“When the name of God and Christ are simply and alone apprehended they may be sufficient ground for faith to rest upon and nothing can be more comfortable to a poor distressed believer.
Because the name of God, that is, God’s attributes, and Christ’s righteousness, do sufficiently, and adequately, and fully answer all wants and doubts, and all objections and distresses that we can have, or can be in.
Whatsoever our want or temptations be, He hath a name to make supply.
For example, to take that His name in pieces, mentioned Exodus 34:5-6, consider every letter in that His name, and every letter answers to some temptation may be made by us.
Art thou in misery and great distress?
He is merciful; ‘The Lord merciful.’ The Lord, therefore able to help thee; and merciful, therefore willing.
Yes, but thou wilt say, ‘I am unworthy; I have nothing in me to move Him to it.‘
Well, therefore, He is gracious; now grace is to show mercy freely.
Yes, but I have sinned against Him long, for many years; if I had come in when I was young, mercy might have been shown me.
To this He says, ‘I am long-suffering.’
Yes, but my sins every way abound in number, and it is impossible to reckon them up, and they abound in heinousness; I have committed the same sins again and again; I have been false to Him, broke promise with Him again and again.
His name also answers this objection: He is abundant in goodness. He abounds more in grace than thou in sinning.
And though thou hast been false again and again to him, and broke all covenants, yet He is abundant in truth; also better than His word, for He cannot to our capacities express all that mercy that is in Him for us.
Yes, but I have committed great sins, aggravated with many and great circumstances, against knowledge, and willfully.
He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; sins of all sorts.
Yes, but there is mercy thus in Him but for a few, and I may be none of the number.
Yes, there is mercy for thousands. And He keeps it; treasures of mercy lie by Him, and are kept, if men would come and take them.”
–Thomas Goodwin, The Works of Thomas Goodwin, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 1861/2006), 3: 326, 328.