Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

The first discovery of the Name I am, which signifies the Divine Eternity as well as Immutability, was for the comfort of the oppressed Israelites in Egypt^*; It was then published from the secret place of the Almighty, as the only strong Cordial to refresh them: It hath not yet, it shall not ever lose its virtue in any of the miseries that ⟨p. 196⟩have, or shall successively befall the Church. 'Tis a comfort as durable as the God whose name it is: He is still, I am, and the same to the Church, as he was then to his Israel. His spiritual Israel have a greater right to the glories of it, than the carnal Israel could have. No oppression can be greater than theirs; what was a comfort suited to that distress, hath the same suitableness to every other oppression. It was not a temporary name, but a name for ever; his memorial to all Generations, ^*and reacheth to the Church of the Gentiles, with whom he treats as the God of Abraham, ratifying that Covenant by the Messiah, which he made with Abraham the Father of the Faithful.

The first discovery of the Name I am, which signifies the Divine Eternity as well as Immutability, was for the comfort of the opprest Israelites in Egypt^*; It was then publisht from the secret place of the Almighty, as the only strong Cordial to refresh them: It hath not yet, it shall not ever lose its vertue in any of the miseries that ⟨p. 196⟩have, or shall successively befall the Church. 'Tis a comfort as durable as the God whose name it is: He is still, I am, and the same to the Church, as he was then to his Israel. His spiritual Israel have a greater right to the glories of it, than the carnal Israel could have. No oppression can be greater than theirs; what was a comfort suted to that distress, hath the same sutableness to every other oppression. It was not a temporary name, but a name for ever; his memorial to all Generations, ^*and reacheth to the Church of the Gentiles, with whom he treats as the God of Abraham, ratifying that Covenant by the Messiah, which he made with Abraham the Father of the Faithful.