The Holy Arbor, Chapter 3 · Section 5
§. 5. Hallowed be thy Name.
BY the Name of God, is meant the whole worſhip of God; or Gods Name is any thing that may be referred unto God, in which he may be conſidered; as his Word, his Sacraments, his Servants and his Works: So that by the Name of the Lord we are to underſtand That, whatſoever it is, whereby the Lord is made known unto us, according to his moſt glorious Attributes, as Wiſdom, Power, Juſtice, Mercy, &c. and this may be either by his Titles, his Word or his Works. Now we muſt know, That Gods Name cannot be more ſanctified in it ſelf, then it is; but the ſanctifying of it that we here pray for, is, That it may be ſanctified in us, which may be when it heareth well by our walking worthy of this holy Name, which is amongſt us called upon and profeſſed; for contrariwiſe it is ſaid to be blaſphemed, Rom. 2.24. And whereas thy Name, O Lord, is uſed as unholy by prophane worldlings, vindicate and deliver it from ſuch abuſes, and make us to ſtand for thine honor againſt ſuch; and provide for the preſervation of the ſame, from being uſed as a common thing, working in all thy people an holy conſent to hallow it together, abſtaining from all common unworthy uſage thereof: And open our eyes, that we may know thee aright, and may diſcern thy Power, Wiſdom, Juſtice and Mercy, and enlarge our hearts, that we may ſanctifie thee in them, by making thee our Fear, Love, Joy and Confidence; and open our lips, that we may bleſs thee for thy goodneſs; yea, open our eyes, that we may ſee thee in thy Works, and ſtrike our hearts with reverence of thy Name appearing in them; and grant, that when we uſe any one of them, we may honor thee in our ſober and ſanctified uſe thereof.
This Petition comes in the firſt place, becauſe it is the end and ſcope of all the other, for the end of all things muſt be Gods glory; and it is placed before [Thy Kingdom come] to teach us, That no man can be a true Subject of Gods Kingdom, unleſs that in his heart he maketh principal account of Gods glory. Thus the firſt of the three firſt Petitions in the Lords Prayer concerning God immediately, concerns Gods glory it ſelf; The other two, the means whereby Gods glory is manifeſted and enlarged amongſt men: For Gods glory is then manifeſted, and his Name hallowed among men, when his Kingdom doth come, and his Will is done. And this order of the Petitions (that the firſt three concern Gods glory, the other three our ſelves) teacheth us how gracious the Lords is towards us ſinful men, allowing us if we come with one requeſt for the advancement of his glory, to come with another for our own benefit; if with three for him, with three for our ſelves alſo: but firſt in order are his three; for if we ſeek our ſelves firſt and chiefly, we ask in vain.
The order of placing the Petitions concerning Gods glory firſt, and then thoſe concerning our ſelves, teacheth,
1. That God is abſolutely to be reſpected, and for himſelf, but Man for Gods cauſe.
2. That the firſt and main thing by the Lord intended in Creating all, is his own glory; and whatſoever is good for man, is ſubordinate to this, and onelyonly ſo far forth to be ſought after, as it maketh for Gods glory.
3. That the glory of the Lords Name is ſo dear unto him, as that he did not onelyonly make it his Mark in the Creation, but in every particular duty done by man, he ſetteth it ſtill as his Mark; as here in Prayer, in giving the Law, in the Goſpel: at the very Nativity of the Bleſſed One, the Angels are heard lauding and glorifying God.
The Name of God ſignifieth,
1. God himſelf, Pſal. 116.13.
2. Gods Commandment and Charge, his Divine Will and Authority, Mat. 28.19.
3. The Divine Attributes, Properties and Works of God; in which ſignification it is here principally underſtood.
Holy ſignifieth
1. All the Properties of God; for all the vertues of God are holineſs.
2. That holineſs which is in his Creatures; that is, their conformity with God, which is begun in the godly, and is perfect in the Angels.
3. The ordaining and appointing of things to holy uſes: The word of Hallowing, is here taken in all theſe three ſenſes.
To hallow or ſanctifie, is in Scripture uſed three ways; viz.
1. Of us,
1. When we hallow or ſanctifie our ſelves and others; that is, when as touching external and outward things, we prepare our ſelves and others to glorifie God.
2. When we hallow and ſanctifie God; that is,
1. When we acknowledge God to be holy, or to be ſuch as he hath declared himſelf in his word and works.
2. When we profeſs God to be holy, and ſo magnifie him according to his will, both in minde and word, as alſo in deed and works.
3. When we refer the true Doctrine, knowledge and profeſſion of Gods holineſs, and likewiſe our Prayers and actions, and even our whole life unto that end whereunto we ought, and whether God hath commanded it to be referred, that is, to the glory and worſhip of God himſelf.
2. Of God, when he doth ſanctifie others
1. Inwardly, by his holy Spirit.
2. Outwardly, by his word, which he effectuateth
1. By ſeperating them from their ſins.
2. By reviving and quickning them by his holy Spirit.
3. By the continuing of both.
3. Of Chriſt
1. Paſſively, becauſe
1. The word was ordained and conſecrated by the Father to the Office of the Mediatorſhip.
2. The humane Nature of Chriſt was conſecrated out of that whole lump or maſs; that is, was ſelected from among all Creatures to the union with the Word.
3. His humane Nature was preſerved from ſin, for the performance of the Mediatorſhip.
4. Becauſe Chriſt is hallowed and ſanctified of us.
2. Actively, becauſe he ſanctifieth
1. Himſelf,
1. As he is the Word; the Word did ſanctifie with his Father that fleſh which he took, by preſerving the ſame from ſin, and by endowing it with all gifts.
2. As he is Mediator he ſanctified himſelf, by his voluntary obedience towards his Father, in offering himſelf a Sacrifice for us.
2. Us,
1. By imputing his own Righteouſneſs.
2. By a real communicating of his holineſs, which is wrought by the Holy Ghoſt.
When we deſire that the Name of God may be ſanctified or hallowed, we deſire
1. That God would enlighten us with the knowledge of his holineſs.
2. That he would give us a minde to profeſs the ſame in words and deeds; or that he would give us Faith and Repentance, whereby we may glorifie him, and ſever him from Idols or prophane things; or that he would new frame and regenerate us
By Knowledge.
By Profeſſion.
By Conformity.
3. That he would give us a minde to profeſs that holineſs of his Divine Name to his own praiſe and glory.
Again, to hallow or ſanctifie, ſignifies
1. The purifying of a thing which before was corrupt and unholy: Thus myſtically it was ſhewed to Peter, that God had ſanctified the Gentiles, Acts 10.15.
2. The ſeperating of any thing common to an holy uſe: Thus Aaron and his ſons are ſaid to be ſanctified, and their veſtments, and the veſſels of the Temple.
3. The acknowledging of a thing to be holy, and declaring it by giving all due obſervance and reſpect thereunto, ſo that the holineſs thereof may be made more famous and notable among all men. And thus in this ſenſe we do pray, Hallowed be thy Name, whether we do ſpeak of thy Titles, behold thy Creatures and works of Providence, receive thy bleſſings, or be converſant in the exerciſes of thy Word and Sacraments, or of any other Divine Ordinances.
Gods Name is generally ſanctified or hallowed by us theſe five ways:
1. That we ſing his praiſes, read his word, and ſpeak reverently of him.
2. That in adverſity he be praiſed of us both in heart and mouth.
3. That ſo oft as need ſhall require, we make a free confeſſion of his Truth, and lead a life agreeable to the ſame confeſſion.
4. That we pray unto him, and from our heart give him thanks.
5. That when it ſhall be neceſſary, we lawfully ſwear by his Name.
More ſpecially thus, Gods Name is hallowed by us
1. In himſelf, and that by three actions:
1. When we conceive of God in our mindes, and acknowledge him as he hath revealed himſelf in his Word.
2. When we love the Lord above all, fear him above all, and put our whole truſt in him in all eſtates.
3. When we praiſe and laud the Name of God for his infinite goodneſs to us.
2. In his word, and that three ways:
1. When we acknowledge the Wiſdom, Mercy and Power of God in it.
2. When we have a reverent eſtimation of the Word in regard of Gods Image therein.
3. When we uſe it in a ſanctified and holy maner, giving our ſelves to be ruled and guided thereby.
3. In his Creatures, by three ſpecial actions:
1. When we acknowledge the wiſdom of God, and his powerful hand in every Creature.
2. When we have a reverent eſtimation of the Creatures, and uſe them in Chriſtian ſobriety, in regard of the ſtamp of Gods power and wiſdom which appeareth in them.
3. When we ſanctifie the moderate uſe of them by the Word and Prayer, 1 Tim. 4.5.
This Petition in the Lords Prayer (as every one of the other) containeth
1. A Supplication, That we and all the people of God may glorifie the holy Name of God in our affections, loving him with all our hearts, with all our ſouls, and with all our might, fearing him above all, and putting our whole truſt in him; in our Devotion, with pure mindes lifted up to him onelyonly, to pray; and in our ſpeeches, ſwearing rightly and reverently by his Name, when we are required thereto; and never making mention of him but with high reverence, and in all our natural and civil actions.
2. A Deprecation againſt the ſins contrary to the ſaid Duties, as Self-love, and of the world, Fear of men, Truſt in the Arm of Fleſh, Corrupt worſhipping of God, Neglect of his worſhip, Errors in ſpeech to the diſhonor of his Name, Curſings, Swearings, Perjuries, Neglect of Vows, Giving Gods honor to Creatures, Swearing by them, alſo Errors in action, and laſtly, all thinking or ſpeaking unworthily of the Works of God, by murmuring, cavilling, objecting againſt them, or ſlighting them, as things falling out by Chance or Fortune; and for ſtrength to overcome all theſe Corruptions, we pray, Hallowed be thy Name.
3. A Thankſgiving, which is for theſe Corruptions mortified and purged, and for the contrary revived and ſetled to the praiſe of Gods Name, when in deed and in truth we finde them to our comfort in ſome meaſure in our hearts; and for his grace in other men, by whom his Name hath alſo glory, whileſt they conſent together with us in things tending to the honoring of God.
All which in this firſt petition may be abbreviated thus:
1. The Supplication; we pray thee, Let thy Name be hallowed.
2. The Deprecation; we pray thee, Let not thy Name be unhallowed.
3. The Thankſgiving; we thank thee for diſpoſing us to the manifying and giving glory to thy grace and goodneſs, and ſo, Let thy Name be hallowed; that is, Suffer not Sin, Satan or the World to raign in us, but by thy Word and Spirit rule in our hearts, giving us grace to be guided thereby in all our ways.
The wants which we bewail in this Petition:
1. Our own and others pride of heart, that we labor more for our own credit then Gods glory, Luke 18.11.
2. Our hardneſs of heart, that we cannot as we ought ſee Gods glory in his Creatures, Mark 6.52.
3. Our unthankfulneſs for his many favors to mankinde above all creatures, Pſal. 51.15.
4. Our impiety, that in our lives we diſhonor God, Pſal. 119.136.
In this Petition we are taught, earneſtly to deſire of God thoſe Spiritual Graces which enable us to gloriſie his Name in our ſelves and others; which are theſe eſpecially:
1. The true knowledge of God as he hath revealed himſelf in his Word and Works.
2. To ſanctifie God in our hearts, by loving, fearing and truſting in him above all.
3. The Calves of our lips, which is a Sacrifice of praiſe to God for all his mercies, Pſal. 50.23.
4. To ſee Gods hand in all his Works, how mighty, wiſe, juſt and gracious the Lord is.
5. To reverence the works of God, for his Mercy, Juſtice, Power, &c. appearing in them.
6. To uſe all his Creatures reverently, ſanctifying the ſame unto our ſelves by the word and prayer.
As we pray that Gods Name may be hallowed, ſo we muſt be careful to ſanctifie the ſame in our Converſation: For which end we muſt have regard to theſe three things:
1. That our lives be unblameable, not tainted with any ſin: Away therefore with Idolatry, blaſphemous Oathes, curſed ſpeeches, with Sabbath-breaking, and all other ſins againſt the ſecond Table.
2. We muſt propound the right end of our life every day in our Calling and Converſation; viz. Gods glory, and not our own praiſe, profit, pleaſure or honor.
3. When God offers occaſion by any work of his Providence, we muſt endeavor to glorifie and magnifie his Name therein, whether they be acts of his Mercy or of his Juſtice.
We muſt thus labor to hallow Gods Name, for theſe Reaſons:
1. Becauſe it is an honor even due unto him, Rev. 4.11.
2. It is a credit to us alſo.
3. We thereby teſtifie how we eſteem of God.
4. The contrary argues impiety, Exod. 5.2. Iſa. 36.20.
5. He hath ſeverely puniſhed the prophanation of his Name, Exod. 14.28. 2 Kings 19.37. Iſa. 37.36, 37. Acts 12.23.
6. He created us for this purpoſe, Prov. 16.3.
7. As all men account of their Names, Eccl. 7.1. ſo God doth highly of his.
8. It is not onelyonly holy in it ſelf, but gives holineſs to all other things that are holy.
9. Moſes and Aaron entred not into Canaan, becauſe they did not ſanctifie the Word amongſt the children of Iſrael, Deut. 32.51. Num. 20.12.
10. The Lord himſelf proclaims, That he will be ſanctified in them that come near him, and that before all the people he will be glorified, Lev. 10.3.
If we ſay, Hallowed be thy Name, with our mouthes, and prophane it in our lives, we bewray a falſe heart, and diſcover the rotten profeſſion of moſt damnable hypocriſie; by this unchriſtian contradiction rendring our ſelves more odious in the ſight of God, then baſe diſſemblers are in our own eſtimation: Let therefore the practice of our lives demonſtrate the ſincerity of our hearts; keep tune with the Muſick of our lips when we ſing, Glory to God on high; and in an holy ſympathy eccho forth the Devotion of our ſouls, when we pray, Hallowed be thy Name.
May all our Thoughts, Words, Actions ſanctifie
Thee, Holy Father; May this Prayer be
In all our Thoughts, in all our Words ſtill pray'd,
In all our Actions ſtill devoutly ſaid:
And may our Hearts to this Petition be
Joyn'd, to make up this holy Harmony.
Touch thou the ſtrings thereof, and then no fear
Of jarring diſcord to aſcend thine ear:
Thy Servants with thy holy Spirit inflame,
Thy Church ſhall practice, Hallowed be thy Name.