od's Majesty, till they were over head and
ears, and were forced to cry out, "Who can find out the Almighty to
perfection?" All these are but parts of him, his back-parts. There is more
real divinity and knowledge of God in one of Job's friends' discourses,
one of David's prayers, than now in twenty sermons of gracious men, or
many prayers or conferences of saints. But withal you must study his
goodness and mercy, and this maketh up the most part of his name. The
definition of God hath most of this, so that it may be said truly, that
mercy is his delight. Mercy, as it were, swelleth over the rest: God were
not accessible, unless mercy did temper it. Behold then greatness to
humble, and goodness to make bold, that you may have access. As greatness
should leave the stamp of reverence on your petitions, so should mercy and
goodness imprint them with faith and confidence; and that the rather,
because as Christ is said to be the Father's face, and the image of his
person, (2 Cor. iv. 6. and Heb. i. 3,) so may he be called the Father's
name, and so doth God himself call him, Exod. xxiii. 20, 21, The angel
that went before them in the wilderness, whose voice they ought to obey,
his "name is in him;" and this angel is Christ Jesus, Acts vii. 37, 38. So
then Christ Jesus is God's name. God, as he revealeth himself in the word,
is "God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. v. 19. And
therefore, Christians, you ought to pray always in Christ's name, and this
is to call on his name. Not only encourage yourselves to come to God,
because of a mediator, because he is God in Christ, but also offer up all
your prayers in the name of Jesus, that his name called on them may
sanctify them, otherwise your affectionate prayers cannot be acceptable to
God, for he loveth nothing but what cometh through the Son. Prayer must
have an evil savour, when it is not put in the golden censer that this
angel hath to offer up incense with the prayers of the saints. And
likewise you would know God's justice and wrath, that you may serve in
fear and trembling: and when trembling is joined with the rejoicing of
faith, this is acceptable service. You ought to fear to offend his
holiness, while you are before him. Let God's terribleness have a deep
impression on your spirit, both to make sin bitter, and to make mercy more
sweet. Thus should prayer ascend with the seal of God's attributes, and
then it is a calling on his name. Now, is there any ca