Of EleElion. I MOTIVE. To manifoft and declare Gocfs Name. THis he mentions firfi and !aft of his Prayer: The fir!\ at the lixth Vtrfe, (where our interefi begins to be mentioned) I have manifefltdthy ti(Jmt tmto themmwhich thougavefl me out of the World: There Election is made the ground why he did declare God's Name to them: And therefore bad beert the Move in God's heart, why he had by Election given them ilnto Chrifi: Thint thtf wrrt, a11d thotlgavejlthtm mt; the force of which lieth' in this; that becaufc he had defigned them by Election to be his, he did ordain that he fhould maoifefi his Name to them, as that which had moved him to el<Cl: them, Then agaih, Verf. 26, I have dtclared lhJ Name, mtd witJ declare it. which is at the Co£Jclulion of his Prayer. 'we muft firft explain what is meant by God's Name. I. In General; God's Name is Godhimfelf; and exprelfes what he is that is the only' true God, as he had faid vtrj( I, when it is faid, Blt{J tht Name of the Lord, that is, God himfelf: What u hi; Namt, or hiJ J'onJ Name,cmtjl thott tt/1? as Prov. ~o. 4· and Eztk. j6. u, his Name is put for his Glory. Now that this was the great defign of God, to have his Name declared by Chrifi, in fuch a manner as never before, Pfal. 22. fhews; which as in Chrifis Name it prophecieth of his being crucified in the fore-part, fa the effeCI: and tonfequent of that being crucified is, I will declare thy Name tmto my Bre– thren, in thttnidfl of the Congregation I will praij( thee, ver[t 22, which is quoted alfo He6r. 2. I2. And this declaring of his Name, and this great Con– gr<gation is not to his Saints only upon Earth, it reacheth to Heaven, and un– to all that fhall be there manifefted: Vtrjt 26. When he faith, I havt dtclartd what he had already done upon Earth, and I wilt declare, it was not only what he would do while they were upon Earth, but in Heaven alfo: So as the tleclaring of God's Name is the great defign of God in this World to his Saints , and to be perfelled for ever in the World to come. 2. Chri!l came not only to open what God's Name was, as it was more fre– quently held forth afore in the Word, as explaining the Attributes of God, as they are fer forth in the P[alms, and elfewhere, not fo much as to open the heart of God in the continuance of our Salvation, and the bottom foundations ofthem, 3· Efpecially therefore to lay open his grace; and love, and mercy to Man– l<ind , that was the moll eminent peculiar Subjcll of Chrifl's declaring God's Name : So 'ris exprelly faid by Chrift himfelf, verf. 26, I have dtclartd thy Name a11d will declare it; that thy love may 6e i11 them: So then that part ofhis Name efpecia!ly is it Chrift pretended: With which accords that paffage, Pjat. I j8. 2. I will praifethy Name for thy lovi11g-ki11dtu{s, and for thy truth, for thott haj1mag11i(iedtbyworda6oveall thy Name: 'f.he true inli· mate meaning whereof is this, Thou haft magnified that part of thy Word that fpeaks thy loving-kindnefs, and truth, above all thy Name elfe that is in thy Word: And fo refers unto that Name proclaimed, Exod. H· 6. The Lord God gracioHJ mtdmerciful, a6unda11t i11 goodne(• atui truth• . 11. To declare tby Nrtmt, 0 Father! (who is the Fountain of'the De·;ty ;) This he faith in the 25thverfi:, Father, the world hwweth tbre 11ot, 6tJt I havt know11 thee, a11d I wr/1 declare thy Namt. Jefus Chri!l came in an efpecial manilcr to open the heart ef the Father to the World; ]oh11 'I. I8. He came out of the bofome of the Father,and he bath explained him; he harh dif· intrinfecated him, la id open what is in him, in his thoughts, purpofes, and ends of fending him into the World : The Dcfign of his Preaching in hisSer– tnon in the Go!j1el of John, is to let open his Father~s heart, and his own as the Son ;
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