THIS verse hath either reference to the immediate foregoing, or rather to the 24. as a further Argument to press that difficult duty. For the Son of Man, (i.e.) the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both God and Man, as God the Son and only begotten of God, as Man the Son of Man, born of the Virgin Mary, though not begotten by man as other men are. The Son of Man Christ Jesus in his hu­mane Nature shall come. We read of a double [Page 2]coming of Christ; The first is past long ago, when he was born into the world, then Christ came to obey the Law, and by suffering to satisfie Justice, and so to save sinners; All those a­mong the sinful sons of Adam, who were from all Eternity elected, and should in time be effectually called, and believe on him. The second coming of Christ is yet to be, The Son of Man shall come; which was not only true when it was spoken by Christ, but also still is true; of which coming of Christ we reade, Acts 1.10, 11. This coming of Christ it will be to Judgement at the end of the world, at the Resurrection, then Iesus Christ shall come to judge the world; of this coming of Christ my Text speaks, as appears by the last words, And then shall he, &c. which coming of Christ was long ago foretold and prophesied in Jude 14.14, &c. in the Glory of his Father; this Christ mentions, that we might not think his second coming will be like his first; then he came under the habit and shape of a servant; then he came to suffer, to be judg'd and condemn'd by men, and therefore came in a mean and despised way; but when he shall come again the second time, he will come as a Iudge to be a Iudge: and there­fore will come in the glory, &c. He will come like himself with his Angels, with all the An­gels accompanying him, who are his. And then, and not till then, he shall, Iesus Christ him­self [Page 3]shall reward, or render to every man, one and another, good and bad, high, low, &c. accord­ing to their works; not according to their thoughts and words of themselves, not accord­ing to their wills and wishes, not according to their meanings and purposes, &c. but according to their works; not according to the works of others, but according to their own works.

SERMON II.

Vse 3. IS it so, &c. Then let all unbelievers, all the enemies of Christ think of this, this doctrine looks with a dismal face upon all such, and speaks dreadful wo and misery to all such. Its full of sweetness, a breast full of consolation to all true believers, (as you have [Page 25]heard but there's nothing but bitterness and ter­rour in it to all who shall live and die without Christ, and enemies to him; and indeed all those who do live without, who will not believe on him, they are enemies to him; He that is not with us is against [...]s saith Christ; he that goes not to Christ by faith, is against Christ, an ene­my to him. Terrour, terrour from this do­ctrine to all such. And this is given by some as a farther reason, why Christ shall be Iudge at this day, that so this day might have the more terrour in it to all such. If God himself were immediately to be the Judge, it would not be so terrible to wicked men; to have a man who was like themselves (except sin) come to judge them, and such a one who was offered again and again to them to be their Saviour, who shed his blood, and bore the wrath of God to make way for the salvation of sinners; and this was told them many times, and they were intreated and invited to take Christ for their Saviour, and were told (from Christ his own mouth) for certain he would not cast them out, if they would come to him but they should be freed from wrath by him, and at this day receive eternal life from him; but yet they hearing heard not, regarded not, but turn'd their backs upon Christ, de­spised him, made light of him, breaking his Commands, contemning his Ordinances, abusing his People. &c.

[Page 26]To have this Iesus Christ come to judge these Rebels against him, it must needs be terrible, Rev. 1.7. All Nations shall wail because of him; that is, all unbelievers and enemies to Christ in all Nations shall wail, not only be­cause that then they shall be judged, but because then they shall be judged by him. This will set their Consciences against them in a terrible man­ner, when this voice shall sound to them, Arise unbelievers, Arise wicked men, Jesus Christ is come to judge you; then Conscience will tell them, O there's he who was offered to thee to be thy Saviour, but thou didst refuse him: there [...]s he to whom thou wert often called to come by faith, but thou wouldst not move in the least to­wards him: Now he's come, he's come to judge thee; O what shall I do then wilt thou think, is there no believing on him now? Con­science will answer, No, no; but he is very merciful and compassionate, he laid down his life to save sinners, surely he will be favourable and gentle to me: No, saith Conscience, he will be the more furious against thee, in that then thou wouldst not accept of him: Loe, he is now come in flaming! alas, alas, woe, woe, he is now come in flaming fire to render vengeaence upon thee, 2 Thes. 1.7, 8. There is not the least spark of love, mercy and compassion to be found in him now towards thee, nothing but fire, nothing but wrath against thee. Think not you [Page 27]who are ungodly sinners; you who are unbeliev­ers think not, it will fare ever the better with you at this day, because Christ shall be your Iudge: No surely, it will be worse for you, ex­cept you now turn, repent and believe. Think not, that because Christ was so meek and loving while here on earth, that he will be so to you at this day; yea, Christ was angry with wicked men while here upon earth, Mark 3.5. much more will be angry with them when he shall be their Judge, Rev. 6.16. Wicked men will not en­dure so much as to look Christ in the face, Hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne, (then which nothing will be more love­ly, amiable, refreshing and desireable to believ­ers) and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? The wrath of the Lamb, where (by joyning wrath and Lamb together) this thought seems to be answered, Christ was as a Lamb while here on earth, meek and patient, therefore surely he will not be severe at this day: yes, but he will; he will be full of wrath against wicked men. The day of his wrath: the day of Christ his first coming was a day of love and mercy, but the day of his second come­ing will be a day of wrath to all ungodly ones; and such wrath that they shall not be able to stand at this day, Who shall be able to stand? stand they shall, but it will be intolerable to [Page 28]them to stand, and sore against their wills? Christ was as a Lamb at his first coming but to wicked men he will at his second coming be as a Lion, as he is called, Rev. 5 5. Psal 2.12. When his wrath is kindled but a little, how then will it fare with wicked men when his wrath shall be kindled to the utmost. O unbe­lievers, who am I speaking to, not to the walls, but to you? The Lord Iesus Christ who is to be the Iudge of the world now calls upon you to come to him; Come unto me, come off from your ways of sin, own me, t [...]ke hold of me by faith; if you shall not bear and obey, his voice will be quite contrary to you at this day, De­part ye cursed, &c. Mat. 25.41. I would have freed you from the curse of the Law if you would have believed on me, but you would not, now therefore you shall suffer it; And so, I Iesus Christ, who offered to free you from it, pronounce it against you, and in flict it upon you, Depart ye cursed; so Mat. 7.23. Then, that is, at the day of Iudgement, I will profess I never knew you, &c. This will be the voice of Christ to every of you who hear me this day (and all other whoever) who live in sin and un­belief; depart, but whither, not into the world again; O that would be a pleasing word to sin­ners if it should be so, no, but Depart into ever­lasting fire; Depart, whither? into Hell, where [Page 29]there is no hing, but torment; and exquisite tor­ment, as bad, yea, worse; worse, yea, incon­conceivably worse then fire: VVo is us, will sinners then think, and wel may they think. But how long must we be there? how long? a hun­dred years, a thousand years; wo, wo is us indeed, what so long? In fire so long? yea, for ever, ever, ever, depart into everlasting fire. O how will this word fill the hearts of wicked men. Your hearts, O wicked men, (as many of you as are here) if you continue such, thy heart O drunkard; thy heart, O prophaner of the Sabbath; thy heart, O covetous wretch, &c. with the hearts of all other wicked men; how I say will this voice fill such mens hearts with horrour and amazement. O heart-aking, trem­bling word▪ when Iudges amongst men do pro­nounce a sentence of death upon Malefactors, would not this make thy heart ake within, and make thee even tremble every joynt of thee: if for some crime such a sentence should be past upon thee by a Iudge on Earth; Depart to be hanged, drawn and quartered, to be burnt, &c. what an astonishing word will this be to thee, when Christ shall say, Depart, &c. but what shall my company be, may wicked men think: Christ tells them, the devil and his Angels: but how long will it be ere this fire be kindled, till this be fulfilled? [Page 30]will there be not some time of respite before we shall go into the fire, seeing we must never come out; no, it will be ready prepared and kindled, Depart into everlasting Fire prepared, &c. Pray confider, it appears by the sentence, Jesus Christ will not be milde and merciful to wicked men at this day, for these are the words of Christ him­self the Judge, he tells you he will say thus to wicked men at this day. The People of God (as I told you) could not possibly have a Judge, whose Presence would be more delightful; wick­ed men could not possibly have a Judge, whose Presence, would, could be more terrible, more dreadful. Were the worst enemy thou hast (O unbeliever) to be thy Judge, yea, let me say, were the devil himself to be thy Iudge; it would not be so dreadful as to have that Lamb Iesus Christ thy Iudge. O unbelievers, the Lord Ie­sus shall be your Iudge, who knows what is in you, who knows your hearts and very thoughts, Iohn 2.3, last. Christ did while here on earth, and therefore be sure he will at this day; there will be no deluding and deceiving Christ, my friends, who is to be your Iudge. Iesus Christ shall be your Iudge, who is and ever was per­fectly holy, yea, as God, infinitely holy, more holy then the Angels; it cannot therefore go well with sinners, that love sin and live in sin; That little holiness that is in Gods people here, makes them even to hate wicked men (as such) [Page 31]and that with a perfect hatred, and doth and will Christ love them? Christ is to be your Judge, who is an entire Lover of his Father and his Fa­thers glory; now the sins of wicked men they are committed against God, and he is greatly dishonoured, and so injured by them, therefore he will undoubtedly be furious against wicked men at this day? How angry was Moses (from that love to God which he had) with those who caus'd Aaron to make the golden Calf, though he were the me [...]kest man that ever was; yet they bad dishonoured God, and Moses he is greatly wrath; He breaks the Tables, &e. Exod. 30. If Moses that meek man were so angry with the people for that one sin, how angry will Christ be (notwithstanding his meekness,) when he shall come to punish wicked men for all their sins; Christ shall be your Iudge, O wicked men, who then shall be your Advocate, who shall stand up to plead for you? O that I could but fully make known to you what will be your misery at this day, and that upon this Account, because Christ shall be your Iudge; but truly I perceive it more then I can express it to you. Sure I am, the sight of Christ upon the Throne, will be the dreadfullest sight to them that ever they saw: It will be dreadful to them to see all the world on fire about them, but more dreadful will the sight of Christ be to them. It must needs be that Christ should look [Page 32]upon, and speak in a terrible manner to all such, when he shall be their Iudge. O wicked men, sin caused me to sweat drops of Hood, it pierc'd me, crucified me, and put me into inconceiv­able torment in bearing the wrath of God; and yet, (though you heard of this, you loved sin and took delight in it; it was your meat and drink, a pleasure to you. All that ever you had you had for my sake; you had never liv'd so long, never been out of hell so long, never had had one houre of comfort, ease, rest and peace, never the least good but for me; and yet I could have no love from you; and yet you regarded me not at all; I required of you but to receive me, but to believe on me that you might be sav'd by me, and yet that you would not, yea, and did not so much as in truch seek, desire, and endeavour it. Of all things you thought least of me, cared least for me, yea, even nothing for me; you carried it to me as if I had been worth nothing; you did even what lay in you to frustrate the end of my coming into the world and dying; had all carried it to me as you did I had been no Saviour. O unbelieving sinners, you have been desperate enemies to me; think not now that you shall have the least friendship from me; speak not a word to me, I will not hear you. I'le now make you to know what it was to despise such a loving; suffering crucified Saviour; I your Iudge am your enemy, I will [Page 33]now send you to a place where you shall never see, never hear of me and mercy any more, to a place where you shall be ever learning by your sufferings: how great my sufferings was which you despised, and what your sin was to make light of such a Saviour: I can't now save you, I will not now save you: yea, I Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world condemn you to the bot­tomless Pit: I who have the Keys of Hell, and of Death, Rev. 1.17. open Hell to you, and inflict eternal Death upon you: had you clos'd with me, and own'd me, none should have hurt you; but now there's none that can, that will, that shall help you: lean still upon your works, du­ties and good meanings, and whatever else you lean'd upon, and made a Saviour of before, lean still upon it, and see if it can keep you from that place whither I shall send you. O un­believing sinner! I could and would have sav'd thee once to the utmost, but now I will de­stroy thee to the utmost. I had a Commission and full power to make thee happy if thou wouldst; I have now Commission and Pow­er to make thee miserable for ever. I told thee I would certainly save thee notwith­standing thy sins if thou wouldst come to me; I was very real and hearty in it, I would now have been as good as my word, thou shouldst now have found the truth of it, but thou didst question it, and wouldst not believe me [Page 34]but thoughtst thy self too great a sinner for me to save, (as it is with some) I now tell thee, thou shalt into everlasting fire; and I am as real in this as I was in that, and in that as I am in this; question the truth of this if thou wilt, thy sense shall tell thee presently, that I really mean as I say Yea, I told thee this before, in my Word, and by my Ministers, that I would at this day send thee into everlasting fire, if thou wouldst not believe on me; but thou wert not affected or moved by this word, and didst not believe it; the day I told thee of thou seest is come, the sentence I told thee I would pronounce, thy ears shall now hear, I now pronounce it against thee; such as ye will or may be, the words of Christ to thee, even to thee, to thee (I say) if thou dost not come in, leave thy sin and close with him; yea, more terrible, believe it, will his words be to thee for the matter, then I can speak and tell thee; and for the measure of them, what shall be wanting in the words of Christ to thee, thy conscience will make up, and be making up in thee to Eternity? VVill it not be dreadful, think you, at this day for Judas who betrayed Christ, for those who came to take him (of whom we reade some went backward and fell on the ground) how fraid and amazed will all those be at this day, when they shall stand before Christ his Tribunal, all those who had any hand in putting him to death, to whom God gave [Page 35]not repentance; all those who spet upon him, and mocked him, and smote him, and cried out. Crucisie him; will it not be dreadful to them, think you, when they shall see that same Iesus, whom they so dealt with, sitting as their Judge: doubtless you will say yes; why, surely, my friends, it will be little less dreadful to every one of you, who hearing of Christ yet refuse him, and continue in your sins knowingly and wilfully under the light of the Gospel; cer­tainly, as there never was such love and mercy heard of, as Christ hath shewn to the sinful sons of men in his suffering, so never was there such fury, such wrath and indignation as Christ will shew at this day, against all ungodly men and unbelievers. Its not said. Christ will come in fire, taking vengeance on those who crucified him, but on those who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of his Son; yea, certainly it will even go worse at this time with you who now live under the sound of the Gospel, and yet continue in sin and unbelief then it will (a least) with some of them who crucified Christ, for they did it ignorantly as Christ saith, Father forgave them, for they know not what they do; but you will not be able to plead ignorance; you know you should be sober and constant in duty, &c. That you should beleeve on Christ, and yet you do not, you will not.

Vse 4. Exhort. 2. To move you to seek out [Page 36]for an interest in Christ; neither is it an Ar­gument that is empty and light, that hath little in it. Both the comings of Christ are strong Arguments to move sinners to come in and close with him; Christ came into the world to save sinners, O therefore, to Christ, my friends; close with him. Christ will come again to judge sinners, O therefore also to Christ sinners, to Christ; take hold of him, own him in truth for thy Saviour, which if you shall the Use of Consolation from this doctrine belongs to you, if not, the other use of terrour is thy portion, believe it, sinner. Men and Brethren, when you are called upon to believe on Christ, it is indeed to believe on One who hath been in the world, and now is gone out of it, whom thou seest not and canst not now see, he being in Heaven, in glo­ry, and far above thee; but remember, think of it, it is yet to believe on one who will come again, whom though yet thou hast not seen, thou shalt see. VVhen you are called upon to believe on Christ, you may think, who is Christ, where is Christ, we see him not, we never saw him, he is gone out of the world: I but he will, he certainly will come again, and that to judge thee, and then thou shalt see him: Hadst thou no need of Christ to be thy Savi­our, (as some possibly may think they have but little need) yet seeing Christ shall be thy Judge, it concerns thee to close with him. Its a high [Page 37]offence, yea, and an injury to Jesus Christ, not to believe on him, yea, the greatest offence and injury that can be offered to him, yea, that ever was offered to him: its worse then to crucifie Christ; many of those who crucified Christ will be sav'd by him at this day, so many as did be­lieve on him, as several of them did, Acts 2. Peter tells them they had crucified the Lord of Life, and they being prickt at the heart, cry out, Men and brethren-what shall we do? Peter tells them, They must beleeve on Christ, and 3000 of them were added to the Chrich: so that to believe on Christ, is more pleasing to God and Christ then crucifying of Christ was displeasing, and therefore nor to believe on Christ crucified is worse and more displeasing then to crucifie him: now pray tell me, VVill it be, do you think, for your advantage at this day, so to have displeas'd and injur'd Christ your Judge? Doubtless this was one end why this truth was discovered to us, that Jesus Christ shall come again and be the Judge of the world, that it might be a motive to stir us up to believe on him. VVere you ne­ver to have any thing to do with Christ nor Christ with you, you might still reject and dispraise him, it would not be such folly. But Jesus Christ is to be your Iudge, O therefore give ear, open your hearts to the Voice of God and Christ in his VVord, cal­ling upon you to come to Christ & believe on him, [Page 38]Christ tells you, If you beleeve not, you are con­demned already, John 3 Certainly therefore he will condemn you at this day if you do not: Christ tells you again, v. last, that he who believes not on him shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him; therefore you may assuredly know, that if you die in unbelief he will not give you life, but pour forth that wrath of God upon you, Mark last 16. He that believes not, (saith Christ shall be damned; Christ speaks plain, Remember it is the Word of Christ who is to be your Iudge; who therefore, he having said, that if you beleeve not you shall be damn'd, will, without any hope to the contrary, not only con­demn but damn you too at this day, if you shall not believe on him. Certainly, there's none of you but must needs be convinc'd from this do­ctrine (had there never been any thing else before said to you about believing) that its best for you to believe on Christ, seeing its that he requires and desires of you; neither certainly could you hear this truth, but you would seek after faith, and be greatly troubled if you do not believe, if you were not deluded and deceived. Now many are the delusions and deceits whereby men are kept from being mov'd by this and such like truths; amongst the rest this is even the chief and most common; though men do not believe, yet they please themselves with a groundless hope that they do, I shall therefore put you in [Page 39]mind of one place of Scripture, 1 Cor. 5.17. My friends, Christ is to be your Iudge, you can­not deny it; the Word of God abundantly con­firms it; now will he give eternal life to you ex­cept you believe on him? he professeth that he will not once and again, and you certainly can­not think that he will; well then, do you believe on him? you'll say (its lik [...]) yes, you do, or you hope you do as well a [...] any other: Hear now the VVord of God, If thou dost believe on Christ thou art a new creature, &c. VVhat sayst thou, Is it so? hast thou left thy old sins? art thou not the same man as ever thou wert? hast thou not as hard a heart, as blinde an under­standing? dost thou not live as bad, or it may be a worse life then formerly thou didst? art thou not as prophane, as vain, as worldly as ever? Or if thou hast amended some things, yet do not some old things remain still? dost thou not live in some of thy old lusts, and that with as much love to them, delight in them, and as little trou­ble for them as ever; is it thus with thee? Se­condly, are all things become new with thee, are thy affections new affections, thy desires new de­sires, thy love a new love, thy fear a new fear, thy delights new delights? dost thou desire grace in stead of the world, love God in stead of self & the world, fear sin in stead of outward evils and God in stead of men? dost thou delight in duty, ho­liness and God, in stead of sin, vanity and the [Page 40]world? is thy company also new? are thy thoughts, thy words and discourse new? [...]is it not thus with thee? Then if the VVord of God be true, (and deny it if thou durst) thou art not in Christ, that is, thou dost not [...]elieve on him; please thy self, (if thou thinkest good) with thy false hope, that thou dost believe: but know that Christ will try thee by this Scripture, (with such like) and judge of thy faith ac­cording to it, and of thee according to thy faith, and then thou wilt see thy folly, and for certain be turn'd into the place of unbeliev­ers, which place if thou wouldst know. See Rev. 21.8.

Secondly, is it so that Christ is to be your Judge, then he exhorted to yield obedience to the Commands of Christ; when you hear or reade any of the Commands of Christ, remember this, they are the Commands of him who is to be thy Judge: would you know what the Com­mands of Christ are? I answer, all the Com­mands of God are the Commands of Christ: the ten Commands are the Commands of Christ: but more particularly and especially you may reade what the Commands of Christ are, in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew, besid [...]s other places: Christ commands you to love your enemies, to pray, to [...] up for [...] selves treasure in Heaven, to seck first the King­dom of God and his Righteousness; to do as you [Page 41]would be done by &c. these with the rest of the Commands of Christ ye should obey, yea, must obey if ever it go well with you, when Christ shall come to judge you: if you shall refuse to obey them, you may reade what will be your doom at this day, Luke 19.27. Those mine e­nemies that would not that I should reign ever them, bring them [...]ither and slay them before me.

Thirdly, beware how you make use of his Ordinances, Preaching the Gospel, the Lords Supper, &c. Take heed how you hear, (saith Christ,) the same I may say concerning every Ordinance of Christ, take heed how you receive the Lords Supper, take heed how you pray, how you make use of Baptisin, &c. Look to it that it be according to his institution, and as he requires; if you use the Ordinances that he hath appointed in any way and manner but what he hath appointed, most certainly to your cost you will hear of it at this day, however you may now make light of it, and plead for that which is either directly contrary to his institu­tion, or no way (at least) according to it. People should take he [...]d how they make use of the Ordinances of Christ, and Ministers also how they administer them, because they are the Ordinances and Institutions of Christ, who is to be the Judge of us all.

Fourthly, hence be exhorted to beware how you carry to the friends of Christ, and Mini­sters of Christ, as you love your selves, and [Page 42]desire Christ his good, will at this day carry it well to them, for as you carry to them, so Christ accounts you carry it to himself, Mat. 25. lat. In as much as you did it not to one of these, you did it not to me: and for the Ministers of Christ. Mat 10.40. He that receiveth you receineth me, &c. VVo be to those which despise and injure the friends and servants of Christ, seeing Christ is to be their Judge. VVhich conside­ration also may encourage the Ministers of the Gospel, and all true believers, to undergo with patience all the hard usage and speeches of wick­ed men against them for their faithfulness to Christ, his ways and truth; certainly, in that Christ is to be their Judge they shall not lose their reward, as those neither shall not who shew them kindness [...] s He that receives a Prophet, (saith Christ the Judge of the world, who is to reward every man according to their works) in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Pro­phets reward, and he that receives a righ [...]eous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous mans reward.

Lastly, hence be exhorted to beware how you take upon you the Name of Christ, and how you make use of his Name. 1 Beware how you take upon you the Name of Christ, that is, that you do not account and call your selves Christi­ans, and yet live in sin, as it is with many? what will Christ say to such when he shall come to [Page 43]judge them; O thou wicked person, thou drun­kard, was I ever such a one, did I ever so, thou vain, prophane, covetous, idle, railing person, &c? Did I ever live after that manner? was not I holy, did I not in all things constantly o­bey the Commands of God? how then durst thou to bear my Name upon thee, and call thy self a Christian, as if I had liv'd as thou didst? for truly that's [...]ven imply'd, when a wicked man calls himself a Christian, a disciple of Christ, what doth he but even say, that Christ was such a one as he is, 2 Tim. 2.19. Let eve­ry one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity; let very one who calls himself a Christian, and wouldst be called and accounted so by others, endeavour to live as Christ did, or wo be to him also seeing Christ is to be his Iudge; its even as great a dishonour and dis­grace as you can cast upon Christ, to call your selves by his Name, and yet live in the devils ways. Secondly, beware how you make use of the Name of Christ, and that either in speaking to God or to men; when you speak of him one to another, speak not of him as of other men, peak awfully and reverentially of him, and that in a proper discourse, not upon every vain and trifling occasion: there is a taking the Name of Christ in vain, as well as the taking of the Name of God in vain; and as God saith, God will not hold him guiltless who taketh his Name [Page 44]in vain; so when you use the Name of Christ to God in Prayer, look to it that it be with faith on his Name, and that it be from a true love and respect to him; use not his Name as a meer customary thing (as its to be feared i [...]s with the most: Its the custom to say for Christ his sake, in and through Christ &c. and therefore they say, as when they ask any mercy of God, and when they bless him for any mercy. Remem­ber this, no unbeliever can use the Name of Christ aright as he ought to do: Christ is to be your Iudge, certainly it will not go well on thy side at that great day, if this shall stand upon Record, and be brought forth against you; Thou didst often use the Name of Christ, but thou hadst no love to him, no faith on him, but after a vain and loose manner, as if he had bin a meer fancie; or but a mean person, or one of whom thou stoodst in no great need, and hadst no cause to fear and honour.

To the right making use of the Name of Christ in Prayer to God, it is required as that you should have love to him, and faith on him, so that you should be deep­ly sensible of your own vileness, and total absolute unworthiness to receive any thing from God immediately; that you should indeed desire, expect and hope for all that you a [...]k of God in his Name, for his sake and [Page 45]not in the least for your own sake, or the sake of what you have, or have done, or for the sake of your Prayers: yea, or for Gods sake; that is, for his mercy sake, and his faithful sake in the Promise, without re­spect to Christ; every time you ask any thing in Christ and do not so ask it, you take the Name of Christ in vain; its high­ly displeasing both to God and Christ: And besid [...]s, heres also this in it, That you will for certain go without whatsoever you so ask, though you ask never so often and ne­ver so long, so (without repentance and pardon) you are like to suffer for it when Christ shall come to judge; There's many a man who prays much but receives no­thing, because he asks not in the Name of Christ: and there is many a one who doth ask in the Name of Christ verbally, in words; yet not asking in his Name cordially, from his heart, and in a right man­ner, with faith on his Name, and love to him, and a deep sease of his unworthiness to receive any thing but through him, so as to desire, hope and expect it, only for his sake, he goes without what he asks, and not only so, but pulls down judgments from God in stead of mercies, and makes his con­dition far worse, and himself a subject fitter for wrath when Christ shall come to judge him. [Page 46]the same may be said of praising for any mercy that we receive: VVe ought not only to praise God for mercy, but to praise for it in Christ; and that so, as really to account the mercy re­ceived, to have come from God only for Christ his sake, that is, from grace in Christ, &c.