§ 23. The name niiT is read of old, before the times of Moses, and mentioned in such a manner that we may be assured that Moses did not, from an idiom arising not until his own time, introduce the ex- pression into the times of Enoch, Abraham, etc. : Gen. iv. 26, xiii. 4, xiv. 22, xv. 2, 7, etc.
§ 24. Again, it is plain that this revelation was made to Moses, and by the instrumentality of Moses to the Israelites, by which revelation the name Jehovah became known to them in a new way. We lately quoted the passage, Exod. iii. 15. A second is to be added, Exod. vi. 3 : I appeared unto Abraham , unto Isaac , and unto Jacob , '"W as a God abounding in all good things : but under My name Jehovah I was not made known to them. In which pas- sage 2 is prefixed to the word ta, and, as denoting the aspect under which one is regarded, may be befittingly rendered by the French en , as, for instance, they say, Vivre en Chretien. When God ap- peared to Abraham, He called Himself 'HE' Gen. xvii. 1 : and from this Isaac and Jacob often so called Him. At that time also He was called Jehovah , but by a less solemn use. It was not until the time of Moses that He Himself ordered that this should be His name for ever, and that this should be the memorial of Him from generation to generation : Exod. iii. 15. Then He made for Himself an eternal name , by the transaction itself : Isa. lxiii. 12. Let the passage be looked to, Exod. xv. 3, and the whole of that song.
§ 25. nirp is used from mn, to be : and this name of Himself may be regarded either absolutely, as He who is from eternity to eternity is in Himself ; or relatively, as He becomes known to His people in His character as He who is, by accomplishing His promise by the ■work itself.
§ 26. In the former sense, the name nin' was celebrated, even in the days of the Patriarchs ; but under the other sense, which was added not until the time of Moses, the Lord made Himself known to the Israelites, by that great work of leading them forth from Egypt.
§ 27. By such means He admirably, as it were, contracted the meaning of His name mrp, so that, just as God, although being the God of all, yet was no other, and was called no other, and wished to be called no other, than the God of Israel, so rnrr*. He who is, was no other than He who is to Israel, or, in other words, who affords and exhibits Himself to Israel. He truly said, 7 will be to you, as He afterwards said, 7 will not be to you : Hos. i. 9. In a similar manner, as often as God performed some remarkable work,