Almighty.' So Gen. xvii. 1. he says to him, I am the Almighty God.' And he gives an explication of that name, Gen.xv. 1. 'I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.' Abraham was in a state and condition wherein he wanted protection in the world; for he was a stranger, and wandered up and down among strange nations that were stronger than he, and such as he might fear destruction from every day. Fear not, saith God, for I am God Almighty; I am thy shield.' And in the faith of this did Abraham travel among the nations. And at that time he had no child. What end then should he have of all his labour and travel? Why, saith God, I am thy reward.' And Gen. xiv. where there is a discourse about the nations of the world, who began to fall into idolatry, Melchisedek is called a priest of the most high God.' God revealed himself to be a 'high God,' to cast contempt upon their dunghill gods. And when Abraham came to speak with the king of Sodom, he says, 'I have sworn by the high God.' So when God came to bring the people out of the land of Egypt, he revealed himself unto them by his name Jehovah. I did not reveal myself so before, saith God, but now I reveal myself so, because I am come to give subsistence unto my promise. Thus God dealt with them when he came to maintain his church by gradual revelations. But now God reveals himself by his whole name, and we may take what suits our distress, especially that which is comprehensive of all the rest, The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

(2.) God doth this by comparing himself to such creatures as act out of natural kindness: Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yet I will not forget.'

Now there are three reasons why it is necessary that faith in an overwhelming condition should have regard to the nature of God, and the essential properties of his nature for its relief. [1.] Because of the circumstances of our distresses; [2.] Because of the nature of them; and, [3.] Because of the nature of faith.

[1.] Because of the circumstances of our distress. There are three or four circumstances that may befall us in our distress, that faith itself can get no relief against them, but from the essential properties of the nature of God.

1st. The first is, place. Believers may be brought into

distress in all places of the world: in a lion's den with Daniel; in a dungeon with Jeremiah; they may be banished to the ends of the earth, as John to Patmos; or they may be driven into the wilderness, as the woman by the fury of the dragon. The whole church may be cast into places where no eye can see them, no hand relieve them; where none knows whether they are among the living or the dead. Now what can give relief against this circumstance of distress which may befall the people of God? Nothing but what Jeremiah tells us, chap. xxiii. 23. Am I a God at hand only, and not afar off, to the ends of the earth?' Psal. cxxxix. 7. Whither shall I fly from thy presence? to the utmost ends of the earth?' It is all in vain: the essential omnipresence of God can alone relieve the souls of believers against this great circumstance of various places, whither they may be driven to suffer distress, and be overwhelmed with them. If the world could cast us out, where God is not, and hath nothing to do, how would it triumph? It was a part of their bondage and great difficulty of old, that the solemn worship of God was confined to one certain country and place; so that when the enemies of the church could cast them out from thence, they did as it were say unto them, Go, serve other gods. God hath taken off that bondage; all the world cannot throw us out of a place where we cannot worship God. Wherever there is a holy people, there is a holy land, and we can be driven to no place but God is there: and if we should be compelled to leave our land, we have no ground to fear we shall leave our God behind us. God's essential omnipresence is a great relief against this circumstance of distress, especially to souls that are cast out where no eye can pity them. Should they be cast into dungeons, as Jeremiah was, yet they can say, ' God is here.'

2dly. It is so likewise with respect to time. The sufferings of the church of God are not tied up to one age or generation. We can see some little comfort and relief that may befall us in our own days; but what shall become of our posterity, of future ages? Why God's immutability is the same throughout all generations; his loving-kindness fails not,' as the psalmist saith; which is the only relief against this distress. Alas, if a man should take a prospect of the interest of Christ at this day in the world, and con

sider the coming on of wickedness like a flood in all parts of the earth, he would be ready to think, What will God do for his great name? What will become of the gospel of Christ in another age? But God is the same through all times and ages.

3dly. There is relief to be found in God, and only in himself, in the loss of all, when nothing remains. Should a man lose his lands, if his house remains, he hath something to relieve him, he knows where to repose his head under his cares. But when all is gone, what can relieve him? Nothing but God and his all-sufficiency. This was Habbakkuk's comfort if all should fail him; yet, saith he, ‘I will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation.'

4thly. The last circumstance of distress, is death, with the way and manner whereby it may approach us: and how soon this will be, we know not. When all this state and frame of things shall vanish, and we prove to have an utter unconcernment in things below; when the curtain shall be turned aside, and we shall look into another world; the soul's relief lies in God's immutability, that we shall find him the same to us in death as he was in life, and much more.

SERMON XL.*

IN my former discourse upon this text, I told you, that there were three reasons why faith betakes itself to the nature of God for relief in overwhelming distresses. The first was taken from the circumstances of those distresses; the second from the nature of them; and the third from the nature of faith itself.

I mentioned four circumstances in such distresses that nothing can relieve the souls of men against, but the consideration of God's essential properties, which I shall not here repeat, but proceed to the second reason.

[2.] There are some distresses that in their own nature refuse all relief that you can tender them, but only what is derived from the fountain itself, the nature of God. Zion's distress did so; Isa. xlix. 14. Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me.' And, chap. xl. 27. My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God.' She was in that distress that nothing but the nature of God could give her relief. God therefore proposeth that unto her: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not?' ver. 28. A man would think sometimes it was no difficult thing to answer those objections which believing souls charge against themselves, even such as we are well and comfortably persuaded are believers. But it frequently falls out quite otherwise, and nothing will bring them to an issue, but the consideration of the infinite grace and goodness that is in God.

Nay, there may be temporal distresses that in their own nature will admit of no other relief. As when the whole church of God is in extreme calamity in the world, which nothing can remove but infinite power, goodness, and wisdom. You know how Moses was put to it when God told him he would deliver Israel out of Egypt. He looked upon it as impossible, and raised objections till it came to that, Exod. iii. 13. If it must be so, tell me thy name. And God revealed his name: 'I am that I am,' Till God con

* This sermon was preached Nov. 25, 1670.

firmed him with his name, that is, with his nature, Moses could see no way possible how the church should be delivered. And so it falls out with us, as with Moses. When God did not appear, Moses thought he could have delivered them himself, and goes and kills the Egyptian; but when God appeared, he could not believe that God himself could .do it, till he gave him his name.

But some may object; When faith comes to approach unto God to find relief as God proposes himself in his name, it will find other things in God besides his goodness, grace, and mercy there is severity, justice, righteousness in God, which will give as much discouragement on the one hand, as the other properties will give encouragement on the other to come to God and see him glorious in holiness, and infinite in severity and righteousness, here will be discouragement.

I shall answer this briefly, and so pass on.

1st. It is most true that God is so: he is no less infinitely holy, than infinitely patient and condescending; no less infinitely righteous, than infinitely merciful and gracious but these properties of God's nature shall not be immediately glorified upon their persons who go unto him, and make their addresses in faith, though he will be so to others. There is nothing but faith can take a proper view of God. Wicked men's thoughts of God are referred unto these two heads: First, They think wickedly, that God is altogether such an one as themselves;' Psal. 1. 21. While under the power of their corruptions and temptations, while in pursuit of their lusts, they have no thoughts of God, but such as these. The meaning of which is, that he is not much displeased with them in what they do; but hath the same care of them in the way of their sins, as of the holiest in the world. Secondly, Their other thoughts are commonly when it is too late, and God lets his terrors into their souls, what the prophet saith in Isaiah; 'Who of us shall dwell with eternal fire?"

2dly. God hath given believers assurance that he will not deal with them according to the strictness of his holiness, and severity of his justice. So speaks Job, chap. xxiii. 3, 4.

Oh that I knew where I might find him; that I might come