A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

1. The Name of God is that whereby he reveals himself unto us, whereby 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 wrong, or a false Name. And on this account he requires us to trust in his name, because he will assuredly be found unto us, what his Name imports. Resting on his name, flying unto his name, calling upon his name, praising his name, things so often mentioned in the Scripture, confirm the same unto us. These things could not be our duty, if we might be deceived in so doing. God is then, and will be to us what his Name declareth.

2. On this Ground and Reason, God is said then first to be known by any name, when those to whom he reveals himself, do in an especial manner rest on that name by faith, and have that accomplished towards them which that name imports signifies or declares. And therefore God did not under the Old Testament reveal himself to any by the name of the Father of Jesus Christ, or the Son incarnate, because the Grace of it unto ⟨p. 197⟩them was not to be accomplished, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us, should not be made perfect; they were not entrusted 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. 6. 3. I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and to Jacob ([Greek or Hebrew]) in 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 Elshaddai and Jehovah, were known among his people before. In the first mention we have of Abraham's addressing himself unto the Worship of God, he makes use of the name Jehovah,