Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 7
Hallowed.
To hallowe is to feuer a thing from the common vse to som proper and peculiar end: as the temple was hallowed, that is, set apart to an holy vse; and the priests were sanctified, that is, set apart to the seruice of God. And all that beleeue in Christ are sanctified, that is, set apart from sin to serue God. In like manner, Gods name is hallowed, when it is put apart from al abuses to an holy, reuerent and honorable vse, whether we think, speake, or vse it any maner of way.
Question. How can a sinful man hallow Gods name, which is pure and holy in it selfe? Answer. We do not here pray that we might make Gods name holy; but that wee might bee meanes to declare and make manifest to the world by the right vsage of it, that it is holy, and pure, and honourable. The like phrase is vsed. Luk. 7. 39. Wisedome is iustified of her children; that is, acknowledged & declared to be just.
The scope therefore of the first petition is an earnest desire that we might set foorth Gods glorie, whatsoeuer become of vsus; and it may be expressed thus. O Lord, open our eies, that wee may aright knowe thee, and acknowledge the gretnes of thy power, wisdom, justice, and merciemercy, which appeares in thy titles, worde, creatures, and judgements: and grant that when we vse any of these, we may therein glorifie thee, and vse them reuerently to thy glory.
3 The vvantes which are to be bevvailed.
1 THe wants, which we in this place are taught to bewail, are especiallie foure. The first is, an inward and spirituall pride of our hearts: a sin that none, or very few can see in themselues, vnlesse the Lord open their eies. When our first parentes were tempted in Paradise, the deuil told them, they should be as Gods: which lesson not onelyonly they, but we hauehave learned: and we conceiue of our selues as litle gods, though to the world we shew it not. This hidden pride, when other sinnes die, it begins to get strength and to shewe it selfe: and it appeares in vaine thoughts, continuallie on eueryevery occasion ascending in the minde. As maye appeare in the Pharisie, whose thoughts were these, whē he praied thus within himselfe: O God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, vniust, adulterers, or euen as this Publican, &c. And as this was in him, so it is in vsus till God giuegive grace: for so that men may hauehave praise & glory in the world, they care not for God his glorie, though it be defaced. Wee must therfore learn to discerne this hidden corruption, and to mourn for it: for it doeth poison & hinder al good desires of glorifying God, so long as it may preuaile in the hart.
2 Secondly, we are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts: whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright, and from discerning the glorie of God in his creatures. Mark. 6. 52. The Disciples through the hardnesse of their hartes could not see Gods power, in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loues, though themselues were instrumentes of it, and the food did increase in their hands. Our redēption, what a wonderfull work is it, but how few consider of it, or regarde it? If wee see a man hauehave more wit, wealth, or honour than we hauehave, wee straight woonder at him: but beholding Gods creatures, we see nothing in them, because we do not goe higher to acknowledge the louelove, power, wisedome, and iustice of the Creator. And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men.
3 The third corruption, is our great ingratitude: for the Lorde hath made heauen and earth, and all other creatures to serue m…n: yet he is the most vnthankful of al creatures. Bestow manie iewels, or a kinges ransome on a dead man, he wil neuer returne anie kindnes; so men being dead in sinne deale with God. Commonlie, men are like the swine, that run with their groines and eat vp the mast, but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth. But the godlie are with Dauid, to feele this want in themselues, and to beseech God to open, and as it were, to vnlocke their lippes, that they may indeuour to be thankfull to God. Psal. 51. 15.
4 The fourth, is the vngodlines and the innumerable wantes that be in our liues, and the sinnes committed in the world. Psal. 119. 136 Mine eies (saith Dauid) gush out with riuers of waters, because men keepe not thy lawes. The reason is, because he which liues in sin reproches Gods name: euen as an euill child dishonors his father. Now some wil say, that this cannot be, because our sinnes cannot hurt God. A…. Yet they are a cause of slandring Gods name among men: for as we honour him by our good workes, so we dishonour him by our offences. Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your father which is in heauen.
4 Graces to be desired.
1 The graces to be desired, and to be prayed for at Gods hand, are three. The first is, the knowledge of God: that is, that we might know him, as he hath reueiled himself in his word, works and creatures. For how shal anie glorifie God before he know him? Our knowledge in this life is imperfect. Exo. 23. Moses may not see Gods face, but his hinder partes. 1. Cor. 13. 12. Wee may see God as men doe, through spectacles, in his word, sacraments and creatures. And therefore, as Paule prayed for the Colossians, Col. 1. 10. that they might increase in the knowledge of God, so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petion.
2. A zeale for Gods glorie. Psal. 69. 9. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp. Psal. 45. 1. My heart shall vtter, or cast vp a good matter. I vvill speake in my workes of the king. Here the Spirit of God borrowes a comparison frō men thus. As he which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stom…cke, is neuer at quiet till hee hauehave cast it vp: euen so the care & desire to glorifie Gods name, must lie vponupon a mans heart as an heauie burthen: and he is not to bee at ease and quiet with himself, till he be disburdened, in sounding forth Gods praise. Luther saith wel, that this is sancta crapula: that is, an holy surfet: and it is no hurt, continuallie to hauehave our harts ouercharged thus.
3 A desire to lead a godlie and syncere life, as before Gods Majestie. We see men that are in some great calling vnderunder honourable personages, wil so order and behaue thēselues, as they may please and honour their maisters: euen so must our liues bee well ordered, and we are to labour to walk worthie of the Lord (as Paul speaketh) that we may honour our heauenly father: