forgiving them? Why hath he difplayed fo much of wildom in making judgment and mercy to meet, and kifs each other? Wifdom in punishing fin, and yet faving the finner? Why? it is even that he might be glorified; that the loftinefs of man might be brought down, and the haughtinefs of man laid low, and that the Lord alone may be exalted, Ifa. ii. 11. This way of faving is fuitable to his nature.

VI. The Sixth thing propofed, was, to draw fome inferences from the whole. And is it fo, That when God faves finners, or a finful people, he does it for his Name's fake, notwithstanding their provocations, whereby they forfeit his help, and deferve deftruction; then,

ift, Hence learn by way of Caution, the following particulars.

1. That this doctrine yields no encouragement to fin, though God faves finners, for his name's fake; the cur rent of his providence, the current of his word, the current of his dealing, all declare his enmity at fin.. What is there in the word that can encourage us in fin? All the threatenings of the law fay, in effect, as you regard the wrath of God, beware of fin: All the commands of the law fay, as you regard the authority of God, beware of fin: All the promises of the gospel say, as you regard the grace, love, and mercy of God, beware of fin: And God's faving for his name's fake, fays, as you regard the great name of God, beware of fin. The great falvation that he exhibites for his name's fake, is falvation from fin; and therefore, to make this an encouragement to fin is to affront his name, to abufe his name, to profane his name, and to take his name in vain; "And he will not hold them guiltless that take his name in vain."

2. Think not that God will deliver any from eternal damnation, who are gone to hell, or fave them for his name's fake; no, by no means: they are loft for ever, that die out of Chrift.

2dly, Hence fee, by way of Information, a foundation for the following truths.

1. The reason why the faints confide in God; and why

believers

believers truft in his name, and flee to his name in time of danger; they are acquaint with his name: "And they that know his name will put their trust in him," Pfalm ix. 10. They know his grace, his goodness, his power, his holinefs, juftice, and truth; and they have the encouragement of a promife fo to do, Pfalm xci. 14. "I will fet him on high, because he hath known my name. And why is it that they pray for help, for his name's fake? Becaufe they know God will do more for his name, than otherwife he could do, Pfalm xxv. II. Jer. xiv. 7. Thus Jofhua, when Ifrael were fmitten at Ai, chap. vii. 9. "And what wilt thou do unto thy great name?" Again,

2. Hence fee, to whom we ought to give the glory of experienced mercy, even to God's name; as Pfalm CXV. 1. "Not unto us, not unto us, but to thy mame ke the glory, for thy mercy and thy truth's fake." Thus you will find David frequently at this work, Pfalm cxlv. 1, 2. “ I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will blefs thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee, and I will praife thy name for ever and ever." " This is one ground of God's helping, Ifa. xxix. 22, 23. This is, in a manner, all that JEHOVAH gets by all his glorious falvations wrought for us, Ezek. xxxvi. 23. Let us therefore learn to render the glory of all God's works unto his glorious name.

3. Hence fee a door of hope opened for finners in this gofpel. Does God fave for his name's fake, these who may not put in for falvation? Whatever they be, whatever objections you can make, they are anfwered by this one argument, God faves for his name's fake, when there is no other reafon for his doing fo in the world: he can make a reafon to himfelf, and find the anfwer in himfelf why he will fave.

4. Hence fee the freenefs of the gofpel-method of falvation; for God faves with a non obftante, that is, with a notwithstanding. O but the gospel-falvation is free! The law brings in fo many provifes, that is, either the law of works, truly fo called; it fays, If ye do, ye fhall live; if you be perfect, ye fhall be happy; or the law, fallly fo called, the many remainders of it in man's heart

that

that makes the finner think, Why, I cannot be faved, unless I do as well as I can; unless I be fo and fo qualified, I cannot expect to be faved: but the gofpel opens a door of free accefs to finners with a Nevertheless; notwithstanding whatever fins, guilt, diforder, confufion, death, diftrefs and ruin; notwithflanding whatsoever wickednels be about you, yet here is a way wherein you may expect falvation: Nevertheless be faved them, for bis name's fake.

Objet. Mult I not be faved upon my believing and repeating, is not faith at lent the condition of my falvation?

Anfw. Faith and repentance are parts of this falvation that God gives for his name's fake; and how can they be conditions of that falvation, whereof they are leading parts?" By grace you are faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. Christ is exalted to give repentance, Acts v. 51. None are faved without faith and repentance; becaufe all that are faved of the Lord, are faved thereunto: they are faved from unbelief, and brought to faith; faved from impenitency, and brought to repentance. Faith and repentance are the beginnings of this falvation, and falvation cannot be completed, without having a beginning: but both beginning and end are what God gives for his name's fake: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Christ," Phil. i. 6.; because his name is "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending." Faith itfelf is not neceffary to falvation, as a moral condition; but only a phyfical inftrument. And hence, as it is not poffible a beggar can be the better of a free gift offered to him, if he does not take it, or accept of it; yet his taking of it, is no moral condition, but only the natural inftrument, or mean of poffeffion: fo, neither can any poffibly be the better of this free falvation, that God offers in the gofpel, if they will not take it, or have it in the manner it is offered, namely, Salvation from fin and wrath, unto eternal holiness and happinefs, and all freely, for God's name's fake. Taking is no moral condition, otherwife it would contradict the defign of the gofpel. Faith is nothing elfe but a welcoming this falvation

1

in this manner: it is the foul's acquiefcing and falling in with this method; not a condition of it properly, but a closing with it freely it is a believing that God will fave in this way for his name's fake and not for the fake of our faith, or any thing elfe done by, or wrought in us. It is a being content to be faved this way, that the name of God may for ever get the praife; and renouncing all other grounds of faith and reafons of hope, taking this name of the Lord for his ftrong tower, refolving to reft here.

5. Hence fee, what is the last and ultimate refuge of faith. The first refort of faith is to a word, a may be the Lord will be gracious: but a finding no reft here, then perhaps it goes to a direct promife; fuch as that, A new heart will I give you; and pleads for the promise' fake but needing to be better fixed, it goes to Chrift, and pleads for Chrift's fake; in whom all the promifes are Yea and Amen. But why fhould God fave for Chrift's fake? What obligation is God under to accept of that ranfom and atonement in the blood of Chrift for me? Why? Then laft of all it flees to God's name, and fees that God's name will be more magnified in this way of falvation, than it can be in any other way of God's dealing with it; and hence it is never faid he damus for his name's fake; for his name gets not fo much glory that way. Here then is the laft fhift of faith, and its ultimate refuge and ground of hope; and there is ground enough here.

Ufe 3. The next Ufe fhall be for Examination. Try whether or not God hath begun to fave you for his name's fake; or, if you have got his name engaged and concerned in your falvation-work. For the trial of this interesting point, confider the following things.

1. They whom God hath begun to fave for his name's fake, and to whom he will be further merciful for his name's fake, they are made fenfible that God hath hitherto helped them for his name's fake; and that they are beholden to God's name for every bit of bread; indebted to his name for their prefervation out of hell; obligated to his mercy and power, that hitherto he hath helped, pitied,

pitied, and faved them from everlasting ruin and they are fo affected with his mercy, that they endeavour to live like perfons fenfible of this obligation they are under to his name; though, in ftrict juftice, they deferve nothing, and God may fay, as Judges x. 13. "I will deliver you no more;" and fwear, as Jer. xliv. 26, 27. " Behold, I have fworn by my great name, faith the Lord, that my name shall be no more named in the mouth of any man." Yet, being a gracious God, will not utterly leave them, 1 Sam. xii. 22. but fave them, and others, for their fake; fo good is he to them, Gen. xviii. 32.

1. Hath frowning providence done you good? Are you purged by afflictions? For thefe whom God delivers for his name's fake, their deliverance from trouble bears fome resemblance to his name who delivers.

QUEST. How fhall we know, when God's rod hath done its work, and when God hath said, It is enough? 2 Sam. xxiv. 16.

ANSW. (1.) When you are humbled for the fin that caufed God to take his rod in his hand; fuch as want of love, defpifing the gofpel, abounding of error, divifion, unbrotherly animofities. Have these things been lamented, loathing the fimplicity of the gofpel, and the plain administration of God's ordinances? Professors grown full in their ftomachs. Is the cafe altered? The abounding of hypocrify under the fpecious name of higher attainments, &c.

(2.) When a people can thrive under merciful providences without the rod; for God will not needlefly afflict any, much lefs his own people, 1 Pet. i. 6. Lam. ii. 33. More particularly,

1. Are your falvation and God's glory twifted and conjoined? Will God's name be a lofer, if your bonds be strengthened and continued? Joshua faid, "What wilt thou do unto thy name?" This moved God to fhew mercy on a wicked people, Deut. xxxii. 26, 27.; left God fhould Jofe his declarative glory in the wonders he had wrought for Ifrael; left the heathen should fay, God cannot fave his people. Can you fay, Oh! I think God will want much glory, if I be not faved; and I cannot think that