GOD THE SAINTS' ROCK. 245
the sun is where it was still, — God will hide us where we may abide till this indignation be overpast, and the light of his countenance will yet shine upon me again." Faith considers God in the midst of all his various administrations ; and so finds a way for relief.
2. Faith will naturally thus act, as it is the principle of the new nature in us, that came from God, and will tend unto him, whatever difficulties lie in the way.
Evangelical faith will have a secret double tendency to God : —
(1.) Upon that necessary respect which it indispensably and un- controllably hath to Jesus Christ ; for it being the purchase of Christ, and wrought in us by his Spirit, and being the product and travail of the soul of Christ, it hath a natural tendency unto him, 1 Pet. i. 21, " Who by him do believe in God," — by Christ as mediator, as our surety, undertaking for us ; — so that let what will overwhelm the soul, where there is but the least faith, it will have relief in this, that Christ was substituted in its room against all real indignation and wrath from God. The father of the faithful was once reduced to great dis- tress,— when he had lifted up his knife to the throat of his only son: but when destruction lies so near at the door, a voice called to him from heaven, and stopped him ; and he looked behind him, and saw a ram caught for a sacrifice to God. When many a poor soul hath the knife at the throat of all his consolations, ready to die away, he hears a voice behind him, that makes him look and see Christ provided for him, as a substituted sacrifice in his room.
(2.) The new creature is the child of God, whereof faith is the prin- ciple. It is begotten of God, of his own will; and so, against all in- terpositions and difficulties whatsoever, is tending to him.
III. I now proceed to show what it is that, in such an overwhelm- ing condition as I have described, faith regards in God to give it a support and relief, that it be not utterly swallowed up and over- whelmed. And, — ■
1. The first thing faith considers, in such a condition, is, the nature of God himself and his excellencies. This is that which God, in the first place, proposes for our relief, Hos. xi. 9, " I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim." What reason doth he give to assure us that he will not? " For/' saith he, " I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee." He proposes his own nature to our faith, to confirm us that, whatever our expectations be, he will not execute the fierceness of his wrath ; and he reproaches them who put their trust in any thing that is not God by nature. So Deut. xxxii. 21, " They have provoked me with that which is not God." And he curseth him " that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm," Jer. xvii. 5. But he proposes him- self for our trust, — one of infinite goodness, grace, bounty, and patience.
246 GOD THE SAINTS' ROCK.
Now, there are two ways whereby God proposes his nature, and the consideration of it, for the relief of faith in overwhelming distresses :—
(1.) By his name. The name of God is God himself, Ps. ix. 10, "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee;" that is, "They that know thee." Whatsoever the Avord itself signifies, yet it is the nature of God that is declared by his name. And you know how he doth invite and encourage us to trust in the name of God : " The name of God is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe," Prov. xviii. 10. Isa. 1. 10, " Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." The name of the Lord, is what he declares himself to be, " The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin," Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Here he reveals and declares his name. God proposes his name, and the declaration of it, against the work- ing of unbelief; which apprehends that he is severe, wrathful, — that he watcheth for our halting, treasures up every failing and sin to be avenged of it, and that he will do it in fury. No: saith God, " Fury is not in me," Isa. xxvii. 4. The Lord is good and gracious, as ap- pears by his name, especially as revealed in Christ; so that faith will find secret encouragement in it in all distresses.
By the way, hence you may observe, that God in former days, whilst revelation was under a progress, and he revealed himself by little and little, did still give out his name according as the state and condition of his church and people required ; because he called them to trust in his name. How did he reveal himself unto Abraham? He tells you, Exod. vi. 3, " 1 revealed myself unto Abraham by the name of God 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." Abra- ham 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 Ab- raham 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 ido- latry, Melchizedek is called " The 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 most high God." So when God came to bring the people out of the land of Egypt, he revealed him- self unto them by his name Jehovah. " I did not reveal mj^self so