Two sermons preached at Thurlow in Suffolk on those words, Rom. 6.13 "Yield your…

But do you now know with whom you have to do? Too many have the Name of God, that great and awful Name! in their mouth or ear, and have no correspondent thought in their mind; it passes with them as a transient sound, as soon over as another, common, word, of no greater length; and leaves no impression. Perhaps there is less in their minds to answer it, than most other words which men use in common discourse. For they have usually distinct thoughts of the things they speak of; otherwise they should neither understand one another ⟨p. 4⟩nor themselves, but might speak of an Horse, and mean a Sheep: Or be thought to mean so. And it would no more move a man, or impress his mind, to hear or mention a Jest, than a matter of life and death. But the holy and reverend Name of God is often so slightly mentioned, as in common Oaths, or in idle talk is so merely taken in vain, that if they were on the sudden stopped, and asked what they thought on, or had in their mind, when they mentioned that word, and were to make a true answer, they cannot say they thought of any thing: As if the Name of God, the All! were the name of Nothing! Otherwise had they thought what that great Name signifies, either they had not mentioned it, or the mention of it had struck their hearts! and even overwhelmed their very souls! I could tell you what awe and observance hath been wont to be expressed in reference to that sacred Name, among a people that were called by it; and surely the very sound of that Name ought ever to shake all the powers of our souls, and presently form them to reverence and adoration. Shall we think it fit to play or trifle