their proper centre, though all things else that are about us be in perpetual motion.

This our reason itself, assisted by Divine Revelation (without which it is but a blind guide), may easily direct us to; as I doubt not but some here present have already found. Howsoever, it being a subject wherein we are all so nearly concerned, they who are so wise as to mind their own real interest, cannot but take all occasions to exercise their thoughts upon it. And it will be very seasonable to do it now for which purpose, therefore, I have chosen these words, where the royal Prophet having been speaking of God's supreme authority over the world, and of the righteous judgment which He executeth in it, he on a sudden. turns his discourse, and applies himself immediately to Him, saying, " And they that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek Thee."

Where we may observe, first, the qualification requisite to the fixing our minds upon God, even the knowledge of His Name: then the necessary tendency of such a qualification, "They that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee." And lastly, the reason of it, " For Thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek Thee." For the truth of all which he appeals to God Himself, the God of truth, directing what he saith to Him, the better to confirm us in the belief of it.

First therefore, it is here supposed, that although it be easy to talk of trusting in God, there are but few that do it; none but they who know His Name; but all such will certainly do it. And to understand who they are that are thus qualified for it, we must consider what is here meant by His Name; and what by knowing it: neither of which questions can be truly resolved any other way, than from the Holy Scriptures; forasmuch as we can have no right knowledge of God, not so much as to know what it is to know Him, but from the revelations that He hath there made of Himself to us; as appears but too plainly from all those who never had the Holy Scriptures made known to them though they might perhaps have some general notions and traditions among them about that invisible Being which

SERM.
LXIII.

we call God, and they by some name or other in their respective languages; yet they were so weak, imperfect, and confused, that they could not be properly said to know any thing at all of Him, neither what He is, nor what He doth in the world. The old Greeks and Romans, I confess, before our Saviour's birth, spoke and wrote a little more refinedly of Him; but it was after the Israelites or Jews had been a long time dispersed among them, and had given them some hints of what was revealed to them, which the other endeavoured to improve as well as they could, but to little or no purpose, notwithstanding all their art and learning. Before that time, we do not find that either they or any other, had any knowledge of the true God; nor could have any but from Himself, Who therefore was pleased to reveal and make Himself known, first to His Own people, and by them to other; which He need not have done, if He could have been known as well without it.

But now we are fully assured, how the knowledge of God came into the world. It was first sent, and then brought into Matt.11.27. it by His Son; Who therefore saith, "No man knoweth the

Son but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal John 1. 18. Him." And, "no man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He 1 Pet. 1. 11. hath declared Him." He hath declared or revealed Him all along from the beginning of the world by His Spirit in 2 Pet. 1. 21. the Prophets, who therefore "spake, as they were moved, 2 Tim.3.16. by the Holy Ghost." Thus "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God:" and there it is that He hath revealed Himself, and whatsoever is necessary for us to know concerning His Holy Name.

In these Holy Writings therefore we find the word, 'Name,' used for person, as the Name of God for God Himself. But in reference to Him, there seems to be a particular reason for it, even because it is by His Name that He hath manifested Himself, and signified His pleasure, how He would have us to think of Him. When Moses desired to Exod. 3. 14. know His Name, He said, "I AM THAT I AM. And, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." He doth not say, I AM this or that,

but I AM in general, and I AM what I AM, or I will be what I will be. Thus He calls Himself, when He speaks of Himself in the first person: but when we speak of Him, He would have us call Him by a name of the same root and sense, in the third person, Jehovah, He is. We following the Greek, translate it THE LORD, in great letters; and wheresoever it is so written, the original word is Jehovah. This He calls His own Name; and it is His alone. It is Isa. 42. 8. proper and peculiar to Him; so that nothing ever was, or can be truly called so, but He. But He is called by it all along in the Old Testament, after He had finished the creation, and so caused all things to be, though not before. Particularly in my text, the word which we translate LORD, in the original is JEHOVAH.

Ps. 83. 18.

This therefore being the great Name whereby it hath pleased the Almighty Creator of the world to make Himself known to mankind, by considering the proper signification of this Name, together with what He hath elsewhere said of Himself in Holy Writ for the clearer explication of it to us, we may truly know Him, or, as it is here expressed, His Name, so as to be able to form as high and clear perceptions of Him in our minds, as our present state is capable of; for hereby we are given to understand, that He is not any limited or particular Being, as all other things are; but that He simply is Essence or Being itself in general, beyond which it is impossible for any thought to reach. That He therefore existeth in and of Himself, and gives both essence and existence to all and every thing else that is. That "He Rev. 1. 4. was, and is, and is to come," as St. John interprets His great Name in respect of us. But in Himself, He always is from everlasting to everlasting the same, without any variableness, or shadow of change. That He is not compounded of several parts, powers, properties or perfections; but absolutely is one pure, simple, undivided, indivisible Being. That all the perfections or properties therefore which are attributed to Him, as wisdom, power, goodness, &c. as they are in Him, are neither distinguished from one another, nor from Him in whom they are said to be, but only in our finite apprehensions of one and the same infinite perfection. That the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, "these Three are 1 John 5. 7.

LXIII.

Deut. 6. 4.

SERM. One;" that is, as He Himself elsewhere saith, One Jehovah, one Essence or Substance; or, as we render it, "one Lord." Acts 17. 28. That "it is in Him we live, and move, and have our being." That whatsoever lives, lives in Him; whatsoever moves, moves in Him; and whatsoever is, is or subsists in Him. That He is therefore every where, knows every thing, and doth whatsoever He will, only by willing it should be done. That as He thus made the world only by speaking, or expressing His will that it should be, so He continues to preserve and govern all and every thing that is in it. That not so much as a sparrow can fall to the ground without Him, but the very hairs of our heads, and all the minutest things that are, as they are in Him, so they are numbered Ps. 93. 1; and ordered by Him. That He is therefore the Lord of Sabaoth, the Being of beings, the Cause of all causes, that Ps. 135. 6. reigneth over the whole world, and "doth whatsoever He pleaseth in Heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places."

97. 1.

All this we are certain is true of Almighty God; for we have it from Himself, who only knows Himself, and hath been pleased thus to reveal Himself to us, that we may know Him. But we must not think that all, who barely know what He hath thus said of Himself, are in the number of those who are here said to know His Name; for a man may know all this to be true, so as to have high speculations of God, and be able to discourse with great elegancy as well as propriety of speech concerning Him, and yet not have any right knowledge of Him; for that is not like the knowledge of other things which swims only in the brain, but sinks down into the heart, and overspreads it with a quick sense of His Divine glory and goodness, which none are qualified for, but they whose hearts are cleansed from all impure and corrupt affections, according to that of our Matt. 5. 8. blessed Saviour, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Of all other, that of the Prophet is verified, Isa. 6.9; that, "by hearing they shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing, they shall see, and shall not perceive; because their hearts are waxed gross," and so not capable of being affected with what they hear and know. Whereas they whose hearts are pure and holy, and so in some measure

Matt.13.14.

according to their capacities like to Him, they understand
what is said of God, so as to be touched to the quick with it.
They feel His power, they taste His goodness, they see His
glory shining in themselves.
Their whole souls are pos-

sessed with such a sight and sense of Him, that they are all
in a flame with love to Him, and wholly incline to serve,
honour and obey Him in all that He commands.

Especially they who thus "know His Name will put their trust in Him,” as He Himself here saith by His royal Prophet. They will put their trust in Him; that is, they will not fear any creature in the world, nor any thing that may happen in it; but keeping their hearts always fixed. upon the Lord, the Almighty God, as governing the world. and disposing of all things in it, they rest, as the Word signifies, safe and secure in Him, not doubting, but firmly believing that He will preserve them from evil, and do that which is really the best for them. "In God have I put my Ps. 56. 11. trust," saith David, "I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." And "a good man," saith he, "shall not be Ps. 112. 7. afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord."

But they who truly know Almighty God their Maker, being conscious likewise to themselves that they have offended Him, by not observing the laws, nor doing the work He sent them into the world about for the setting forth His glory in it, and so not answering His end in making them, how can they ever hope for any favour from Him? They have rather just cause every moment to fear that He will dash them to pieces, as a potter doth a vessel that will not serve to the use for which he made it. It is true, they have so, if they look upon Him only as their Maker.

But they who know His Name, according to the revelations that He hath given us, they know that "He so loved John 3. 16. the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" that "in the fulness of time, this His only [Gal. 4. 4 John 1. 14.] Son" was for that purpose "born of a woman, and so was made flesh," or took upon Him the form or nature of man,