QUEST. CXC. What do we pray for the first petition?
ANSW. In the first petition [which is, Hallowed be thy Name,] acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honour God aright, we pray that God would, by his grace, enable and incline us, and others, to know, to acknowledge, and highly to esteem him, his titles, attributes, ordinances, word, works, and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by, and to glorify him in thought, word, and deed; that he would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry, profaneness, and whatsoever is dishonourable to him; and, by his over-ruling providence, direct and dispose of all things to his own glory.
Having considered the preface to the Lord’s prayer, the next part of which it consists, is petitions; and these are six, which are laid down in this method.
1. We are taught to pray for what concerns God’s glory, which is the highest and most valuable end; and therefore ought first to be prayed for: And this is the subject-matter of the three first petitions.
2. We are directed to pray for what respects our own advantage, which is contained in the three last petitions, in which we are directed to pray for outward blessings, as in the fourth petition, and then for spiritual, without which outward blessings would afford us no relish or savour, nor render us truly happy. These spiritual blessings include in them either forgiveness of sin, and this we pray for in the fifth petition; or our being sanctified and delivered from the prevalency of corruption and temptation, together with all the evils that sin exposes us to; this we pray for in the sixth petition. That which we are more particularly to consider in this answer, is, what we are taught to pray for in the first petition, which is contained in these words, Hallowed be thy name. By the name of God we are to understand every thing, by which he is pleased to make himself known to his creatures, as when he discovers himself in his divine perfections, which are either essential or personal, absolute or relative; and in his glorious titles, as the Lord of Hosts, the God and Rock of Israel, the hope of Israel, the God that cannot lye, the Father of mercies, the God of all grace and glory, the preserver of man; which have all a tendency to raise in us the highest veneration for, and esteem of him. He has also made himself known by his ordinances, words, and works: These are the subject-matter of this petition; and when we pray that they may be sanctified, we are not to understand hereby that they may be made holy; but that the holiness and glory thereof may be demonstrated by him, and that we may be enabled to adore and magnify him agreeably thereunto.
Now the name of God may be said to be sanctified either by himself or by his people in different respects; accordingly,
I. We pray that God would sanctify, that is, demonstrate the glory of his own name, or proclaim and make it visible to the world, so as to excite that adoration and esteem which is due to him. His name, indeed, has been eminently glorified in all ages, in the various methods of his providence and grace; whereby his power, wisdom, and goodness have been illustrated in the eyes of angels and men; and, in all his works, he has appeared to be a God of infinite holiness: We therefore pray that he would continue to glorify these perfections, and enable us to improve the displays thereof to our spiritual advantage.
This is a subject of the highest importance, without which we cannot give to God the glory due unto his name; therefore, as praise is joined with prayer, it is necessary for us to take a view of the various ways by which God has manifested the glory of his holiness. We might here consider how he did this in his creating man at first, without the least blemish or disposition in his nature to sin, and enstamped his own image upon him, which principally consisted in holiness, which was the greatest internal beauty and ornament that he could be endowed with.
But that which we shall principally consider, is, how the holiness of God is demonstrated in his dealings with fallen man. His suffering sin to enter into the world, was not inconsistent with the holiness of his nature, since his providence, as has been observed elsewhere, was not conversant about it, by bringing any under a natural necessity of sinning; and therefore there is not the least ground to charge him, with being the author of sin. We now proceed to shew how the holiness of God was glorified in the dispensations of his providence towards fallen man, and in the methods he took in order to his recovery.
1. The holiness of God was glorified, or he sanctified his great name, in the dispensations of his providence towards fallen man, before he gave him any hope of salvation. It cannot be supposed that this rebellion against, and apostacy from God, should not be highly resented by him; accordingly we read of his proceeding against the rebel as a judge, charging his crime upon him, and passing sentence pursuant to the demerit of his sin; and all the miseries that we are exposed to, either in this life, or that which is to come, are the result of the display of his holiness, as a sin-revenging Judge. As soon as ever our first parents sinned against him, he charged the guilt thereof on their consciences, and thereby filled them with a dread of his wrath: Hence proceeded an inclination to flee from his presence; and when they heard the voice of the Lord coming to call them to an account for what they had done, they were afraid.
This is God’s usual method in dealing with sinful creatures: He first convinces them of sin by the law, and awakens the conscience, so that his terrors are set in array against it round about, before he speaks good and comfortable words by the gospel: And by this means he sanctifies his name, and thereby discovers his infinite hatred of all sin: but we shall principally consider,
2. How God glorifies his holiness in the method he has taken to deliver man from that guilt and misery, under which he had brought himself. The terms of reconciliation and salvation, were such as tended to secure the glory of his justice; and therefore he insisted on a satisfaction to be given, without making the least abatement of any part of the debt of punishment that was due for our sin; and accordingly he spared not his own Son, Rom. viii. 32. but delivered him over unto death, and obliged him to drink the bitterest part of that cup which was most formidable to nature, and which, had it been possible, he would fain have been excused from drinking; therefore he is represented, by one of the evangelists, as praying, that God the Father would take this cup from him, Mark xiv. 35, 36. and by another, that he would save him from this hour, John xii. 27. Nevertheless, he expresses the utmost resignation to the divine will; and being sensible that this was an expedient to glorify the holiness of God, he does, as it were, give a check to the voice of nature, and submits to bear the punishment he came into the world to suffer, how terrible soever it might be; and therefore says, Father glorify thy name, q. d. ver. 28. take what method is most expedient to demonstrate the glory of thy holiness let the whole debt be exacted on me, I am willing to pay the utmost farthing: Upon this God says, by a voice from heaven, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again; that is, in every step that has been, or shall be taken, in order to the bringing about the work of redemption, I have hallowed my name, and will do it hereafter. And, in this respect, God’s holiness was glorified in finishing transgression, making an end of sin, bringing in everlasting righteousness, and also in the impetration of redemption, by our great Mediator and Surety.
3. God has sanctified his name in all the methods which he has taken in the application of redemption, in the various dispensations of his providence and grace towards his church and people; and in order hereunto, he has determined, that if his children forsake his law, and walk not in his judgements; if they break his statutes and keep not his commandments, he will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes, Psal. lxxxix. 30, 32. And this is done to manifest the glory of his holiness: Though he is pleased to pardon their iniquity for the sake of Christ’s righteousness; yet they shall know, by experience, that he hates it; and therefore, whatever be his designs of grace, with respect to his redeemed ones, as to the event thereof, they shall, notwithstanding, find that their sin shall not altogether go unpunished, though this punishment be not of the same kind with that which was suffered by Christ, from the hand of vindictive justice demanding satisfaction. Moreover, God has sanctified his name, in that he has connected sanctification with salvation; therefore he has said, Without holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. He first makes his people holy, and then happy; every mercy that he bestows, is a motive or inducement to holiness; and all the ordinances and means of grace are made subservient to answer this end.
Here we may take occasion to observe the various methods, whereby God has sanctified his name, in all his dealings with his church, in the various ages thereof, both before and since our Saviour’s incarnation;
(1.) Under the legal dispensation. The people, whom he chose out of all the nations of the earth, and called them by his name; among whom he designed to magnify his perfections in such a way, as argued them to be the peculiar objects of his regard above all others, as he designed to make them high in name, in praise, and in honour; these are styled an holy people, Deut. xxvi. 19. and elsewhere, holiness unto the Lord, Jer. ii. 3. and the wonderful things that he did for them in destroying their enemies, when he brought them out of Egyptian bondage, gave them occasion to celebrate his name, as a God glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders, Exod. xv. 11. and the worship that he established among them was such, in which he expressly required holiness, both in heart and life; and when, at any time, they cast a reproach on his perfections, or defiled and debased his holy institutions, he testified his displeasure against them in the highest degree: Of this we have various instances in the judgments which he has executed on particular persons for not performing what he had commanded, with the greatest exactness, in those things which related to his worship: Thus when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire, they were devoured, before the Lord, by fire from heaven, Lev. x. 1, 2. And, when David was bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem, we read, that Uzzah put forth his hand to take hold of it to prevent its falling, when shaken by the oxen, which he, doubtless, did with a good design, and it is therefore called an error, rather than a presumptuous sin; yet it is said, that the anger of the Lord was kindled against him, so that he smote him that he died by it, 2 Sam. vi. 6, 7. this being contrary to an express law which God had given, that the sons of Kohath should bear the ark, but they should not touch it, or any holy thing that was covered, lest they die, Numb. iv. 15. And elsewhere we read, that some of the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, were smitten, so that fifty thousand, and threescore and ten of them died, 1 Sam. vi. 19. inasmuch as God had forbidden that any should indulge their curiosity, so far as to look on the holy things on pain of death, Numb. iv. 20. And he also threatened the children of Israel with death, if any of them who were not appointed to minister in holy things, came nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, so as to perform that service which they were not sanctified or called to, since this was reckoned no other than an instance of profaneness in them. And if Aaron himself, whose office was to go into the holiest of all to perform the yearly service, in which he was to make atonement for the sins of the whole congregation, presumed to do this, at any other time but that day which God had appointed, he was to be punished with death, Lev. xvi. 2.
And, when any thing was brought into the worship of God, contrary to what he had instituted, which was reckoned no other than a profaning it, God hallowed his own name, by pouring forth his wrath on those who gave occasion to, or complied with it. Thus when Jeroboam, set up calves in Bethel and Dan, made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi, ordained feasts like those which God had appointed; and, in many other instances, corrupted his worship, whereby the people, who complied with him herein, were led aside from God, it is said, This became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth, 1 Kings xii. 29-33. compared with chap. xiii. 34. And when Ahaz erected an altar, according to the pattern of that which he saw at Damascus, and sacrificed to the gods of the people, from whom he had took the pattern thereof, this brought ruin on him and his kingdom, 2 Kings xvi. 10. compared with 2 Chron. xxviii. 23. And when Uzziah usurped the priest’s office, by offering incense in the temple, God immediately testified his displeasure against him, by smiting him with leprosy; whereby he was separated from the congregation of the Lord, and rendered unfit to govern his people to the day of his death, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16, 20, 21. And when holy men, in any instance, have not sanctified his name in the eyes of the people, God has highly resented it: Thus when Moses and Aaron spake unadvisedly with their lips, upon which account they are said not to sanctify the name of God at the waters of Meribah he tells them, that therefore they should not bring the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, but should die in the wilderness, Numb. xx. 12.
And, as we have many instances of the judgments of God on particular persons, for not sanctifying his name; so we have a public and visible display of his holiness, in his dealings with the whole nation of Israel, after their many revolts from him, when they served other gods, and not only corrupted, but laid aside his institutions, and were guilty of those vile abominations, which were inconsistent with the least pretensions to holiness; God sanctified his own name, not only by reproving them by the prophets, but sending those many judgments which were the forerunners of that desolation, which they had reason to expect, and then by delivering them into the hand of those who carried them captive, Israel into Assyria, and Judah into Babylon. This leads us to consider,
(3.) How God has, and still continues to sanctify his name, under the gospel-dispensation. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head and Saviour of his church, has, in his whole administration, set forth the glory of God’s holiness. This appears,
[1.] In that he came into the world, with a commission from his Father, to engage in the work of our redemption; and accordingly he is said to have been sanctified and sent into it for this very purpose, John x. 36. And, when he entered on his public ministry, he produced his commission, and gave undeniable proofs that he was the Messiah, the person whom God the Father had sealed, and set over his house to manage this great affair. Every miracle which he wrought, was a divine testimony for the confirmation of this truth, that the gospel-dispensation took its rise from Christ our great Mediator, and was a glorious display of the holiness of God; and the world could not have the least ground to think they were imposed on, when they concluded that this Jesus was he that was to come into the world (according to the predictions of all the holy prophets that went before him) to erect that dispensation in which his own and his Father’s glory were eminently to shine forth, and thereby the name of God was to be hallowed in a greater degree than it had ever been before.
[2.] God sanctifies his own name under the gospel-dispensation, in raising Christ from the dead, after he had finished the work which he came into the world about; in which respect it may be said of him, that for, or after the suffering of death, he was crowned with glory and honour, Heb. ii. 9. and put into a capacity of applying the redemption which he had purchased, so that God the Father glorified the Son, that the Son also might glorify him, John xvii. 1. That this was not done till he had made a full satisfaction to the justice of God, and thereby glorified his holiness to the utmost, has been already considered; after this he entered upon his glory; and from that time the gospel-dispensation might, by way of eminency, be said to begin, upon which occasion we may apply the words of the Psalmist, ‘Sing unto the Lord ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness,’ Psal. xxx. 4.
[3.] God sanctified or hallowed his name in the method which he took in his dealings with the Jewish nation, after Christ’s ascension into heaven, which made way for the establishment of the gospel-church, and was in itself an awful display of his holiness. It must be supposed, that the treatment, which our Saviour met with from that nation, who might be said herein to fill up the measure of their iniquities to the utmost, would be followed with some terrible displays of divine vengeance; and thus it was, as appeared by the utter ruin of their civil and religious liberties, which were the immediate consequence thereof; and this is a visible proof of the truth of the Christian religion, and a very awful instance of God’s being sanctified in them.
[4.] The holiness of God farther appears in the methods which he took to propagate his gospel through the world, which was not to be done by might or power, nor by those methods of secular policy, whereby civil states are advanced; but by his Spirit, whereby they who were called, were sufficiently qualified for this important work; who preached the gospel to all nations, according to the commission that was given them, confirmed it by miracles, and were instrumental in gathering a people out of the world, that yielded themselves willing subjects to Christ, a people called by his name, and subjected and entirely devoted to him.
[5.] The holiness of God appears in all those doctrines which were preached, on which the faith of the church is built, and those ordinances in which they were to express their subjection to Christ, and hope of salvation by him.
1st, The doctrines of the gospel are all pure and holy; their great design is to set forth the harmony of the divine perfections, as displayed in the method of salvation by Jesus Christ; and to induce those who are made partakers thereof, to serve him in holiness and righteousness; and there is no gospel-doctrine that gives the least countenance, or leads to licentiousness. None have a right to claim an interest in Christ’s righteousness, or to hope for that salvation which he has purchased, but they who believe, and none can be said to believe, to the saving of the soul, but they who are enabled to perform all those duties, whereby it will appear, that they are an holy, as well as an happy people.
2dly, All those ordinances which Christ has instituted in the gospel, have a tendency to set forth the holiness of God. What these are, has been considered under foregoing answers; as also, that they were instituted by Christ, and that no creature has a right to invent any modes of worship, or make any additions to his institutions, without incurring the guilt of depraving and sullying the beauty of gospel-worship[114]; and therefore all that I shall add under this head, is, that as these are set apart, and sanctified by God, to be means of grace, and pledges of his presence; so they, who engage herein, are to do it with this view, that they may be made holy in all conversation, as he who hath called them is holy; and hereby God sanctifies his own name in the dispensations of his providence and grace.
Now when we pray, Hallowed be thy name, with a particular view to what God does in order hereunto, we adore him with an holy trembling, when we behold the displays of his vindictive justice in punishing sin; and if he sees it necessary to secure his own honour as the governor of the world, so that without it he would not appear to be an holy God, nor the glory of his truth in those threatenings which he has denounced against sin, discovered, we are fully satisfied that all his ways are right, as acquiescing in his providence; and when his judgments are made manifest, we say, Hallowed be thy name.
However, when we put up this petition, with a particular view to God’s executing his threatened vengeance on his enemies, several cautions are to be used. As,
1st, We are to take heed that we do not do this out of hatred to the persons of any, for even they who are the monuments of divine justice, in whom God will be glorified as a sin-revenging judge, are the objects of our compassion, as they are miserable, how much soever that sin, which is the cause thereof, is to be hated and detested by us.
2dly, We must always pray, that God would rather convert than destroy his enemies, were it consistent with his purpose, which must be accomplished.
3dly, We are never called to pray expressly for the damnation of any one, how great an enemy soever he may have been to God or us; but rather, on the other hand, that God would glorify his name in his salvation by Jesus Christ.
4thly, If we pray that God would prevent those evils, which his church is exposed to, through the power or malice of its enemies, and, in order thereunto, that he would remove them out of the way, that they may not be able to hurt them; this is to be considered only as an expedient for their safety, so that if one of the two must suffer ruin, we rather desire that it may be his enemies than his people. We should be glad if God would be pleased to bring about the welfare of his church some other way; but if not, when we pray that his name herein may be hallowed, it is principally with submission to his will, and an humble acknowledgment that all his judgments are right. Thus concerning God’s sanctifying his own name, as the subject-matter of our prayer in this petition.
II. When we pray, Hallowed be thy name, we signify our desire that we may be enabled to glorify God in every thing whereby he makes himself known: In which there is something supposed, namely, that all men are utterly unable and disinclined, of themselves, to honour God aright, or to improve the various displays of his glory, which we behold in his word and works: This arises from the sinfulness of our nature, our alienation from, and opposition to an holy God; so that without the assistance of his Spirit, we are not able to do any thing that is good; and therefore we pray that God would make us holy, by rendering the means of grace conducive thereunto, that we may give him the glory due to his name.
But the thing more especially prayed for, with respect to ourselves and others is, that we may be enabled to act suitably to the discoveries which God has made of his divine perfections; that we may adore his wisdom, power, and goodness in all he does, and worship him in all ordinances in an holy manner, or, as the Psalmist expresses it, Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, Psal. xxix. 2. We are also to desire that all his holy institutions may be made means of grace to us, that we may be sanctified by his truth, that beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, we may be transformed into his image, consisting of holiness and righteousness, that we may have an high esteem of every thing whereby he makes himself known, and glorify him in thought, word, and deed.
1. That we may never think or speak of the divine perfections, but with a becoming reverence, and suitable acts of faith, agreeably thereunto; that when he discovers himself as a God of infinite wisdom, we may not only admire the traces and footsteps thereof, as they are visible in all his works, but desire that we may thereby be made wise unto salvation. When we conceive of him as a God of infinite power, we are to desire that he would enable us to have recourse to him, to work all that grace in us which can be effected by none but him with whom all things are possible. And, when he discovers himself as a God of infinite goodness and mercy, that we may be encouraged to hope that we shall be made partakers thereof, by his communicating to us the blessings that accompany salvation. And when he reveals himself as a God of infinite holiness, that we may be conformed to him, in some measure, so as to be enabled to hate and fly from every thing which is contrary thereunto; and that all sin, which contains in it a reflection on the purity of his nature, as well as a contempt of his authority, may be abhorred and detested by us. And when he discovers himself as a God of infinite faithfulness, a God that keepeth covenant and mercy, to them that fear him, who has made many promises respecting their salvation, and will certainly accomplish them, that we may depend upon, and put our trust in him; that he would remember his good word unto us, upon which he hath caused us to hope. When he makes himself known as our Creator, he the Potter, and we the clay, that we may be well pleased with all the dispensations of his providence towards us, as considering that he has a right to do what he will with his own. And when he reveals himself as our Redeemer, we are to pray, that we may be able to conclude, that we are bought with that invaluable price, which Christ gave for his elect: And if we have a comfortable hope concerning our interest therein, that we may walk as becomes those who are hereby laid under the highest obligations to love him, and live to him.
2. That we may worship him in a right manner, in all his ordinances: Accordingly, when he encourages us to attend to what he imparts therein, as in hearing, or reading the word, we pray, that we may be enabled to receive the truth in the love thereof, and improve it as that which is not the word of men, but of God, which effectually worketh in them that believe, 1 Thess. ii. 13. that we may esteem it as the only infallible rule of faith and duty; that we may be enabled to hide it in our hearts, that we may not sin against him, Psal. cxix. 11. And when we should draw nigh to him in prayer, in which he requires, that we should sanctify his name as a God all-sufficient, on whom we depend for the supply of our wants; or when we bless and praise him for what we have received, that the frame of our spirits may be suited to the spirituality and importance of the duty we are engaged in, that we may not be like those whom our Saviour speaks of, who draw nigh to him with their mouths, and honour him with their lips, while their heart is far from him, Matt. xv. 8.
3. As God makes himself known to us by his works, we are to beg of him, that in the work of creation, we may see and admire his eternal power and Godhead, and in his works of common providence, as upholding and governing all things, we may take occasion to adore the manifold wisdom of God, his almighty power, and the inexhaustible treasure of his goodness which appears therein: But more especially when he discovers himself in the gracious dispensations of his providence, in those things which have an immediate reference to our salvation, we are to beg of him, not only that he would enable us to look on them with admiration; but, particularly, to express our love and thankfulness to Christ our great Mediator and Advocate, as those who humbly trust and hope that we have an interest in him by faith. Thus concerning our requesting these things for ourselves.
We might here observe something concerning our doing it for others, for whom we are to pray, that they may have the highest esteem for God in all those respects and consequently that his name may be known throughout the whole world, not barely as the God of nature, but as he has revealed himself in his word; and therefore we are to pray, that the way of salvation, by Christ, may be known, and his name adored and magnified as a Redeemer and Saviour in those parts of the world, which are, at present, destitute of gospel-light; and that, where the word is preached, it may be received with faith and love, that they who are called Christians may walk more becoming that relation which they stand in to the blessed Jesus. Thus concerning the subject-matter of our requests in this petition, respecting God’s enabling us and others, to glorify him in every thing by which he makes himself known.
There are two things inferred from hence in the close of this answer.
(1.) That when we pray, that God would sanctify his name, it is, in effect, to desire that he would prevent and remove every thing which is dishonourable to it. Some things tend to cast so great a reproach on the name of God, that sinners are hereby hardened in their opposition to him; as David, by his sin, is said to have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, 2 Sam. xii. 14. And God is highly dishonoured by those open and scandalous sins which are committed by such as make a profession of religion; whereby it appears that they are strangers to the power thereof, and lay a stumbling-block in the way of those who are too ready to take an estimate of the ways of God, from the conversation of them, who in words profess, but in works deny him. Some deny the very being, perfections and providence of God, or being ignorant of him, worship they know not what; and there are others who treat things sacred with profaneness and scurrility; and, instead of sanctifying the name of God, openly blaspheme and cast a contempt on all his sacred institutions. Therefore,
[1.] We are to pray, that God would prevent and remove atheism. When persons not only act as though there were no God, but, with blasphemy, and daring insolence, express this in words: These are generally hardened in their iniquities, and bid defiance to his justice; as though they were, as it is said of the Leviathan, made without fear, Job xii. 33. and were not apprehensive of any ill consequences that will ensue he