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,