Let us lay together these considerations, and we shall find that they will give us another stable foundation of the truth insisted on, and a great encouragement to poor sinful souls to draw nigh to God in Christ for pardon. God hath no name but what he gives unto himself; nor is it lawful to know him or call him otherwise. As he calls himself, so is he; what his name imports, so is his nature.
VOL. VI. 81
482 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver. 4.
Every name also of God is engaged in Jesus Christ in the covenant, and is proposed unto us to place our trust and confidence in. Now, this is his name and his memorial, even " The God of forgiveness." By this he distinguisheth himself from all others, and ex2:»ressetli it as the principal title of his honour, or his peculiar glory. According to this name, therefore, all that believe shall assuredly find " there is forgiveness with him."
XI. The consideration of the essential jJt'ojyerties of the nature of God, and what is required to the manifestation of them, will afford us farther assurance hereof. Let us to this end take in the ensuing observations : —
First, God being absolutely perfect and absolutely self-suljicient, was eternally glorious, and satisfied with and in his own holy ex- cellencies and perfections, before and without the creation of all or any thing by the putting forth or the exercise of his almighty power. The making, therefore, of all things dej)ends on a mere sovereign act of the will and pleasure of God. So the whole creation makes its acknowledgment: Rev. iv. 11, v. 12, ."Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power : for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." God could have omitted all this great work without the least impeachment of his glory. Not one holy property of his nature would have been dimi- nished or abated in its eternal glory by that omission. This, then, depended on a pure act of his will and choice.
Secondly, On supposition that God would work " ad extra," by his power produce any thing without himself, it was absolutely necessary that himself shotdd he the end of his so doing. For as before the production of all things, there was nothing that could be the end why any of them should be brought forth out of nothing, or towards which tliey should be disposed; so God, being an infinite agent in wisdom, and understanding, and power, he could have no end in his actings but that also wliich is infinite. It is therefore natural and necessary unto God to do all things for himself It is impossible he should have any other end. And he hath done so accordingly: Prov. xvi. 4, "The Lord hath made all things for himself." He aimed at himself in all that he did; there being no other infinite good for him to make his object and his end' but himself alone.
Thirdly, This doing things, all things for himself, cannot intend an addition or accruement thereby of any netu real good unto him- self His absolute eternal perfection and all-sufficiency render this impossible. God doth not become more powerful, great, Avise, just, holy, good, or gracious, by any of his works, by any tiling that he doth. He can add nothing to himself. It must therefore be the manifestation and declaration of the holy properties of his nature
Ver. 4' ] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS WITH GOD, 483
that he doth intend and design in his works. And there are two things required hereunto: —
.1. That he make them knoion; that by ways suited to his infinite wisdom he both declare that such properties do belong unto him, as also what is the nature of them, according as the creature is able to apprehend.
So he doth things " to make his power known," to show his power, and to declare his name through the earth, Rom. ix. 17, 22. So it was said that by the works of creation, 7-6 yvtixsrh raZ ©sou, " that which may be known of God is manifest," Rom. i. 19, 20. And what is that? Even the natural, essential properties of his being, "his eternal power and Godhead." To this head are referred all those promises of God that he would glorify himself, and the prayers of his saints that he would do so, and the attestations given unto it in the Scripture that he hath done so. He hath made known his wisdom, holiness, power, goodness, self-sufficiency, and the like perfections of his nature.
2. That he attain an ascription, an attribution of praise and glory- to himself upon their account. His design is " to be admired in all them that believe," 2 Thess. i. 10; — that is, that upon an apprehen- sion of his excellencies which he hath revealed, and as he hath re- vealed them, they should admire, adore, applaud, glorify, and praise him; worship, believe in, and trust him in all things; and endeavour the enjoyment of him as an eternal reward. And this is also three- fold:—
(1.) Interpretative. So the inanimate and brute creatures ascribe unto God the glory of his properties, even by what they are and do. By what they are in their beings, and their observation of the law and inclination of their nature, they give unto God the glory of that wisdom and power whereby they are made, and of that sovereignty whereon they depend. Hence, nothing more frequent in the praises of God of old, than the calling of the inanimate creatures, heaven and earth, winds, storms, thunder, and the beasts of the field, to give praise and glory to God; that is, by what they are they do so, in- asmuch as from the impression of God's glorious excellencies in their effects upon them, they are made known and manifest.