The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 3 · prayer · Question 122
ON THE 47. SABBATH.Queſt. 122. What is the firſt petition?
Anſw. Hallowed be thy Name: that is, Grant us firſt to know thee arightaJohn 17.3. Jer. 9.23, 24. and 31.33, 34. Mat. 16.17. James 1.5. Pſal. 119. ſect. 14. verſ. 1., and to worſhip, praiſe, and magnifie thy almightineſſe, goodneſſe, juſtice, mercy, and truth ſhining in all thy worksbPſal. 119. ſect. 18. verſ. 1. Luke 1. ver. 46, 47, 68, 69. Pſalm. 145.8, 9, 17. Exod. 34 6, 7. Romanes 11.33.. And further alſo, to direct our whole life, thoughts, wordes, and workes to this end, that thy moſt holy Name be not reproached for us, but rather be renowned with honour and praiſescPſalm 71.8. and 115.1..
The Explication.
Why this Petition is firſt in order.NOw followeth the ſecond part of the Prayer, containing ſix Petitions. Amongſt them this petition of hallowing Gods Name is ſet in the firſt place becauſe it is the end and ſcope of all the other Petitions. For the end of all our affairs, actions and prayers muſt be Gods glory. Now, the end is the firſt thing which is intended, and the laſt thing which is performed and executed. 1. Therefore the end of the other Petitions is to be deſired, if we will deſire the reſt aright, according to that Commandement, Seek yee firſt the kingdome of God and his righteouſneſſe, and all theſe things ſhall be miniſtred unto you. We are here to conſider, 1. What is called the Name of God. 2. What is holy, and what, To hallow or ſanctifie.
The Name of God ſignifieth,What the Name of God ſignifieth. Pſalm. 5.11. and 7.17. and 116.1…. 1 Kings 5.5. Exodus 15.4. and chap. 34. verſ. 14. 1 Sam. 17.45. Mat. 28.19. Acts 21. verſ. 13. and 2. verſ. 38. 1. God himſelf: They that lovethy Name, ſhall be joyfull in thee. I will praiſe the Name of the Lord. I will call upon the Name of the Lord. Hee ſhall build an houſe unto my Name. 2. The properties and works of God: His Name is Jehovah. The Lord whoſe Name is Jealous. 3. Gods Commandement and charge, his divine will and authority: I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hoſts. Baptiſe them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt. 4. The worſhip, truſt, celebration, and confeſsion of God: I am ready to die for the Name of the Lord Jeſus. Be baptiſed every one of you in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt: in which place, as alſo Mat. 28. the Name of God ſignifieth both his authority, and the confeſsion of him. Here it is uſed in the firſt and ſecond ſignification, to wit, it is taken for God himſelf, and for the divine properties and works, in which Gods Majeſty ſhineth.
What Holy ſignifieth.Holy ſignifieth, 1. God himſelf moſt holy, and moſt pure; or, eſſentiall, uncreate holineſſe, which is God himſelfe: For all vertues and properties in God are his eſſentiall holineſſe.Eſay 6.33. So the Angels call God, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hoſts. 2. That holineſſe which is in 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. In this ſenſe that is called holy, which is deſtined to ſome holy uſe, as the Temple of Jeruſalem,Hallowing ſignifieth, 1. To acknowledge that for holy which is holy. How we are ſaid …o ſanctifie God. the Altar, the Veſſels, and the Prieſts. The word Hallowing, is taken in theſe three ſenſes: Firſt, to hallow or ſanctifie, is to acknowledge, reverence, and magnifie that as holy, which indeed in it ſelfe is holy. In this ſenſe wee are ſaid to hallow and ſanctifie God, who is holineſſe it ſelfe; 1. When wee acknowledge God to be holy: or, when wee acknowledge God to be ſuch as hee hath declared himſelfe in his Word and workes; that is, when wee know, and think the ſame of Gods eſſence, of his will and works, of his omnipotency, goodneſſe, wiſedome, and other his properties, which God in his Word hath commanded and revealed that wee ſhould know and think of them. 2. When wee not only know God to be holy, but alſo confeſſe and magnifie him, and that in words and profeſsion, and in deeds and integrity of life. 3. When wee referre the true doctrine, knowledge, and profeſsion of Gods holineſſe, and likewiſe of our prayers and actions, and even our whole life, unto that end whereunto we ought, and whither God hath commanded it to be referred; namely, to the glory and worſhip of God himſelfe. 2. To make that holy which in it ſelfe is not holy.Secondly, to hallow or ſanctifie, is to ſeparate that from pollution, and make it holy, which in it ſelfe is not holy, but polluted. So the Word did ſanctifie that maſſe or lumpe of fleſh which he tooke, even that nature, which in us is polluted,John 17.17, 19. Epheſ. 5.26. 2 Cor. 7.1. 2 Tim. 2.21. 1 John 3.3. 1 Pet. 1.10. preſerving it in himſelf from all contagion of ſin, and adorning it with perfect ſanctity. So God and Chriſt do ſanctifie the Church; namely, by remitting us our ſins, and ſanctifying us by the holy Ghoſt, and by the continuing of both unto us. So we are commanded to ſanctifie our ſelves; that is, to keep our ſelves from all uncleanneſſe of the fleſh. Be ye holy, for I am holy. 3. To appoint a thing in it ſelfe either holy or indifferent, to an holy uſe.Thirdly, To ſanctifie, is to ordaine and appoint that to an holy uſe or end, which it ſelfe is either holy, or indifferent. So the Father ſanctified the Sonne; that is, ordained him to the office of the Mediatourſhip, and ſent him into the world. Thus God ſanctified the Sabbath day, the Temple, the Sacrifices, the Prieſts; and thus Chriſt ſanctified himſelfe for the Elect; that is, he offered up himſelfe to his Father an holy ſacrifice for us. Thus is the meat we receive ſanctified by the word of God and prayer.
How we pray that Gods name be hallowed.Of theſe three ſignifications of Hallowing, the firſt and ſecond pertaine to our preſent purpoſe: For, our petition to God is, that his name be hallowed not only of us, but in us alſo; that is, we deſire, 1. That God would enlighten us with the knowledge of his holineſſe, and moſt holy name; or, (as the Catechiſme expoundeth it) that we may know him aright, and worſhip, praiſe, and magnifie his almightineſſe, wiſdome, goodneſſe, juſtice, mercy, and truth, ſhining in all his works. 2. That he would alſo ſanctifie his name in us, and more and more ſanctifie and regenerate us, ſo that in our whole life we may avert and take away all reproach of his moſt holy name, and by all meanes advance it with all praiſe and honour. In a word we deſire; 1. That God would enlighten us with the true knowledge of his holineſſe. 2. That he would give us true faith and repentance, and regenerate us with his ſpirit, that we may be holy, as he is holy. 3. That he would give us a mind to profeſſe that holineſſe of his divine name in words and deeds, to his own praiſe and glory; that he may be glorified of us by our true knowledge and profeſſion of him, and conformity of life with him, and ſo he be ſevered from all Idols and profane things. Object. That which of it ſelfe is holy, cannot be hallowed. Gods Name is of it ſelfe holy: Therefore it cannot be hallowed. Anſ. It cannot be hallowed in that ſecond ſenſe of hallowing before delivered; that is, That which of it ſelfe is holy, cannot be made holy: but it may be ſanctified, as ſanctifying is uſed in the firſt and third ſignification; that is, That which of it ſelfe is holy, or indifferent, may be acknowledged, praiſed, and magnified as holy. So we deſire that Gods Name may be hallowed; that that which in it ſelf is holy, may alſo be acknowledged and magnified as holy. God indeed ſanctifieth us, by making us holy of not holy. But we ſanctifie God, not by making him holy, but by knowing and ſpeaking that of him, which he will have us know and ſpeake of him. Object. What belongeth to us to do, that ſhould we not deſire another to doe. But it belongeth to us to hallow and ſanctifie the Name of God: Therefore we need not to pray, that God himſelfe would hallow it; for herein we do as a ſchollar, who being commanded of his Maſter to apply his ſtudy diligently, beſeecheth his Maſter to do it for him. Anſ. We diſtinguiſh the Major: What belongeth to us to doe, that ſhould we not deſire another to doe, if ſo we are able by our ſelves, and by our own ſtrength to performe it: but what we are not able of our ſelves to effect, we juſtly crave of God, that he would miniſter ſtrength unto us to performe it. Now we are utterly unable to hallow and ſanctifie Gods Name. Therefore we muſt deſire of God, that he will give us ſtrength, whereby his divine Name may be of us hallowed and ſanctified, yea rather that himſelfe would ſanctifie in us his holy Name.