with its being a good attained by any work of God, certainly it is the consequence of these works: and besides, it is expressly so spoken of in scripture.

This is implied in the eighth psalm, wherein are celebrated the works of creation: the heavens, the work of God's fingers; the moon and the stars, ordained by him; and man, made a little lower than the angels, &c. The first verse is"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens," or upon the heavens. By name and glory, very much the same thing is intended here as in many other places, as shall be particularly shewn afterwards. The psalm concludes as it began. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" So in the 148th psalm, after a particular mention of most of the works of creation, enumerating them in order, the psalmist says, ver. 13. " Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and the heaven." And in the 104th psalm, after a very particular, orderly, and magnificent representation of God's works of creation and common providence, it is said in the 31st verse, "The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works." Here God's glory is spoken of as the grand result and blessed consequence, on account of which he rejoices in these works. And this is one thing doubtless implied in the song of the seraphim, Isa. vi. 3. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory."

The glory of God, in being the result and consequence of those works of providence that have been mentioned, is in fact the consequence of the creation. The good attained in the use of a thing made for use, is the result of the making of that thing; as signifying the time of day, when actually attained by the use of a watch, is the consequence of making the watch. So it is apparent, that the glory of God is actually the result and consequence of the creation of the world. And from what has been already observed it appears, that it is what God seeks as good, valuable, and excellent in itself. And I presume none will pretend, that there is any thing peculiar in the nature of the case, rendering it a thing valuable in some of the instances wherein it takes place, and not in others: or that the glory of God, though indeed an effect of all God's works, is an exceeding desirable effect of some of them; but of others, a worthless and insignificant effect. God's glory therefore must be a desirable, valuable consequence of the work of creation. Therefore it is manifest, by position the third, that the glory of God is an ultimate end in the creation of the world.

SECT. IV.

Places of scripture that lead us to suppose that God created the world for his name, to make his perfections known; and that he made it for his praise.

1. Here I shall first take notice of some passages of scripture that speak of God's name as being the object of his regard, and the regard of his virtuous and holy intelligent creatures, much in the same manner as has been observed of God's glory.

God's name is in like manner spoken of, as the end of his acts of goodness towards the good part of the moral world, and of his works of mercy and salvation towards his people.-As 1 Sam. xii. 22. "The Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake." Psal. xxiii. 3. "He restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his name's sake." Psal. xxxi. 3. "For thy name's sake, lead me, and guide me." Psal. cix. 21. "But do thou for me, for thy name's sake." The forgiveness of sin in particular, is often spoken of as being for God's name's sake." I John ii. 12. "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." Psal. xxv. 11. "For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great." Psal. lxxix. 9. "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake." Jer. xiv. 7. "O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake."

These things seem to shew, that the salvation of Christ is for God's name's sake. Leading and guiding in the way of safety and happiness, restoring the soul, the forgiveness of sin; and that help, deliverance and salvation, that is consequent therein, is for God's name. And here it is observable, that those two great temporal salvations of God's people, the redemption from Egypt, and that from Babylon, often represented as figures and similitudes of the redemption of Christ, are frequently spoken of as being wrought for God's name's sake.

Thus that great work of God, in delivering his people from Egypt, and conducting them to Canaan. 2 Sam. vii. 23. "And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name." Psal. cvi. 8. "Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake." Isa. Ixiii. 12. "That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm dividing the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name." In the 20th chap. of Ezekiel, God, rehearsing the various parts of this wonderful work, adds from time to time, "I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen," as in ver. 9, 14, 22. (See also Josh. vii. 8, 9. Dan. ix. 15.)

"But

So is the redemption from the Babylonish captivity. Isa. xlviii. 9, 10. "For my name's sake will I defer mine anger. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be polluted?' In Ezek. xxxvi. 21, 22, 23. the reason is given for God's mercy in restoring Israel. I had pity for my holy name. Thus saith the Lord, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake;-And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen." And chap. xxxix. 25. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name." Daniel prays, that God would forgive his people, and shew them mercy for his own sake. Dan. ix. 19.

When God, from time to time, speaks of shewing mercy, and exercising goodness, and promoting his people's happiness for his name's sake, we cannot understand it as of a merely subordinate end. How absurd would it be to say, that he promotes their happiness for his name's sake, in subordination to their good; and that his name may be exalted only for their sakes, as a means of promoting their happiness! especially when such expressions as these are used, "For mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it; for how should my name be polluted?" and " Not for your sakes do I this, but for my holy name's sake."

Again, it is represented as though God's people had their existence, at least as God's people, for God's name's sake. God's redeeming or purchasing them, that they might be his people, for his name, implies this. As in that passage menLioned before, 2 Sam. vii. 23. "Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name." So God making them a people for his name, is implied in Jer. xiii. 11. "For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, &c. that they may be unto me for a people, and for a name." Acts xv. 14. "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name."

This also is spoken of as the end of the virtue, religion, and holy behaviour of the saints. Rom. i. 5. "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name." Matt. xix. 29. "Every one that forsaketh houses, or brethren, &c. -for my name's sake. shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." 3 John 7. "Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles." Rev. ii. 3. "And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured and hast not fainted."

And we find that holy persons express their desire of this, and their joy in it, in the same manner as in the glory of God. 2 Sam. vii. 26. "Let thy name be magnified for ever." Psal. lxxvi. 1. "In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel." Psal. cxlviii. 13. "Let them praise the name of the Lord; for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven." Psal. cxxxv. 13. "Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever, and thy memorial throughout all generations." Isa. xii. 4. "Declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted."

The judgments God executes on the wicked, are spoken of as being for the sake of his name, in like manner as for his glory. Exod. ix. 16. "And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power: and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." Neh. ix. 10. "And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewedst that they dealt proudly against them: so didst thou get thee a name, as at this day."

And this is spoken of as a consequence of the works of creation, in like manner as God's glory. Psal. viii. 1. "O Lord, how excellent is thy name, in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens." And then, at the conclusion of the observations on the works of creation, the psalm ends thus, ver. 9. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name, in all the earth!" So Psal. cxlviii. 13. after a particular mention of the various works of creation, "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent in all the earth, his glory is above the earth and the heaven.

2. So we find the manifestation of God's perfections, his greatness, and excellency, is spoken of very much in the same manner as God's glory.

There are several scriptures which would lead us to suppose this to be the great thing that God sought of the moral world, and the end aimed at in moral agents, wherein they are to be active in answering their end. This seems implied in that argument God's people sometimes made use of, in deprecating a state of death and destruction: that in such a state, they cannot know or make known the glorious excellency of God. Psal. lxxxviii. 18, 19. “Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" So Psal. xxx. 9. Isa. xxxviii. 18, 19. The argument seems to be this: Why should we perish? and how shall thine end, for which thou hast made us, be obtained in a state of destruction, in which thy glory cannot be known or declared?

This is the end of the good part of the moral world, or the end of God's people in the same manner as the glory of God. Isa. xliii. 21. "This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise." I Pet. ii. 9. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light."

And this seems to be represented as the thing wherein the value, the proper fruit and end of their virtue appears. Isa. lx. 6. Speaking of the conversion of the Gentile nations to true religion. "They shall come and shew forth the praises of the Lord." Isa. lxvi. 19. "I will send-unto the nationsand to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. To which we may add, the proper tendency and rest of true virtue, and holy dispositions. 1 Chron. xvii. 8. "Make known his deeds among the people." Verse 23, 24. "Shew forth from day to day thy salvation. Declare his glory among the Heathen."*

This seems to be spoken of as a great end of the acts of God's moral government; particularly, the great judgments he executes for sin. Exod. ix. 16. "And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up, to shew in thee my power; and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth." Dan. iv. 17. "This matter is by the decree of the watchers, &c. To the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will; and setteth up over it the basest of men." But places to this purpose are too numerous to be particularly recited. See them in the margin.t

This is also a great end of God's works of favour and mercy to his people. 2 Kings xix. 19. "Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only." 1 Kings viii. 59, 60.-" That he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people