A. 2. By God's name is meant any tiling by which God may be known ; as a man is known by his name ; God's name is his atti-ibutes, Avisdom, power, holiness, good- ness; by these God is known as by liis name.
Quest. 2. What is meant by halloicing God's name ?
Ans. To hallow, is a comnnmi separate, — to set apart a tiling from the common use to some sacred end. As the vessels of the sanctuary were said to be hallowed, so to hallow God's name, is to set it apart from all abuses, and to use it holily and reve- rently. In particular, hallowing of God's name is to give him high honour and vene- ration, and render his name sacred. AVc can add nothing to God's essential glory ; but we are said to honour and sanctify his name, when we lift liim up in tlie world, and make him appear greater in the eyes of others. When a prince is crowned, there is something added really to his honour ; but when we go to crown God with our
OF THE FIRST PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYLR.
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Quest. 2. JV/un may tee he said to hal- low and sajiclify God's name ?
Ans. 1. When we profess liis name. Oui* meeting in liis lioly assembly is an liononr done to God's name ; this is good, but it is not enougli. Ail that wear God's livery by profession, are not true servants ; there are some professors Christ will at the last tlay profess against, Mat. vii. 23., " I will profess I never knew you." Tlierefore, to go a little further,
A. 2. We hallow and sanctify God's name, when we have an high appreciation and esteem of God ; we set him highest in om* tlioughts. Tiie Hebrew word to /io7iour, sigmiies to esteem precious; we conceive of God in our minds as the most supercxcel- Icnt and infinite good ; we apprehend in God, a constellation of :dl beauties and de- lights; we adore God in his glorious attri- butes, which are the several beams by which his divine nature shines forth ; we adore God in his works, which are bound up in three great volumes, creation, redemption, providence; we hallow and sanctify God's name, when we lift him highest in our souls ; we esteem him a supereminent and incom- prehensible God.
A. 3. We liallow and sanctify God's name, when we trust in his name, Ps. xxxiii. 21., " We have trusted in his holy name ;" no way can we bring more reve- nues of honour to God, or make his crown shine brighter, than by confiding in him, Rom. iv. 20., " Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God;" there was an haUowing of God's name, as unbelief stains God's honour, and eclipseth his name, 1 John v. 10 , " He that believeth not, God hath made him a liar :" so faith doth glori- fy and hallow God's name. The believer trusts his best jewels in God's hands, Ps, SLxxi. 5., " Into thy hands I commit my spirit;" faith in a Mediator doth more ho- nour and sanctify God's name, than mar- tyrdom, or the most sublime acts of obe- dience.
A. 4. We hallow and sanctify God's name, when we never make mention of his name but witli the highest reverence ; God's name is sacred, and it must not be spoken of, but with veneration. The scripture, when it speaks of God, gives him his titles of ho-
nour. Gen. xiv. 20., " Blessed be the most high God ;" Neh. ix. 5., " Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all bh'ssing and praise." To speak vainly or slightly of (iod, is a profaning his name, and is a taking his name in vain; let his name be hallowed ; by giving God his ve- nerable titles, we do as it were hang his jewels on his crown.
A. 5. We hallow and sanctify God's name, when we love his name, Ps. v. 11., " Let them that love thy name be joyful ;" and that love which is honouring God's name, must be a special discriminating love, the cream and flower of our love, — such a love as we give to none besides ; as the wife ho- nours her husband, by giving him such a love as she gives to none else, a conjugal love, so we hallow God's name, by giving liim such love -xs we give to none else, a love joined with worshiji, Ps. xlv. 11., "He is thy Lord, and worship thou him."