this manifeftation that it is faid, If. lx. 18. "The Lord fhall be thy everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." And therefore let us read the name of God as our God in Chrift, and rejoice and glory in it, whatever melancholy scenes may open in this lower world, whatever jars, and wars, whatever divifions or difafters; "Though mountains fhould be removed, and caft into the midft of the fea, though the waves may lift up their voice and make a mighty noife;" though fword, famine, and peftilence, fhould travel through the land, and lay it defolate of inhabitants; yet here is "a river, the streams whereof makes glad the city of God." The name of God is in Chrift, and his name in him is " a God reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing their trefpaffes unto them;" or, which is all one, his name in Chrift is that which he proclaimed to Mofes, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, pardoning iniquity, tranfgreflion, and fin ;" and therefore let us rejoice in his name all the day long, Pfal. lxxxix. 16. or, as it is Pfal. cv. 3. "Glory ye in his holy name." And that I may illuftrate and clear this exhortation, which we find fo much urged in the fcriptures of truth, I shall,

1. Tell you what is implied in this rejoicing or glorying in

his name,

2. Shew what there is in his name that may afford matter of joy and gloriation.

3. The proper feafons of this duty, or when it is especially that we are called to glory in his name.

4. Anfwer a few objections, or remove fome difficulties that lie in the way, and which mar your joy in this name.

5. Offer a few advices how this duty is to be managed. The first thing is to fhew, what it is to rejoice and glory in the name of God, as it is difplayed and manifested unto us in Chrift; or what it fuppofes and implies.

1. then, It fuppofes that the great name of God is manifefted to us in Chrift, as matter of joy and gloriation. Hence no fooner was God actually incarnate, but immediately the angels (Luke ii.) proclaim it as a matter of triumph unto the thepherds: "Behold, we bring you glad tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people. For unto you is born, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Chrift the Lord." Oh Sirs! what matter of joy was it unto our first parents when the name of an incarnate God was displayed to them, Gen. iii. 15. "The feed of the woman fhall bruife the head of the ferpent?" This name immediately difpelled the difmal cloud of wrath that was hovering over their heads, and cleared the y to them, and all their pofterity. And commonly the prophets

2

phets under the Old Teftament, when they begin to speak of the coming of the Meffias, and of the manifeftation of the name of God in him under the New Teftament, they call and invite the church to rejoice at the profpect of it; Zech. ix. 9. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; fhout, O daughter of Jerufalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is juft, and having falvation." If. lxii. 11. "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, fay ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy falvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his works before him."

2. It fuppofes an uptaking of the name of God as it is ma nifefted in Chrift, and an impreffion or ftamp of it made upon. the foul by the Holy Spirit; "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift, fhines in upon the heart and the foul, by beholding the glory of it as through a glafs, is changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." Sirs, The name of a God in Christ is manifefted externally unto you all; but, alas! few do really glory in his name. Why, what is the reafon of it? The reafon is, this name was never printed upon their hearts by the finger of the Spirit; they never read it by the eye of faith; the god of this world blinds the minds of them that beHeve not, leaft the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, fhould fhine into them." So that, if ever you glory in this name, Chrift, and the name of God in him, must be impreffed upon your hearts, as Paul fays of himself, "It pleafed God to reveal his Son in me."

3. It has in it a high eftimate and valuation of this worthy name; for men do not glory in a thing which they make but little account of. Oh the fuperlative estimate that the believer, the gracious foul, puts upon the name of Chrift, or the name of God in him! he looks on it as "a name above every name. Yea, doubtlefs," fays Paul, Phil. iii. "I count all things but lofs for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ," &c.

4. It has in it a holy vaunting, boafting, and exultation of the foul in him: Pfal xxxiv. 2. "My foul (fays David) fhall make her boast of God: the humble fhall hear thereof, and be glad." Pfal. xliv. 8. "In God we boaft all the day long: and praise thy name for ever. Selah." The man dare not boaft of his riches, of his honour, of his ftrength, of his righteousness, of his works, of his grace, experience, attainments, holinefs, and obedience, or any thing elfe; but his foul will boaft in a God in Chrift, faying with Ifrael, Deut. xxxii. "Their rock is not as our Rock, enemies themselves being judges:" or David, Pfal. xviii. "Who is God fave the Lord? VOL. II. Sf

or

or who is a rock fave our God?" who in Chrift is God merci. ful and gracious. How often do we find Paul thus vaunting and making his boaft in an incarnate God, and his doing and dying, "God forbid that I fhould glory in any thing, fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world!" Oh! fays he, "in this name will I glory: I can do all things through Chrift ftrengthening me."

5. It has in it an earneft defire to have his glory raifed, and the renown of this great name (if poffible) fpread through all the earth: Oh! fays the foul, under this exercife," Let his name endure for ever, let his name laft like the fun: Bleffed be his glorious name for ever and ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory." Thus you fee what it is to rejoice and glory in the name of God as it is in Chrift.

The fecond thing in this ufe, is to fhew what there is in this name of God in Chrift, that affords fuch matter of joy, and gloriation? I answer, There is every thing in this name that can afford relief to a finner, or matter of joy and triumph unto a rational foul; for,

1. There is light in this name; he is "the Sun of righteoufnefs, the light of the world, the day-fpring from on high." Whenever he is revealed to a land, by the difpenfation of the gofpel, light arifes there: "The people which fat in darkness, faw great light and to them which fat in the region and fhadow of death, light fprings up," Matth. iv. 16. And when ever his name is favingly manifefted to a foul, there is a di◄ vine light diffufed through all the nooks and corners of the heart, infomuch that the man that moment is called out of darkness unto God's marvellous light;" and Oh but this light is fweet, and "it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the fun." Oh Sirs! cry, cry, that this name may be manifefted unto you, fo as it is not manifefted unto the world, and let your cries to heaven be accompanied with a diligent attendance on his word read and preached, "as unto a light fhining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day ftar arife in your hearts; and wait for it, as they that wait for the morning, I fay, more than they that wait for the morning; for whenever this name is difplayed in its glory to the foul, it will make your heart to rejcice with the light that is in it; then " the time of the finging of birds is come."

2. There is life in this name, and this affords matter of joy and gloriation in it: John i. 4. " In him was life, and the life was the light of men.' Yea, this is one of his famous titles, "the refurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life: This is the record of God, that God hath given to us

eternal

eternal life and this life is in his Son," John v. 11. and in the last verse of the chapter fave one, "We are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life; and he that hath the Son, hath life." The name of God as in Chrift, it works wonders among the dead; let but this name be manifefted to a poor foul dead in trefpafies and fins, immediately it is quickened, the fpirit of life enters into it. Oh! Sirs, how comes it about that there lie fuch a multitude of dead fouls like dry bones in the valley of vision, notwithstanding of a clear difpenfation of the gofpel? Why, the matter is, though the name of Chrift, and of God in him, be externally manifefted or revealed, yet they never to this day took up the name of God in the light of the Spirit, or by faith of the Spirit's operation; and therefore it is, that they that are dead remain dead ftill, and they that are filthy remain filthy ftill. But though the unbelieving ignorant world fhould never know this name, yet there is life in it to them that know it; a life of juftification to the foul that is condemned by the law; a life of fanctification to them that are perifhing under the power and pollution of fin; a life of confolation to them who through preffures of divine terrors are laid in the lowest pit, in darkness, and in the deeps; a life of eternal glory to them that should have died the fecond death, and been "punished with everlafting deftruction from the prefence of the Lord, and the glory of his power."

3. There is peace in the name of Christ, and of God in him. God in Chrift is a " God of peace," committing to us a word of reconciliation; hence one of the famous titles of Chrift is "The Prince of peace :" he is our peace with God, for he "makes peace by the blood of his crofs: When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." He makes peace with confcience, by fprinkling his blood upon it; let but the name of Christ be manifefted to a foul diftracted with the terrors of a guilty confcience, imme diately the ftorm is hushed into a pleafant calm. And by the manifeftation of this name, peace is made up between man and man; the name of Chrift difplayed in its power makes the "wolf to dwell with the lamb, and the leopard to dwell peaceably with the kid." What is it that creates fuch divifions among us at this day? the church is rent, the state is rent, judicatories are rent, congregations are rent, families are rent, the hearts of minifters rent from their people, and the hearts of the people rent from their minifters, town council and corporations rent, and run into different parties: why, the name and glory of a God in Chrift, which is the centre of peace and love, is departed; little of Chrift, or of his caufe

and

and intereft, is before our eyes, "every one minding his own things, but few the things of Chrift:" and I despair ever to fee either our kirk or state divifions fettled, till the name and glory of Chrift, and his cause and intereft, come to be greater in our eyes, than any private views or interefts of our

own.

4. Redemption and remiffion of fin is in his name; hence called the Redeemer" If. lix. 20. "The Redeemer fhall come to Zion." We are faid to "have redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of fin." He is the Lord, " pardoning iniquity, tranfgreffion, and fin." Whenever he ma nifefts, his name favingly unto a poor foul, crying, “ Mine iniquities are gone over my head, as a burden too heavy for me to bear," the poor foul can read pardon of its fin, and fing with David, Pfal. ciii. "Blefs the Lord, O my foul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Who par doneth all thine iniquities: and who redeems thy life from deftruction."

5. There is not only remiffion of fin, but a law-magnifying and juftifying righteoufnefs in his name: Jer. xxiii. 6. " In his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael shall dwell in safety: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteoufnefs." And, Oh! whenever this name of his is read with the application of faith, faying, as If. xlv. 24. "In the Lord have 1 righteoufnefs;" the man begins to rejoice and glory in his name, faying, as If. lxi. 10. "He hath clothed me with the garments of falvation, and covered me with the robe of righteousness." The poor condemned finner, that was trembling before the bar of his own confcience, begins to lift up his head, and fay, "Who can lay any thing to my charge? It is God that juftifieth: who is he that condemneth?" Chrift is the end of the law, and through him the righteousness of the law is fulfilled; for he was "made fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him."

6. Health or healing is in his name: Exod. xv. 26. “I am the Lord that healeth thee, JEHOVAH-ROPHI." Mal. iv. 2. "Unto you that fear my name, fhall the Sun of righteousness arife with healing in his wings." By this name the eyes of the blind were opened, the ears of the deaf unftopped, the lame man made to leap like an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to fing. Let this name b but whispered into the heart by the Spirit, or let it be but called upon by faith in prayer, it will make the bones which were broken to rejoice. All fou! maladies and difeafes evanish before it. "He fent forth his word," which is in his name, "and healed them.”