First, What may be intended by the name of the Lord; which admits of various fignifications. 1. By it is fometimes meant the Lord himfelf; as, when it is faid, The name of the God of Jacob defend thee; that is, God himself, who is Jacob's God; for who elfe is the defence of his people? He is a wall of fire round about them; he is their place of defence; which is the munition of rocks; and being fo, they may fing unto God their ftrength, and fay unto him, as David did, God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. Again, when it is faid, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is Jafe. The meaning is, the Lord himself is a strong tower; and fuch the Pfalmift often calls him, faying, he is my falvation and my bigh tower, a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy: Hither do the faints betake themfelves, in times of distress and danger; and here they remain safe until the calamities be overpaft. So the name of Chrift fignifies Chrift himself; In his name fball the Gentiles truft; that is, in himself, in his person for acceptance; in his righteoufnels for justification; in his blood for pardon; and in his fulness for all fupply. Nor is any other the proper object of trust and confidence; not any creature or creature-act: Blessed is the man that trufteth in the Lord, and whofe bape the Lord is.

2. The name of the Lord fometimes intends his perfections; as, when it is faid of Chrift, the angel of God's prefence; the angel that went before the Ifraelites, and guided and guarded them through the wilderness, to the land of Canaan, Beware of him, and obey his voice; -for my name is in him; the nature and perfections of God; the whole fulness of the Godhead dwells in him; every perfection of Deity; all that the Father hath, he has; he is the express image of bis perfon; and fo like him, having the whole divine nature in him, that he who fees the one fees the other. And, as these are in him, as God, as a divine perfon; fo they are difplayed in him as mediator; in whom God has proclaimed his name; that is, his perfections of mercy, grace, goodness, juftice, and holinefs particularly; fince it follows, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and tranfgreffion, and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty ; for thefe divine perfections are more efpecially glorified in our redemption and falvation by Chrift; where mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace bave killed each other. Once more, where it is faid, O Lord our God, bow excellent is thy name in all the earth! The fenfe is; "What a glorious display of thy perfections is made in the earth, through the preaching of the gospel! whereby, in the firft times of it, to which this paffage belongs, was given the light

* Pfalm xx. 1.

Matt. xii. 17.

f Pfalm lxxxv. 10.

▾ Pfalm lix. 17.

Prov xviii. 10.

• Pfalm xviii, 1. and Ixi. 3.

e Jer. xvii. 7. d Exod. xxiii. 21. • Exod. xxxiii. 19. and xxxiv. 5, 6, 7.

Pfalm viii. 1.

light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face, or perfon, of Jefus Chrift"?" that is, of the glorious perfections of God, as they are fet forth in the perfon of Christ, and in the work of redemption: and fo in the latter day, by the fame means, will the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea1.

3. By the name of the Lord may be meant, any, or every name of the Lord, by which he is revealed, manifefted, and made known to the fons of men. The first name of his we meet with, is that of Elohim; In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth; which name has the fignification of worship and adoration in it; being derived from a root' which fignifies to worship; God being the fole object of religious worship; and to which the apoftle may be thought to have fome refpect, when he explains Deity, by that which is worShipped; for, fpeaking of antichrift, he fays, who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped". And the word Elohim being of the plural number, may with propriety enough be rendered, the adorable ones; and very well be thought to denote a plurality; which, according to divine revelation, is a Trinity of perfons, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; which three are one; and who manifeftly appear in the creation of all things: The Father, who created all things by Jefus Chrift; and the Word, who Spake, and it was done; who commanded, and it stood fast; who said, Let fuch and such a thing be, and it was: and the Spirit of God, who garnished the heavens, and moved upon the face of the waters; and brought the confused and indigested chaos into the beautiful order the earth fince was: So true is that of the Pfalmift, By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath, or fpirit, of his mouth". The next name by which God made himself known, is that of God Almighty; of which he himself fays; I appeared unto Abraham, unto Ifaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; referring, no doubt, in the first place, and particularly to his appearance to Abraham, when ninety years of age; to whom he faid, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be tbou perfect. A name that well agrees with him; as is clear by his making all things out of nothing; by upholding, and maintaining in Being the things he Hh 2

h 2 Cor. iv. 6.

! Hab. ii. 13.

k Gen. 1. i.

has

אלי

Celuit, adoravit, idem quod 72y, unde Deus, quafi numen venerandum, Hottinger. Smegna oriental. 1. 1. c. vii. p. 123. Coluit, veneratus eft, adoravit, apud Arabes; inde eft Deus, fic dictus, quod veneratione, cultu, & adoratione profequendus fit Generatim & vi originis notat Caopa, h e. numen venerabile feu adorandum. Stockii Clavis Ling. S. p. 61. Jure meritiffimo contenditur, Hebræos olim poffediffe geminam radicem, alteram vel ult. vaw aut je; alteram He mobili & radicali, Coluit, unde dum Schultens. Comment. in Job i. 1. tom. I. p. 4. Pafchii Differt. de Selah in Thefaur. Philol. Theolog. m2 Theff. ii. 4. a Pfalm xxxiii. 6.

Juravit, pro numen colen

Sic ami, ut De Dieu Animadv. in Exod. vii. 1. vol. I. p. 671.

• Exod. vi. 3.

P Gen. xvii. 1.

has made; by the redemption and preservation of his people; and by fulfilling. his purposes, prophecies, and promises. And there is no name or title by which he makes himself known, that is more fuited to encourage the faith and hope of his children, in times of difficulty and danger; fince his band is not fhortened, that it cannot fave'. Another name following this, by which the divine Being has thought fit to manifeft himself, is that of Jehovah; which it was not his pleasure to make himself known by to the above Patriarchs; for, he fays, But by my name Jehovah was I not known to them'. This is expreffive of his existence; of him as the Being of beings; of his immutability and eternity; and is referred to, when Mofes, having afked of God, what he should fay to the children of Ifrael, fhould they inquire of him who fent him to them, saying, What is his name? He is bid to fay, I am that I am, bath fent me to you"; or, “I am that I was; and I am that I fhall be;" or, as John well deciphers it, which is, and which was, and which is to come"; taking in all time and tenfes, past, present, and future *. And this being a name peculiar to the most high God, and yet given to Christ, Jehovab our righteousness, is no inconfiderable proof of his proper and fupreme Deity. Another name of God is, The Lord of hosts; and by which he is frequently called; The portion of Jacob is not like unto them, the idols of the Gentiles, the Lord of bofts is his name; the Lord of Sabaoth; and James retains the Hebrew word untranflated, and our verfion

of

• Though fome renner it all-fufficient, deriving the word " from W who, and sufficient; so Drufius. God being fufficient, in, and of, and for himself, and stands in no need of any thing from his creatures; and having all-fufficiency in him, for the supply of their wants, both temporal and fpiritual. Though others derive it from T a pap, or breaft; he having the bleffings of the breast, or breafts of confolation for his people; fee Gen. xlix. 25. Ifai. Ixvi. 11. So Ifs, Ceres, and Diana, are reprefented by the Heathens, as full of breasts, and called from thence Mammoja. Thus Pafchius in Differtat. ut fupra, gives the derivation of it; "T (quod a rad. T mamma, uber, pinguedo,) dicit deum nutricium & cibatorem omnium: not to take notice of other etymologies of the word; of which fee Buxtorfii Differt. de Nominibus Dei Hebr. S. 48.

• Ifai. lix. 1.

* Derivatur enim a radice

vel

• Exod. vi. 3.

(nam utraque in lingua Hebræa eft ufitata) esse, exiftere -unde eft ens exiftens à seipso ab æterno, & in æternum, omnibusque aliis extra se essentiam. & exiftentiam communicans, Buxtorf. ut fupra, S. 7. (quod a radice Ebr. aut Chald. exiftit, fuit, &c. derivatum) fignificat ens a, in, & per fe effentialiffimum. Pafchius ut fupra.

• MINDST dominus exercituum, re&te autem vocatur Deus, non Deus exercitus in fingulari numero, fed Deus exercituum, quia varios habet exercitus, qui ipfi parent, miniftrant & militant. – vifibiles & invifibiles, quibus bono piorum & malo impiorum utitur.& quoniam hoc folius Dei omnipotentis opus eft, hinc etiam nulli creaturarum, hoc epitheton in facris literis tribuitur. UndeHieronymus monuiffe videtur non effe in aliam linguam transferendum, cum etiam apoftoli illud non mutarint. Buxtorf. ib. S. 59, 60.

of him; which is not to be pronounced and understood, as it often wrongly is,
of the Lord of Sabbath; but of the Lord of hosts, or armies, both above and be-
low; and not only of the fun, moon, and ftars, fometimes called the host of
heaven; but of the angels; the heavenly militia; that multitude of the heavenly
hoft; part of which attended at our Lord's incarnation; these are at h's beck,
will, and command, as well as all the hofts and armies of men on earth; for,
be doth according to bis will, in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of
the earth; and none can stay bis band, or fay unto him, What doft thou? The name
of the Lord God of Ifrael, is frequently given him in the prophetic writings,
especially of Jeremiah, who often prefaces his prophecies with it; and is very
properly given him; fince he chofe the people of Ifrael, above all people, to be
his fpecial people; and distinguished them from others, by many peculiar
favours; he avouched them to be his people; and they avouched him to be their
God; this was his Old Teftament name and title; and was almost out of date,
as one obferves; when Zechariah, the father of John Baptist, used it, who is
the last that did; faying, Blessed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath visited and
redeemed bis people; for, quickly after, another name of his took place; which
is, his New-Teftament-name and title; the God and Father of our Lord Jefus
Christ, used by the apoftles Paul and Peter. God is the God of Chrift, as Chrift
is man; the human nature of Chrift, is a creature of God, the true tabernacle,
which God pitched, and not man; and which he anointed, filled, and adorned
with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, without measure; and Chrift, as fuch,.
loved him, as his God, and obeyed his commands, from a law of love in his
heart; him he hoped in from his mother's womb; and in him he believed, and
had the strongest confidence in him, that he was near him, would help him,
stand by him, and justify him; to him he prayed most fervently and frequently;
sometimes a whole night together; and gave him thanks and praise for divers
things, particularly for hiding the mysteries of grace from the wife and prudent,
and revealing them to babes; and was in all things obedient to his God, through-
out the whole course of his life, even unto death. God is the Father of Chrift,
as Chrift is a divine perfon; and in fuch fenfe his Father, as he is to no other;
and Chrift is in fuch fenfe his Son, and in fuch a clafs of filiation and fonfhip,.
as none others are, angels, or men; angels are the fons of God by creation,
faints by adoption: but to which of them, one or another, faid be at any time,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Chrift is his own proper, na-
tural Son; of the fame nature with him; the Son of himself; the Son of the Fa-
ther, in truth and love; and not in an improper, figurative, and metaphorical
fense; as magiftrates, by office, are called the fons of God.

→ Dan. iv. 35:

• Dr Goodwin, on Ephes. i. 3. p. 27. 2 Cor. i. 3. Ephes. i. 3, 17. and ili. 14. 1 Peter i. 3,

& 2. John, ver. 3.

d Luke i. 68.. f Heb. i..5,

4. Chrift

1

Christ himself may be fignified by the name of the Lord; in and by whom he is fo clearly made known and revealed to men; and in whom his name, his nature, and perfections are, as before obferved; and to whom belong all the same glorious names; as the true God, God Almighty, Jehovah, the Lord of bosts, and the koly One of Ifrael; and who, befides thefe, has various precious and excellent names, worthy to be recorded. The first of these we meet with is Shiloh, in the famous prophecy of Jacob, The fceptre shall not depart from Judab, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh come; who is the true Meffiah; which name, whether it has the fignification of profperous or peaceable', it agrees with Chrift; in whofe hands the pleasure and will of God, refpecting the fal-. vation of men, profpered; and who fucceeded in all his conflicts with fin, Satan, and the world, and got the victory over them: and he is the prince of peace ; the man, the peace; with whom the covenant of peace was made; on whom the chastisement of our peace was laid, and who has made peace by the blood of his crofs. His name Immanuel, given him before his birth, when prophefied of, to be born of a virgin, is a very precious one; which is, by interpretation, God with us; " God in our nature, God manifeft in the flesh;" and through which, being made, he dwelt among men ; which is a moft wonderful inftance of condescending grace. Another name with which it is faid he should be called is, the Lord our righteousness', because, as a furety, he undertook to bring in everlasting righteousness; and, therefore, it became him to fulfil all righteoufnefs and for this purpose, he came in the likeness of finful flesh, to obey the law in our nature, and condemn fin in the flesh, by the facrifice of himself, that the righteousness of the law might be completely fulfilled in us; and he is become the fulfilling end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believes; and to whom he is alfo made righteousness, and they made the righteousness of God in him: and, not to forget that delightful name of Jefus, given to him because he faves his people from their fins; nor Meffiah, which fignifies Chrift, or Anointed; he being anointed as prophet, priest, and king, with the oil of gladnefs, the holy Ghoft, and his grace, above his fellows; and from whom the faints receive the unction, that anointing, which teaches all things, and are denominated chriftians. To this name of Chrift the church feems to allude, when she says, Thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love theem.

h Gen xlix. 10.

5. The

Siloh; quia princeps pacis, Ifai. ix. 6. præftans etiam pacem, ab accufatione & jugo legis, quam fcilicet legiflatores imponere poterant. Cocceii Lexic. col. 898. fignificat quietus, tranquillus fuit; item, Salvus, felix, fortunatus fuit, profpere & feliciter egit; hinc alii aiunt notare, pacificum, quietumalii felicem, eumque maxime talem quod nomine Herois felicis indicare videntur. Valand. Differt. ad Gen. xlix. 10. apud Thefaur. Theolog. Philol. vol. I. p, 273. * Matt. i. 23. Jer. xxiii. 6. m Cant. i. 3.