By the name is meant in Scripture, the person of any one. Thus we read in Revelation 3:4 "Thou hast a few names in Sardis"the meaning is, thou hast a few persons there. So it is said, "they that know thy name will put their trust in thee." (Psalms 9:10) The sense is, that the right knowledge of the Lord can only induce a right dependance upon him: and in this sense, what a blessedness is there in the name of JEHOVAH! Hence Moses, towards the close of his ministry, admonisheth Israel to this proper apprehension concerning JEHOVAH. "That thou mayest fear (said Moses) this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD." (Deuteronomy 28:58) And what an infinite fulness is contained in this glorious and fearful name! Observe, not only The Lord, that is JEHOVAH in his threefold character of person, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but Thy God, that is, God in covenant; so that in this view of the name of JEHOVAH, is included both his essence, nature, attributes, perfections, counsel, will, and purpose. All his gracious revelations in the person of his dear Son, his grace, love, wisdom, mercy, and the whole constellation of glories manifested in Christ and by Christ; and so running through the whole kingdoms of nature, and providence, and grace, and glory; so much, and infinitely more, is included in this one view of the glorious and fearful name of The Lord Thy God.
And this may serve to explain, in some measure, the awfulness of taking this glorious and fearful name in vaina sin but little considered, but yet most tremendously heinous. The Jews were so tenacious of it, that they never made use of it in their ordinary discourse, even when intending to speak with reverence; but always substituted some other expression, to intimate their meaning without using the very name. See Jehovah under this particular.
And we find the Lord himself helping his people, as it were, in this sacred regard which they desired to have to his honour, by commanding them to avoid all temptations to it, in prohibiting their use of the names of the dunghill gods around them; knowing that the familiar use of the one, might insensibly lead to the use of the other. "And in all things that I have said unto you, (saith the Lord) be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth." (Exodus 23:13) And hence we find, in after-ages of the church, the Lord again interposing with his grace on this occasion, and saying: "And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali; for I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth." (Hosea 2:16-17) The Israelites were not only in danger from using the same name of Baali, which signifies Lord, as their idolatrous neighbours did, when speaking of their gods, but they had been upon numberless occasions infected also with their idolatry. Hence the Lord graciously promised, in this sweet and condescending Scripture, to remove the temptation to this sin, by taking the names of Baal and Baalim out of their mouths. As if the Lord had said, by being called Ishi, my man, the Lord would came home nearer to their affections.
I must not dismiss this view of the glorious and fearful name of JEHOVAH, of which we are so repeatedly told, in the word of God, the Lord is jealous, without first begging the reader to remark with me the very tender intimations the Lord gives of this name, in the person, work, and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence the church sings, "Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth." (Song of Solomon 1:3) And when a poor sinner, sensible of the loathsomeness of his own person, hath found Jesus, and what is contained for all the purposes of salvation in the person and glory of Christ, then is the name of Jesus more fragrant than all the costly perfume of the sanctuary. The soul then enters into tile enjoyment of all those names of Jesus which the prophet hath described him by, in one full constellation: "His name (saith he) shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!" (Isaiah 9:6)