Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERMON

LXXIX.

GOD'S GREAT NAME, the Ground and Reafon of faving Great Sinners. *

PSALM Cvi. 8.

Nevertheless, be faved them for bis name's fake.

MY

TY friends, the facramental cup that fome of you have in view, is a cup of falvation; and thofe that adventure to take that cup into their hand, had need to be perfons duly informed, and heartily concerned about falvation. The very first piece of heart-exercise in all that are effectually convinced and awakened to a fenfe of fin and fear of wrath, is that or the like queftion, arifing from the bottom of the heart; Men and brethren, what fball I do to be faved? Surely they are not fit for a communion-table, who have never yet come this length in religion, fo as to be more concerned about falvation, and the refolution of this queftion, than ever they were about any temporal concern in the world; for fuch as ftand fair to be worthy communicants, they have come yet a greater length than this, namely, to get that queftion refolved to their fatisfaction, and their mind fpiritually enlightened in the knowledge of the method of falvation through Chrift, fo as to fee upon what terms, and for what reafon it is that God faves them; and particularly, that there is no reafon why he fhould fave them, unless he bring the reafon from himfelf, that it

*This fubject was finished in one fermon, preached at Carnock, July 18th, 1730. before the administration of the facrament of the Lord's fupper.

M. 2

will

[ocr errors]

SER. LXXIX. will not be for their fake, but for his own. God's great end, in all his works, is the glory of his own name; and especially his work of faving finners through Christ; and that which makes it a great work, is, because his great name is fo much concerned therein, and magnified thereby, that it is not fo, greatly glorified any other way, as it is here. God propofes, in this work, that the loftinefs of man fhall be brought down, and the Lord alone exalted; and hence all whom he faves, he humbles them fo low for their fin and wickednefs, as that to bring them to this acknowledgement, that, if even God fave them, it will be owing, not unto them, not unto them, but unto his own glorious name. What thought and concern about falvation ye have, I know not; but if ye be of thefe that believe, to the faving of your fouls, you will fee fo much of your own finfulness and guiltinefs before God, that you will be brought to defpair of falvation in any other way, and upon any other account, than that which was his method of faving Ifrael of old; Nevertheless, be faved them for his name's fake.

How this people finned, we are told in the two preceding verses; and how God faved them, we are told here in the text; Nevertheless, he faved them for his name's fake. The more full history of their finning, even in the extremity of danger they were in, and of God's faving them at the Red-fea, ye have Exod. xiv. through. And concerning this wonderful falvation, there are four things ye may notice in the words.

out.

1. We have a glorious Saviour in the pronoun, He, namely, JEHOVAH, the great God, our Saviour Jefus Chrift, the Angel of the covenant, that appeared to Mofes in the bufh, and delivered Ifrael by the hand of Mofes. He is the Saviour; even he that fays, "Look unto me, and be faved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else."

2. The grievous finners whom he faved, in the word, THEM; He faved them: namely, the Ifraelites, his profeffing people, when they were in great peril, having the Red-fea before them, the rude enemy behind them, and inacceffible mountains on each fide of them: in the

greatest

greatest extremity, and yet a finful people; finning against Gad even in that extremity; yet, he faved them.

3. The great argument that moved him to fave them, or upon what account he thus appeared; it was, for his name's fake; that is, for his own fake, as Hezekiah prays to be faved from Sennacherib, Ifa. xxxvii. 20. "That all the kingdoms of the earth may know, that thou art the Lord, even thou only :" or, for thy name's fake; that is, for thy glory's fake, Pfal. lxxix. 9. "Help us, O God of our falvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and purge away our fins, for thy name's fake:" That is, alfo for thy mercy's fake, for thy goodnefs fake; or, because they were called by his name; this is urged, Jer. xiv. 9.-" Thou, O Lord, art in the midft of us, and we are called by thy name, leave us not."

4. The marvellous nature and circumftance of this falvation, in the word, Neverthelefs; the glory of divine mercy is herein magnified, that he faved them for his name's fake, with a non obftante, with a nevertheless; that is, notwithstanding all their fin, tho' their fin cried to God, not to fave them, but to damn them; not to help' them, but to deftroy them; Nevertheless, ke faved them for bis name's fake, notwithstanding their provocations.

OBSERV. That when God faves finners, or a finful people, he does it for his name's fake, notwithstanding their provocation, whereby they forfeit his help,

and deferve deftruction.

I fhall Firft premife fome general pofitions for clearing the text and doctrine. Secondly, Illuftrate the truth of the doctrine, from fome parallel texts of fcripture.

1ft, I fhall premise fome general pofitions for clearing the text and doctrine.

Firft pofition. "That the falvation and temporal deliverance that God, for his name's fake, wrought for Ifrael of eld, in bringing them out of Egypt through the Red-fea to Canaan, was typical of the great falvation from fin and wrath, to eternal life, thro' Jefus Chrift;" which fpiritual and eternal falvation this text itself leads me to fpeak of, not excluding the temporal deliverance,

M 3

re

remarkable appearances of divine providence, for the vifible church in general. As Ifrael's fin and provocation, and the judgments that came on them for the fame, was our example and warning-piece, 1 Cor. x. 6.; and great deftructions happened for enfamples and types, ver. 11. "And written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come:" fo the great deliverances God wrought for them, were types of the great falvation that God works for finners, through Jefus Chrift, to the praife of the glory of his grace; or, For his name's fake.

Second Pofition. " Many unconverted perfons, in the vifible church, may be delivered from temporal judgments, and faved of God only in outward refpects, and that for his name's fake; fo doubtlefs, many unconverted perfons were among the Ifraelites; yea, molt of them gave difcoveries that they were fo." They forfeited his help in many refpects; yet he faved them in many refpects, for his name's fake. See Ezek. xxxvi. 22, 23. "Thus faith the Lord, I do not this for your fakes, O houfe of Ifrael; but for my holy name's fake:-Not for your fales do I this, faith the Lord God; be it known unto you." Their flavery was fo great, that it opened the mouth of the heathen, as if the God of Ifrael were no God; therefore God, for his name's fake, helped them. See alfo Deut. ix. 5. Ifrael was bad enough, but the heathen were no better, but rather worfe; therefore, for his name's fake, he appeared. Many whom God will not be merciful to in the world, may yet, for his name's fake, be delivered in time.

Third Pofition. "Gracious fouls do too much forfeit God's help in time of danger, and deferve to be forfaken of God, and expofed to mifery; yet, for his name's fake, he faved them;" this is their acknowledgment, as you fee in Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10. I am not worthy of the leaft of all thy mercies. Even fo does the church acknowledge, Ezra ix. 8. 13. and Lam. iii. 22. It is of the Lord's mercy that we are not confumed. And again, Fourth Pofition. “God may punish his people dolefully, whom yet, for his name's fake, he will not def troy;" as in thefe inftances jult now recited. See Jer.

[ocr errors][merged small]

XXX. IO.

God may punish his people for their fin feverely, whom yet he will fave eternally, for his name's

fake; yea, and punifh them more than others, Amos iv. 6,--13. and iii. 2. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Thofe whom, for his name's fake, he faved from fin to eternity, he will make them feel it to be an evil and bitter thing in time.

Fifth Pofition is, "God may fave a visible church, in many outward refpects, for the fake of his name, which he refolves to magnify, especially, in behalf of his invifible remnant among them, his hidden ones;" Ifa. i. 10. "Except the Lord of hofts had left unto us a very small remnant, we fhould have been as Sodom, and we fhould have been like unto Gomorrah." Many are faved with a temporal falvation, for the fake of thofe whom God refolves, for his name's fake to fave with eternal falvation. Hence it is faid, with refpect to the day of outward calamity, that, for the elect's fake, thefe days fhall be fhortened. The wicked are more obliged to God's people than they are aware of. Hence,

[ocr errors]

Sixth Pofition is, "That that faivation, wherein God's name is moft concerned, is falvation in Chrift Jefus to eternal life;" wherein he brings finners from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; from death to life; from a hell of fin and mifery to a heaven of holiness and happinefs.--Having propofed thefe things fhortly for clearing the text and doctrine in the general; before I proceed to the particular parts thereof, I fhall,

2dly, Prove the doctrine by fcripture inftances; Ezek. xx. 8, 9. Read 1 Sam. xii. 22. Ifa. xlviii. 22. 25. Confider, for this purpofe, God's promifes; fuch as, Ifa. xlviii. 8, 9. 11. His people's prayers; fuch as, Jer. xiv. 7. But an induction of particulars, to this purpofe, may afterwards occur for the confirmation.

Now having premifed fome things, and confirmed the doctrine, the method may be as follows,

I. To enquire what is that name of God, for the fake of which he faves.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »