The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 3 · Petition 1
THE FIRST PETITION.
HALLOWED be thy name.
This petition is ſet in the firſt place, becauſe it is the end and ſcope of all the other petitions, or rather, becauſe the end of all thinges muſt be gods glorie. Now the end is the firſt thing which is intended, & the laſt thing which is performed and exequuted: like as alſo the end of the other petitions is firſt to be deſired, if we will deſire the reſt aright. Mat 6.33. Seeke yee firſt the kingdome of God, and his righteouſneſſe, and all theſe thinges ſhall be miniſtred vntounto you.
We are here to conſider 1 What is called the name of God. 2 What is Holie. 3 What, to hallowe or ſanctifie.
1 The name of God ſignifieth, 1 God himſelfe. Pſ. 116.13. J will call vponupon the name of the Lorde. 2 Gods commandement & charge, his diuine will and authoritie. Mat. 28.19. Baptiſe them in the name of the Father, &c. 3 The properties and woorkes of God, in which ſignification the name of God is here taken, to wit, for his diuine woorkes, and all thoſe thinges, which may be attributed vntounto God.
2 Holie, ſignifieth, 1 All the properties of God. For al the vertues in God are Gods holineſſe. So the Angels call god Holie. Iſa. 6 3. Holie, Holie, Holie, Lord God of hoſts. 2 That holineſſe which is in creatures, that is, their conformitie with God, which is begunne in the godly, and is perfect in the Angels. 3 The ordeining or appointing of thinges to holie vſes. In this ſenſe that is called holy, which is deſtined to ſome holy vſe, as the Temple of Hieruſalem. The word of Hallowing is here taken in all three ſenſes, as a little after we ſhall vnderſtand.
3 To hallow or ſanctifie, is in Scripture vſed after three waies. 1 Of vsus. 2 Of God. 3 Of Chriſt. 1 Of vsus it is affirmed after a double manner: firſt, when wee hallow and ſanctifie our ſelues & others. And we ſanctifie our ſelues and others, when (as touching externall and outward thinges) we prepare our ſelues and others to glorifie God. For there commeth ſome holineſſe vntounto vsus by glorifieng of God, but none to God. Secondlie, When we hallowe and ſanctifie God. Now we ſanctifie God, 1 When we acknowledge god to be holie: or when we acknowledge God to be ſuch, as hee hath declared himſelfe in his word and woorkes; that is, when we know and thinke the ſame of Gods Eſſence, of his wil, & works, of his omnipotency, goodneſſe, wiſedome, and other his properties, which God in his woorde hath commaunded and reueiled that we ſhould know and thinke of them. Secondly, When we profeſſe God to be holie, and ſo magnifie him according to his will, that is, when our confeſſion, whereby we confeſſe god to be holy, is agreeing with his diuine will. And then is it agreeing with his diuine will, when we profeſſe the Holines of God both in minde, and woorde, and alſo in deede and woorkes. Thirdlie, When we refer the true doctrine, knowledge, and profeſſion of Gods holineſſe, and likewiſe our praiers and actions, and euen our whole life vntounto that end, whereunto wee ought, and whither God hath commanded it to bee referred, namely, to the glorie and woorſhip of God himſelfe. And ſo wee are ſaid to ſanctifie God after the ſelfeſame three waies, after which a thing is ſaide to be holy. Wherefore, when we deſire that the name of God may be hallowed or ſanctified, wee deſire, 1 That God would illighten vsus with the knowledge of his holineſſe. 2 That he would giuegive vsus a minde to profeſſe the ſame in wordes & deeds, or, that he would giuegive vsus faith & repentance, whereby we may glorifie him, and whereby wee may ſeuer him from Idols and prophane things: or laſtly, that he would regenerate vsus; and this, firſt by knowledge, then by profeſſion, and laſtly, by conformitie, according to this his commandement. Be yee holie, euen as I alſo am holie. 3 That hee would giuegive vsus a mind to profeſſe that holineſſe of his diuine Name to his own praiſe and glorie. Hither may be referred that of Auſten: GiueGive what thou commaundeſt, and commaund what thou wilt, and then ſhalt thou not commaund in vaine.
Obiection. God is holie enough, there is no cauſe therefore why we ſhould deſire that he be hallowed or ſanctified. Aunſwere. God is holy in himſelfe. But wee deſire, that wee may acknowledge him to be holy, and ſo magnifie him. He ſanctifieth vsus by making vsus holy, wee ſanctifie and hallow God himſelfe, when we ſpeake that of him, which he will hauehave vsus to ſpeake and knowe of him. Obiection 2. What belongeth vntounto vsus to do, that ſhould we not deſire another to doe. But it belongeth to vsus to hallow and ſanctifie the name of God. Anſw. What belongeth vntounto vsus to doe, that wee ought not to deſire another to doe, if ſo we be able by our ſelues, & by our own ſtrength to perfourme it. But we are not able to doe this. Therefore we muſt deſire of God, that he will giuegive vsus ſtrength, wherby his diuine name may be of vsus hallowed & ſanctified.
The worde hallowing is affirmed of God, not that hee halloweth himſelf, or that another halloweth him, ſeeing he hath none aboue him, but becauſe he halloweth and ſanctifieth others. And others he ſanctifieth inwardlie, and outwardly. Jnwardly by his holie ſpirit. Outwardlie by his woorde. Which he effectuateth, 1 By ſeparating them from their ſinnes. 2 By reuiuing & quickning them by his holie ſpirit. 3 By the continuing of both.
3 The ſame worde is affirmed of Chriſt, two waies. Namely, both paſſiuely, and actiuelie. Paſſiuelie, 1 Becauſe the Word was ordained and conſecrated by the father to the office of the Mediatour. 2 Becauſe the humane nature of Chriſt was canſecrated out of that whole lump or maſſe, that is, was ſelected from among all creatures to the vnion with the Worde. 3 Becauſe his humane nature was preſerued from ſinne for the perfourmance of the Mediatourſhip. The ſame is alſo affirmed of him paſſiuelie, becauſe Chriſt is hallowed and ſanctified of vsus. Now it is vſed of him actiuely, becauſe Chriſt ſanctifieth both himſelfe & others. He ſanctifieth & halloweth himſelf, as he is the Word and Mediatour. The Word did ſanctify with his Father that fleſh, which he tooke, by preſeruing the ſame from ſinne, and by endowing it with al giftes, and this ſo, as the Father alſo himſelfe preſerued it from ſinne, and would that chriſt ſhoulde become our Ranſome. As he is Mediatour, he ſanctified himſelfe, by his voluntarie obedience towardes his father, in offering himſelfe a ſacrifice for vsus. He ſanctifieth vsus, 1 By imputing his own righteouſneſſe. 2 By a reall communicating of his holineſſe, which is wrought by the holy ghoſt. Concerning all theſe, read Zanch. de trib. Eloh. lib. 4. cap. 10. The ſame Zanchius in the ſame booke, cap. 3. pag. 89. & cap. 10. pag. 154. ſetteth downe three waies, whereby Chriſt ſanctifieth vsus. 1 The Jmputation of his righteouſneſſe, which is conſidered in his whole humiliation, and obedience vntounto death. 2 The Jmputation of his moſt perfect holineſſe; for which he alleageth the place of Paul, 1. Cor. 1.30. 3 The reall communicating thereof. But notwithſtanding it is to bee obſerued, that Zanchius, when he expoundeth the place of the Epiſtle to the Hebrues, maketh that holineſſe of Chriſt to cō ſiſt in his voluntarie paſsion; in which ſenſe if we take it, it ſeemeth not much to differ from the imputation of his iuſtice and righteouſneſſe, which conſiſteth in obedience.