Thursday, December 14, 2006

God's name in the scriptures is frequently put for himself ; as for instance, ' I am the Lord ; that is my name.' Isaiah 42, 8. The Lord is his name ; this name is the Lord. If his name be mentioned, he himself is meant. If his name be taken in vain, it is so criminal that the Lord will not hold him guiltless that does it. It is even the case with a man and his name ; for if his name be mentioned, himself is meant. God's name, in this sense, is God. To call on and to worship his name, is to call on and worship God himself. ' For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.' Rom. 10, 13. The calling on that name shall save ; but how could his name save, if it was not the same as himself ? Can any thing less than himself, save ? By no means. When the high-priest and his kindred asked Peter and John by what name they had made the impotent man whole, Peter answered, ' by the name of Jesus of Nazareth.' Acts 4, 6–10. If the name of Jesus was not the same as himself, how could such a miracle ever have been performed by it ? The performing of such a miracle requires omnipotence ; hence in that name there must be omnipotence, otherwise this miracle could not have been wrought thereby. ' At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,' &c. Phil. 2, 10. Thus the name of Jesus is to be worshipped. It must therefore be the same as himself, because nothing but ' God is to be worshipped.' Math. 4, 10.

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