would have it I might be large upon this Point but I shall not at this time though it is a Truth of great concernment I shall only prove it with an Instance or two with some Reasons and then proceed to what remains which is much upon my heart See Gen. 21. from vers 15. to 21. Poor Agar was in great distress she and the Babe was like to perish for want of water she was in the greatest of Straits gave her self and babe over for death past all hope of life Oh then was Gods time then was his time to appear and that with a Sutable and Seasonabe Mercy to her State and Condition and pray What was that Her condition was such that she had like to have died with Drought want of Drink for she was in a Remote and barren Wilderness behold God communicates to her a Well of Water From hence see That God proportions out Seasonable and Sutable Mercies Comforts to his Peoples Wants Necessities From this Remarkable instance in Agar you have many considerable things 1. That
of this Subject I. What Gods Name is and the Duration of it This Name of God I AM THAT I AM is wrapt and bound up in His most glorious Attributes See that notable Text in Exod. 34.5 6. And proclaimed the Name of the Lord Now what was the Name of the Lord See and you shall find it declared and held forth in His Attributes The Lord the Lord God Long-suffering Merciful and Gracious Here is the Mercy of God keeping Mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sin Here is the Faithfulness of God and by no means clearing the guilty Here is the Justice of God Now that the Name of God endures see Psal 102.26 27. They shall perish but thou shalt endure thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Here you see that this God who hath declared himself I AM is of continuance he endures he is the same and changes not Oh it 's a blessed thing to consider that God is now the same that ever he was His Name is I AM and this is his Name for Ever Psal 72.17 His Name shall endure for Ever His Name shall be continued as long as the Sun and Men shall be blessed in him Oh this Name of God I AM is the Name that shall continue and endure and whereby men shall be blessed Mal. 3.6 For I am the Lord I change not From hence you may see the nature of Gods Name to his People He is the same and changes not Psal 135.3 Thy Name O Lord endureth for ever and thy Memorial O Lord unto all generations From hence you may observe the sweet harmony and joynt-agreement the Spirit of God hath here with my Text the self same language expressed But Secondly take notice with what Zeal and Affection and Cordial desire the Prophet Declares the Name of the Lord. Oh Lord saith he thy Name endures for ever and when he speakeh of Gods Mememorial O Lord saith he it endures to all generations he fals as is were into admiration of the Name of God The next Verse declares part of Gods Name First His Faithfulness He will judge His People or plead for them Secondly His Mercy And He will repent Himself concerning His servants and that is in keeping back the intended evil and giving them the promised good One text more and then I have done with this Isaiah 63.15 16. The People and Church of God at that time as it is now were in a very miserable and deplorable state as may be discerned by their expressions in their requests Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of Thy Holiness and Glory And the Church seems to remind the Lord of some remisness in some things as if God had been wanting to some of his distressed People and so had forsaken them and therefore in vehement sorrow saith Where is Thy zeal Thy strength the sounding of Thy bowels and of Thy mercies are they restrained As if this poor People should say Ah Lord Our Condition is sad our State miserable and Thou seemest to be a stranger Where is Thy zeal Thy affection to Us How doth that seem to decline and decay Where is Thy strength that should be most helpful to us now Oh where is the sounding of Thy bowels and mercies where is that yearning of bowels that sympathizing that compassionate melting commiserating of thy Peoples miseries Ah Lord say they are they restrained are they bound up art Thou grown obdurate against Thy poor People Now do but observe what Arguments this poor afflicted People use and from thence draws comfort First The Interest they had in God Donbtless say they without all doubt Thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and thou art our Father though Israel acknowledge us not From hence you may observe three Things 1. That Saints in the greatest of miseries have an eye to the Interest they have in God 2. Interest in God is of great support to Saints in times of greatest straits This hath born up the Spirit of Gods People in their trials and sufferings what if all the men of the World were mine enemies and all the malice and envy of men my accusers and all the devils my tormentors yet if God be my Father if I have an Interest in Him I have all unspeakable Help Relief and Support 3. The certain assured knowledge of the Interest in God affords great Comfort Satisfaction and Contentment to such though others know it not or be ignorant of it Though Abraham be ignorant of us yet thou art our Father A Second Argument that these People sucked Comfort from was the remembrance of Gods Name and therefore saith Thy Name is from Everlasting as if the Church should say though I am afflicted and suffer yet the Name of my God remains yea it is from everlasting Hence observe That Gods everlasting Name afords lasting comfort to his People The third Argument was the Relation they had to God and that is in the last Verse We are Thine Thy peculiar People in Covenant with Thee and Thou never rulest over the heathen Thou never hadst that rule and reign in their hearts and consciences as thou didst over and in us and we are called by Thy Name we do represent Thee to the World Thus much shall suffice for the first thing premised Now I come to the Second thing proposed and that was to Declare how or wherein Gods Name I AM is the same to his People in all ages and that this Truth is of such weight and concernment that it 's able to comfort and consolate the hearts and spirits of Gods People in the midst of their troubles and sufferings In the proof of this I shall indeavour to shew wherein Gods Name is the same to his People And first as touching Gods Power His power and strength is very great that let the troubles be never so many and never so great yet Gods Power is as great yea greater We will first consult with some Scriptures that speakes aloud to this Truth and then apply it Nahum 1.3 The Lord is great in Power Oh believe this Truth and it will administer comforts in your Straits Are your sufferings great remember The Lord is great in Power Deut. 9.29 Speaking of the Children of Israel saith Thou broughtest them out by thy mighty Power as God hath Mighty Power so it is ingaged for the good of His People Luke 9.43 And they were all amazed at the mighty Power of God Gods Power is so Mighty that it amazes the very Adversaries of his People Psal 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great Power We have a peculiar Relation to Him that hath this great Power He is our Lord Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect God hath here declared himself to be the Almighty God the Alsufficient God able to answer and supply all wants and necessities as if God should say to Abraham Walk thou before me and
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