Meditations Upon the Lords Prayer, Treatise · Petition 1
The firſt Petition.
Hallowed be thy Name.
1. THis Prayer conſiſts of ſix Petitions; The firſt three, do principally relate to the Glory of God: Not that he needs our Prayers for the advancement thereof; for, he being Eternally, and all-ſufficiently glorified in, and by himſelf, theſe Petitions, have the firſt place in our Devotions, for our Avail, and for the better preparing way to obtain that which is pertinent to our ſelves; and which cannot in equity be granted, until we are in ſome degree qualified, by conforming our wills and affections … the Minde of God; leſt the granting of our Natural deſires, in temporary things, before they are ſanctified by the obtaining of ſome ſpiritual gifts, to the abating of that Antipathy which is in us, to the purity of Gods Divine Nature, might totally obſtruct the obtaining what we pray for; and be more miſchievous then the denyal thereof; as queſtionleſs, all temporal bleſſings would be, if conferred upon us before we ſhall ſomewhat ſympathize with our Heavenly Father, and ſhew it forth by affecting and ſeeking the accompliſhing of that which he willeth and worketh: which Medium (if well conſidered) will appear to be both willed and proſecuted by him, for our advantage, in the compoſure of this Prayer; though the ſanctifying of his Name, the Advent of his Kingdom, and the compleating of his Will, ſeems in terminis, to be the whole ſcope of the firſt three Petitions. For the glorifying the Name of our Father, will be an honor to us, who are his Children; The coming of his Kindom, will bring us deliverance from thoſe Tyrants, by whom we are oppreſſed; and, the fulfilling of Gods Will here on earth as it is in heaven, will both free us from their Impoſtures, who impoſe upon us an obedience to their Arbitrary wills, in the place of his; and inlarge us from that ſlaviſh bondage of ſin, whereinto we are brought by ſeeking the accompliſhment of our own carnal will. Thus, all things being done according to Gods VVill, Heaven will begin to appear upon Earth, where mans wickedneſs and wilfulneſs hath begun to make Hell. This exceeding Love of God to mankinde, in requiring no performances at our hands, for the glorify…g of himſelf, but what may conduce to our happineſs alſo, ſhould move us by his exemplary Love, ſo unfeignedly to love him, and one another for his ſake, that, it may be accepted of, as a fulfilling of his whole Law: For the ſame Philanthrophy, which is evidenced by his vouchſafing this Form of Prayer, was manifeſt alſo in the Law of the Ten Commandments; the firſt Table whereof relating primarily to himſelf, is as pertinent to that which tends to the preſervation and happineſs of the humane Nature, as that which is contained in the ſecond Table (if not more) as I have made it evident by my Meditations upon the Decalogue.
2. Hallowed be thy Name. This is the firſt Petition; and for the better underſtanding of what is therein prayed for, the meaning of theſe two words, HALLOWED and NAME muſt be explained and made known. A Name, is that whereby Perſons and things are diſtinguiſhed each from other; and whereby it may be aſcertained, who, or what it is, whereof we ſpeak: to which purpoſe, though there is no Name pronounceable by Men or Angels, which can define God as he is, it hath pleaſed him to make himſelf in part known by ſeveral Names and Attributes, ſome communicable, and ſome incommunicable to any Creature, as I could demonſtrate by enumerating thoſe Names of GOD which are mentioned in Holy Scripture. But, I will wave that, and inſert ſo much onelyonly, as I conceive tends to an intelligent uſe of this Prayer. Our Engliſh-tongue as well as the Hebrew, hath a Tetragrammaton, whereby GOD may be Named; to wit, GOOD, which ſeems by our Saviours words to be incommunicable to any other; for ſaid he, There is none GOOD but GOD. He and his Name are one. He is Goodneſs, Wiſdom, Power and Love it ſelf in the abſtract, with whatſoever is ſuperlatively excellent; and by his Name I underſtand his Eternal Eſſence, and all his incommunicable Attributes to be meant, as alſo, that in them he is to be ſanctified, and honoured. And, whereas we are commanded Not to take his Name in Vain, I conceive that intends as well affirmatively the hallowing of it according to this Prayer, as negatively forbidding the prophanation thereof; which conſiſts not onelyonly in calling him by Name, as it were, to witneſs the Truth of what we affirm or deny; but alſo in praying unto him with due Reverence in Faith; with an undoubted belief of his Promiſes; with a true ſence of that which we petition for; and with heedfulneſs that we profeſs his Name in ſincerity, and not formally alone, as many do, who are called Chriſtians, without regard to conform to the Doctrine and Practice of his Evangelical Law, which is the greateſt prophanation of GODS Name, and more diſhonour thereto, then all the revilings and Blaſphemies of Jews, Turks and Heathens.
4. The word Hallowed or Sanctified is ambiguous, having various ſignifications, and is derived from a Primitive Root, uſed in ſo differing a ſence, that it is ſometimes applyed to perſons, who are as much diſaffected and contrary to each other, as moſt differing things are; to wit, SAINTS and SEPARATISTS, for to ſeparate is to ſanctifie, and to ſanctifie is to ſeparate. But herein is the difference between the Saint and the Separatiſt, as the words are now uſed. The firſt willingly ſeparates himſelf from the myſtery of Iniquity, and as much as in him lyeth from all the Errrors, Vanities and wickedneſſes of the world, with an upright heart: The other wilfully ſeparates from the Truth, and from the Societies of all the Faithful profeſſors thereof, for meer carnal ends, with a perverſe heart: and as there are many Canonized and reputed Saints who are nothing leſs, ſo there are many branded for Schiſmatical Separatiſts, who are far from deſerving it. To be Hallowed or Sanctified according to our common acceptation of theſe words, is to be ſeparated from that which is called prophane or common, to be uſed in the ſervice of God, or to ſome other end, which is eſteemed more honourable then that for which it was formerly employ'd, though perhaps it is thereby ſometimes more prophaned, and diſhonoured. The Iſraelites, now called Jews, were ſeparated, or Hallowed, as we term it, from all other Nations, to be a peculiar people to God, and are ſtill by ſome called the holy people, though as we mean by Holy, I know no Nation in the world leſs meriting that Title, no, not his Holineſs of Rome. But, that which I underſtand by Hallowing or Sanctifying the Name of GOD, and what we ought to contribute thereunto, is to magnifie him, to ſpeak of his Excellency upon all occaſions; to ſeparate it, in our eſteem and love of his Perfection, ſo far from and above all other imaginable and real Objects whatſoever, that they ſhall be rather deſpiſed and hated then admitted to any degree of eſtimation anſwerable thereto. I have no means at this time of my recluſe, to take advice from the Dead or the Living, from Books or men; and therefore cannot inform my ſelf how the School-men underſtand this Term, or any other part of this Prayer; and perhaps it would but make me the leſs diligent, to harken what the Spirit of GOD ſpeaketh to my heart. By help of that Spirit, it ſeemed unto me diſcovered, that, there is a Triple Holineſs, or ſeparation conſiderable in relation to God, touching which I may perhaps deliver that which many will not approve; nevertheleſs I will freely declare my judgement, as I uſually do in ſuch matters. God ſeems unto me Sanctified and ſeparated by way of ſuperexcellency, from all other who are called Lords or Gods; from all created Eſſences; from all intelligible Beings; and from all the potentialities which were, are or ſhall be, in material and intelligible Eſſences united together; and is one eternal Being, Hallowed by three glorious Manifeſtations, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghoſt, co-equal and co-eternal. This I believe in order to the ſanctification or hallowing of GODS Name, and much more then I can expreſs; yet this peradventure, is more then the capacity of many can apprehend.
5. I will therefore endeavour to ſute to the meaneſt Capacitie, what I think petitioned for in this Clauſe, and declare what I conceive is required from us, toward ſanctifying the Name of our heavenly Father, both negatively and affirmatively. We muſt not imagine this daily duty is required of us, becauſe Gods Name cannot otherwiſe be perfectly ſanctified, or that we merit ought from him by ſo praying: For, his Name ſhall be Hallowed, whether we neglect or perform that duty; and when we have thereunto contributed all that we can, we are unprofitable ſervants. This is mentioned in our daily Addreſſes, to keep us mindeful of what we ought to deſire, and endeavour toward that which will be done, whether we deſire it or not; and that thoſe invaluable bleſſings which God of his free Grace hath promiſed for performances (which in themſelves are worth leſs then nothing) may be conferred upon us by his Mercy, without infringement of his Juſtice. His Name is ſo pure in it ſelf, that no pollutions of ours can defile it, becauſe they revert always back upon our ſelves, if we wilfully aſperſe it; and all that we can do toward the hallowing of it, is, as I ſaid before, to ſpeak well of his Name, and to magnifie it above all other Names, which when we ſo do, his acceptance onelyonly makes it valuable. There is no other Name by which Men or Angels are ſaved, or by which they can be preſerved from relapſe; and therefore, all knees in Heaven and Earth, ought to bow thereunto with reverence; I mean, to the Eſſential Name, not to the literal expreſſion or vocal ſound thereof, which is an Idolatrous or at leaſt a ſuperſtitious Fancy, as is the aſcribing of a Divine Holineſs to any humane Medium, intended to be but inſtrumental to bring us to him who is moſt Holy; yea, it is Idolatrous, though that adoration be given to a Creature ſeparated from all other, by as glorious a ſanctification, as the Bleſſed Virgin Maries, and the reſt of GOD'S moſt eminent Saints.
5. Our Saviour hath wrapt up implicitely, our Intereſt with our heavenly Fathers in this Petition: For, as in the Firſt Commandment of the Decalogue, GODS injoyning us to have no other Gods but himſelf onelyonly, intended thereby our Good, as well as his own Glory; ſo did his Son Jeſus Chriſt, in teaching us to pray that our Fathers Name may be Hallowed; for, as by obedience to the firſt Commandment, and ſeparating him and our ſelves from all falſe reputed gods, with whatſoever elſe we affect more then God; and by aſcribing and performing Divine Worſhip to him alone, we ſhall not onelyonly prevent the aſcribing his incommunicable Attributes to baſe unworthy Creatures, abominable Idols and Devils, as the Heathen did; and thereby avoyd that diſhonouring of him, by Hallowing perſons, places or things common into a partnerſhip with the Divinity of God, as it is uſual with ſome in theſe times: But we ſhall alſo eſcape thereby many miſchievous diſadvantages, and receive great benefits: For, mankinde was plunged into manifold perplexities, fears, deſpairs and deceiveable hopes, by that multiplicity of falſe gods which the Firſt-times had forged, to the inſlaving and deſtruction of their conſceiences and perſons; for, they not knowing how to pleaſe one of their faigned gods without incurring the disfavour of another, it occaſioned perpetual anxieties and inſupportable burthens, by erecting and furniſhing magnificent Temples; offering frequent Hecatombs, and other coſtly Sacrifices; viſiting Oracles and Shrines; giving rich preſents; with innumerable other ſuperſtitious Ceremonies, to pacifie and ingratiate themſelves with thoſe Hobgoblings, which their own deluded fancies had created, and ſet up to be adored. And no fewer are their diſtractions, and the miſchiefs on them incumbent in theſe days, who have in another mode Separated, Canonized and Hallowed (as they call it) Perſons, Places, and things common, to participate with GOD, and his CHRIST, in that which is proper and communicable to no other. They have conſecrated for Saints, and preſumed to give them Thrones in Heaven, who, for ought any man living knows, may be Devils in Hell. They have Hallowed unto them Temples, Oratories, Shrines, Altars and temporary poſſeſſions; They have made them their Patrons, and the peculiar protectors of their Countries, Families, Perſons and Affairs; yea, and of their Religion, (though they never profeſſed or favoured it:) They have ſeparated them from all other, and Hallowed them to be their perſonal Advocates, making them equal with Jeſus Chriſt in his Mediatorſhip; yea, ſometimes preferred them before him. They have dedicated unto them days, times, their goods, poſſeſſions, yea, and their Children to paſs through the Fire of their ſuperſtitious Orders and Obſervations, as the Iſraelites did their Children to Moloch, out of a ſlaviſh fear, which nevertheleſs accompanies them to their Graves. They have hazzarded, and many of them loſt their lives by long Pilgrimages, inhumane penances, and other ſuch like improfitable undertakings thought to be Meritorious, which God required not at their hands, but abhors them; expecting no more but thoſe reaſonable Services, which he himſelf hath commanded, and may be performed, with acceptance, through his promiſed aſſiſtance; and with eaſe and comfort, both to ſoul and body, in all ſuch duties as he injoyns; and in all ſuch trials, as he expoſeth us unto: And when it ſucceeds otherwiſe, to our temporal or ſpiritual damage, it it becauſe we Hallow ſuch things as are not to be Hallowed, and neglect to Hallow GODS Name as we ought to do, above all other Names and things: yea, the Hallowing of ſo many other Names and things, inſtead of out Heavenly Fathers Name, which ſhould ſingly and ſolely be ſeparated and ſanctified, hath been the prime cauſe of all thoſe many Sects, Hereſies, Treacheries, Diviſions, Quarrels, Wars and Murthers among Nations, Neighbours and Brethren throughout the World; and, the reſpect of Chriſt to us, as well as to the glory of his Father, in teaching us to pray for the ſanctifying of his Name, is an evidence of his great love and Mercy to mankinde.