Again : whereas the gTeat means he hath appointed for the forgive- ness of sins is by the mediation of the Lord Christ, as we shall after- ward show, he hath on several occasions confirmed his purpose in him, and the counsel of his will, hy his oath. By this oath he promised him unto Abraham and David of old; which proved the foundation of the church's stability in all generations, and also of their security and assurance of acceptance with him. See Luke i. 78-75. And in his taking upon him that office whereby in an especial manner the forgiveness of sins was to be procured, — namely, of his being a priest to offer sacrifice, to make an atonement for sinners, — he confirmed it unto him, and him in it, by his oath : Heb. vii. 20, " He was not made a priest without an oath." And to what end? — namely, that he might be " a surety of a better testament," verse 22. And what was that better testament? Why, that which brought along with it the " forgiveness of sins," chap. viii. 12, 13. So that it was forgive- ness which was so confirmed by the oath of God. Farther: the apostle shows that the great original promise made unto Abraham being confirmed by the oath of God, all his other promises were in like
478 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver. 4.
manner confirmed ; whence he draws that blessed conclusion which we have, chap. vi. 17, 18: "As to eveiy one," saith he, "that flees for refuge to the hope that is set before him," — that is, who seeks to escape the guilt of sin, the curse and the sentence of the law, by an application of himself unto God in Christ for pardon, — " he hath the oath of God to secure him that he shall not fail thereof" And thus are all the concernments of the forgiveness of sin testified unto by the oath of God ; which we have manifested to be the highest secu- rity in this matter that God can give or that we are capable of
Tlie name of God confirming the truth and reahty of forgiveness with him — As also the same is done by the properties of his nature.
X. Another foundation of this truth, and infallible evidence of it, may be taken from that especial name and title which God takes unto himself in this matter; for he owns the name of " The God of pardons," or " The God of forgiveness." So is he called, Neh. ix. 17, nin^D ni^X. We have rendered the words, "Thou art a God ready to pardon ; " but they are, as was said, " Thou art a God of pardons," " forgiveness," or " propitiations." That is his name, which he owneth, which he accepteth of the ascription of unto himself; the name whereby he will be known. And to clear this evidence, we must take in some considerations of the name of God and the use thereof; as, —
1. The name of God is that whereby he reveals himself nnto lis, where])y he would have us know him and own him. It is something- expressive of his nature or properties which he hath appropriated unto himself Whatever, therefore, any name of God expresseth him to be, that he is, that we may expect to find him; for he will not deceive us by giving himself a ^^Tong or a false name. And on this account he requires us to trust in his name, because he will assuredly be foimd unto us what his name imports. Resting on his name, flying unto his name, calling upon his name, praising his nnme, things so often mentioned in the Scripture, confirm the same unto us. These things coidd not be our duty if we might be deceived in so doing. God is, then, and will bo, to us what his name declareth.
2. On this ground and reason God is said then first to he hnoiun hy any name, when those to whom he reveals himself do, in an especial manner, rest on that name hy faith, and have that accom- plished towards them which that name imports, signifies;, or declares. And therefore God did not, under the Old Testament, reveal himself
Ver.4.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS ^YITH GOD. 479
to any by the name of the Father of Jesus Christ or the Son incar- nate, because the grace of it unto them was not to be accomphshed. " God having provided some better tiling for us, that they without us should not be made perfect," they were not intrusted with the full revelation of God by all his blessed names. Neither doth God call us to trust in any name of his, however declared or revealed, unless he gives it us in an especial manner, by way of covenant, to rest upon. So he speaks, Exod. vi. S, " I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob ''1^ ^^^, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known unto them." It is certain that both these names of God, El-shaddai and Jehovah, were known among his people before. In the first mention we have of Abraham's address- ing himself unto the worship of God, he makes use of the name Jehovah : Gen. xii. 7, " He budded an altar unto Jehovah." And so afterward not only doth Moses make use of that name in the repe- tition of the story, but it was also of frequent use amongst them. Whence, then, is it said that God appeared unto them by the name of El-shaddai, but not by the name of Jehovah? The reason is, be- cause that was the name which God gave himself in the solemn con- firmation of the covenant with Abraham: chap. xvii. 1, '''i!?^ ''^""'-^^:?., — " I am El-shaddai," "God Almighty," "God All-sufficient." Andwhen Isaac would pray for the blessing of the covenant on Jacob, he makes use of that name : chap, xxviii. 3, " God Almighty bless thee." He invocates that name of God which was engaged in the covenant made with his father Abraham and himself That, therefore, we may with full assurance rest on the name of God, it is not only necessary that God reveal that name to be his, but also that he give it out unto us for that end and i-)urpose, that we might know him thereby, and place our trust and confidence in him according unto what that name of his imports. And this was the case wherever he revealed himself unto any in a peculiar manner by an especial name. So he did unto Jacob: chap, xxviii. 18, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy fathei-, and the God of Isaac ;" assuring him, that as he dealt faithfully in his covenant with his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, so also he would deal with him. And, chap. xxxi. 13, " I am the God of Beth-el," — " He who appeared unto thee there, and blessed thee, and will continue so to do." But when the same Jacob comes to ask after another name of God, he answers him not ; as it were commanding him to live by faith on what he was pleased to reveal. Now, then, God had not made himself known to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob by his name Jeho- vah, because he had not peculiarly called himself unto them by that nJlme, nor had engaged it in his covenant with them, although it were otherwise known unto them. They lived and rested on the name of God Almighty, as suited to their supportment and consolation in their