The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.

I am IEHOVAH▪

THese words signifies the essence of God and his absolute perfection in all his attributes. It is expounded in the 13. of the Hebr. and 8. ver. Christ yesterday, and to day, and the same for euer. And Reuel. 1. He that was, and is, and is to come: He that is the selfe same in all his properties. It signifies first Gods eter∣nitie in vvhich he differs from all creatures, for men and Angels are euerlasting, they shall haue no ending, but they be not eter∣nall, for they had their beginning from God, but he hath his be∣ing in and of himselfe, neither had he any beginning from any other: all other things had beginning from him, but he frō none, he is from himselfe alone. Also power and wisdome and mercie and Iustice and such other things which are properties in men and Angels, in him they are natures, in vs they are weake and im∣perfect, but in him endlesse and perfect. As in Exod. 34. Where he tells his name, The Lord, the Lord, strong, mercifull, gracious, &c. Men and Angels are strong, but this is a qualitie in them, in him a nature, so men and Angels are kinde, but this is deriued from his kindenesse & is a qualitie in them, but in him a nature, & in them finite because no creature can haue any infinite thing in himselfe, but in God they are infinit. So that it signifies that God

is eternall and hath his being from himselfe, and other creatures haue their being and beginning from him. In him power, mer∣cie, Iustice, &c. are infinite, in others they are finite: In him they be natures and therefore vnchangeable, in others qualities and ther∣fore mutable.

The vse of this must be to make vs earnest to seeke his loue and fauour, which if wee haue, nothing can hurt vs, for in him we liue, and moue, and haue our being. Hauing his loue, we haue all power, all wisdome, and all counsell, on our side. If he be perfect in himselfe, and all creatures haue what euer they haue from him, what neede we feare he being with vs, what all the creatures can doe against vs, being that all their power is deriued from him and vsed at his direction. Wee see among men, if there be one whose estate depends wholly vpon his landlords curtesie, he may put him out, and begger him when he please, how carefull is hee to please him and haue his fauour, least through his displeasure hee should be turned out of all. So is it with all the men on earth, they be all Gods tenants, & that at will, no man holds any thing by lease for an houre, our breath is not our owne, but his: it is at his discretion what shall become of our soules and bodies, whe∣ther they shalbe saued or damned, and he is such a God whose anger is an eternall anger, and his vvrath an eternall vvrath, and his plagues euerlasting plagues, how carefull and diligent should vvee bee to please and obey him. And then vve shew our selues to beeleeue his power and infinitenesse, vvhen it is our greatest care to seeke his fauour.

Secondly, this is for the consolation of Gods children, Is God the same for euer and that in his dealing to his children, and hath hee heretofore vsed his power for their defence, his vvisdome for their direction, his mercie for their comfort? then hee vvill doe the same still to vs also. Therefore vvhen any of his children haue bene brought into great miserie, and that for their sinne as Manasseh he vvas brought to that hard case for his great sinne and vvicked deedes, yet vvhen hee repented and beetooke him selfe to prayer, vvee see God heard him & helped

him out both of his sinne and his miserie. Did he deale so with him, then the question is, whether he be Iehouah, or not, whether the same for euer without any chaunge? If he be, as sure hee is, then hee must deliuer vs also, when we call vpon him. But I am sure to be deliuered out of this prison, and to bee set out of this debt, or temptation, if I call vnto God. This I am sure of, that if I cry to God, hee will deliuer me from my sinne, and if it bee good for mee then also from the punishment of my sinne, but if the curse doe remayne one still, hee will recompence it with ma∣ny spirituall blessings.

But vnlesse we beleeue that God is Iehouah, and vnchangea∣ble, then all the stories of the scripture, are made vnprofitable vn∣to vs, then we haue no vse nor comfort of those things, which we heare reade, how God heard Abraham, and how hee deliuered Iacob, and did many wonderfull thinges for his people in former time. But if wee holde this for sure, God is the same for euer, then this is sure that whatsoeuer good thing, he did for them, hee will doe the like for vs, if we vse the same meanes. So also if any one hath found in himselfe, that at such time, I was in great trouble and temptation, and then I prayed vnto God, and I know that hee heard my prayer, and helped me. Are you sure that God did heare you when you cried, then you are farre more sure of this, that if you cry againe, hee will heare you againe, else hee should not bee Iehouah: If hee haue beene yours, he is yours, and will bee for euer.

This is also for the terror of the wicked, is God Iehouah, con∣stant and vnchangeable in all his iudgements? Why then looke what plagues proude persons haue had heeretofore, the same shall they now haue, so sure as God is true, vnlesse they repent, and get pardon in Christ. Hath God plagued theeues, and filthy lyers, & Saboth breakers in former times: He is Iehouah, let them looke to it, it is his name & nature to hate and plague them that bee such euerlastingly, least there bee repentance on their part and pardon on his. Likewise can any man say by experience I fell into sinne heeretofore, and then I got a wound to my con∣science, a blot to my name, and hurt to my body: why then as

sure as the Lord liues, as sure as God is Iehouah, without change; so sure make account to speed as ill in sinning now as you did before. Many that did steale before and were brought to shame and could scarce saue their liues, yet when they are deliuered▪ they will fall to it againe, but more closely as they thinke, they will bee more skil••d in their trade, and bee more secret, and then all shall be well. But who found them out be∣fore? was not that a iust judgement from God? that will re∣ward to wicked men according to their wickednesse: then be sure that seeth he hath once shewed his power, and gaue them both by weale and woe, meanes to bring them to repentance, hee is the same. Who will thinke to fall into former sinnes, and yet haue better successe; for it cannot be but God is the same▪ & both must & can punish them. So some haue plaied the filthie persons & God hath shewed it to men, to their discredit, will they then fall to it again, & thinke they can hide it, no they shall not, for God will reueale it: though they may think God will be carelesse of them, yet hee will not be carelesse of himselfe and his name. As sure as hee is Iehouah, that brought them through the pikes before, so sure if they turne againe to their filthie vo∣mit, he will bring them to shame againe, either in this life, or if not in this life, to make them repent and iudge themselues, then sure in the life to come, wher the burden shall bee much more heauy & vnsupportable vpon their conscience, & shall presse them down to hell. For the best priuiledge for such sinners, is to come to shame heere, that if it may be, they may be brought to repentance & amendement. So much for the name of God, Ie∣houah, that is without change or shadow of change, what e∣uer hee hath done, hee will doe for euer.