441

that he was the GoD of his Father; the GOD of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the GoD of Jacob. Now as Moses acknowledged himself instructed before he asked this question, to tell the Israelites, that the God of their Fathers had sent him; what need could there possibly be of his either having, or asking any further information? The Israelites knew What then of and acknowledged but one God.

C

could it signify for them to be told, that his name was Jehovah, El, Shaddai, Elohim, Adonai, or any other; when by whatever name he was known, they must consider him as one and the same, the only Gon, most high over all the earth? The ancients, both Jews and Heathens, and afterwards some of the early and learned writers of the christian church, imagined that the names of persons and things were of the greatest importance to be rightly understood, in order to lead to the truest knowledge which could be had of their natures; and they frequently speculated upon this subject with so much philosophical subtlety, that they built upon it many foolish fancies and ridiculous The Jewish Rabbins thought the true knowledge of names to be a science, preferable to the study of the written law; and entertained many surprising fancies about the word JEHOVAH: One of which was, that it was so wonderfully compounded, that no one but an inspired person could give it a true pronunciation. Plotinus and Jamblicus thought some names to

errors.

b Exod. iii. 6.

d

a Ficini Argument. in Cratyl. Platonis.

© Ver. 13.

e Id. ibid.

2

be of so coelestial a composure, that the rightly using
them could not fail of obtaining oracles;
f and
Phoebus and Pythagoras are said to have cured discases
by the use of such names. Such opinions as these
might have their admirers in the days of Origen, and
some of them seem to have been too easily admitted by
him. When they began I cannot say, nor whether
Naaman the Syrian thought that the name of the GoD
of Israel was powerful in this manner; but certainly
it must be a mistake to think, that Mercury Trismegis
tus was, as Ficinus hintsk, of this opinion. For all
these opinions took their rise in after-ages, and began

7 Ficini Argument. in Cratyl. Platonis.

h

* Ibid.

Πολλοι των επαδονίων δαίμονας χρώνται εν τοις λόγοις αυτών τῷ ο

Θεος Αβρααμ εκ επισταμένοι τις εστιν ο Αβρααμ- Εβραικ ονόματα πολλαχε τοις Αιγυπτίοις επαγελλομενοις ενεργειαν τινα ενώ εσπαρίας μαθημασίαν τόνον δυνηθώμεν παραστησαι φυσικ ονομάτων ενεργών, ων τισι χρονίαι Αιγυπτίων οι Σοφοι, η των παρα Περσαις Μάγων οι λογίοι, η των πας' Ινδοις φιλοσοφανίων Βραχμάνες, η Σαμαναίοι, και κατασκεύασαι οιοιτε γενώμεθα, οτι και η καλεμένη μαγεια έχει ως οιονται οι απο Επικερς και Αριστοτελης, πραγμα εστιν ασυσίατον παντα, αλλ', ως οι περι ταύτα δεινοι αποδεικνύεσι, συνεσίως μεν, λόγος έχει σφόδρα ολίγοις γινωσκομένες, τοτ' ερόμενο οτι το μεν Σαβαώθ ονομα, και το Αδοναι, και άλλα παρ' Εβραίοις μετα πολλής σεμνολογίας παραδιδομενα, εκ επι των τυχονίων και γενητων κειται πραγμάτων, αλλ' επί τινος θεολογίας απορρητα, ανα φερόμενης εις τον των όλων δημιεργον έως 8 τα σημαινόμενα κατα των πραγμάτων, αλλ' αι των φωνών ποιοτητες και ιδιότητες ταδε τινα η ταδε. Leg. Origen. 17, 18, 19, 20.

έχεσι τι δυνατον εν αυταίς προς
cont. Celsum. lib. 1. p.
i2 Kings v. 11.

k Ubi sup

from false notions, which the heathens took up about the reverence paid to, and the use of the name JEHOVAH amongst the ancient Jews; and Moses can in no wise be supposed to have been so absurd, to desire to know God's name, as if the use of that could have given any extraordinary powers, other than GoD might give him without his knowing it, It is very evident, that Abrabam and his descendants worshipped not only the true and living GOD, but invoked him in the name of the LORD; and they worshipped the LORD in whose name they invoked, so that two persons were the objects of their worship, Gop, and this LORD. And the Scripture has distinguished these two persons from one another by this circumstance; that God no man hath seen at any time nor can seeTM, but the LORD whom Abraham and his descendants worshipped, was the person who appeared to them". Gop did not always reveal his will by this LORD; for we meet with instances of angels commissioned for this purpose; therefore I imagine, that Moses by asking in whose name he was to go, might desire to be informed, whether the LORD who appeared to Abraham, was to be his mighty assistant and protector; or whether some angel, such as went to Lot, was to deliver the Israelites.

If we take what the ancients offered about the science of names, rejecting the idle and fanciful super structures which they built upon it; we may form

1 See Book VII.

■ Gen. xii. 11.

m 1 Tim. iv. 16. Exod. xxxiii. 20. • Chap. xix.

a further reason for Moses' desiring to be informed what the name of GoD was. Men did not, at this time, know the works of creation well enough to demonstrate from them the attributes of Gov; nor could they by speculation, form proper and just notions of his nature. Some philosophers indeed of these times, thought themselves wise enough to attempt these subjects; but what was the success? professing themselves wise they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible GOD. There was not a sufficient foundation for a true knowledge of the heavens, elements, and the frame of the Universe then laid, for men to build upon, so as to attain from the study of them, suitable and proper notions of the Deity. Hence it came to pass, that the builders of these ages, having bad materials to work with, composed weak and indefensible systems of theology. When they had speculated upon the fire, or the wind, the swift air, or the circle of the stars, the violent water, or the lights of heaven, not forming true notions of their natures; they were delighted with their beauty, or astonished at their power, and framing very high and false estimates of them, they lost the knowledge of the workmaster, and took the parts of his workmanship to be Gon. Now some error of this sort, or errors as pernicious as these, Moses himself might have fallen into; if he had endeavoured to have formed his notions of GOD, either from the Egyptian learning, or from any learning at this time

Rom. i. 22, 23.

१

in the world. Faith, or belief of what God had revealed, was the only principle upon which he could hope rightly to know GOD; and upon this principle, Moses here desired to go. For as the revelation which GOD had made of himself, was as yet but short, so Moses, by desiring to know God's name, desired that he might have some revelation of his, nature and attributes made to him. We do not find that the ancients gave their names arbitrarily, and without reason; but when Cain, Seth, Noah, Peleg, or when Jacob's children were to be named, reasons were given for the particular names by which they were to be called. We find some names in Scripture given by GoD himself, which are always expressive of the nature or circumstances of the person to whom they belong; thus Adam was so called, because he was taken out of the ground. GOD called Abram, Abraham, because he designed to make him a father of many nations; and men endeavoured, in naming persons, even from the beginning, to give names thus expressive, as well as human wis dom would enable them to do it. Thus Adam called his wife woman, expressing thereby her origin, because she was taken out of man; and afterwards he called her Eve, because she was the mother of all living; and we find that the Egyptians were curious

4 Heb. xi. 3, 6.

' Gen. iv. 1, & 25. v. 29. viii. 25 & 30.

Chap. xvii. 5. See Gen. xxxii. 28. &c.