Use 1st. See the true note and character of a godly person ; he is a sanctifier of God's name, " Hallowed be thy name." A true saint doth ambitiously endeavour to advance God's name. This is the ques- tion he asks himself in every thing he is going about : " Will this action tend to the honour of God's name ? Will this exalt God ?" This was St. Paul's chief design, that Christ might be magnified, Phil. i. 20. viz. that the crown upon his head might flourish. A godly man thinks it is scarce worth his while to live if he may not bring some revenues of honour to God's name.
Use 2d. I may here take uj) a sad lamen- tation, and speak, as the apostle Paul, weep- ing, Phil. iii. 18., to consider how God's name, instead of being hallowed and sanc- tified, is dishonoured. God's name — which is more worth than the salvation of all men's souls — suffers deeply. We are apt to speak of our sufferings, — alas ! what are all our sufferings ? God's name suffers most. God's name is the dearest thing he hath. IIow do men stand upon their name and honour ? God's name is this day dishonoured, it is like the sun in an eclipse. Theodosius took it heinously when they threw dirt uj)- on his statue ; but now — which is far worse — disgrace is thrown \ipon the glorious name of Jehovah. God's name instead of being hallowed, is dishonoured by all sorts, 1. By heathens; 2. Turks; 3. Jews; 4, Papists ; 5. Protestants.
1. By heathens. Tliey have a knowledge of a Godhead by tlu' light of nature, Rom. i. 19., but they di.shonour God, and sin a- gainst the light of nature. The Egv'jitians worship an ox ; the Persians worship the
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OF THE FIRST PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
sun ; tl)e Grecians and Romans, Jupiter ; and the Parthians worsliip the devil.
2. God's name is dishonoured by the Turks. They adore Mahomet their great prophet, as one divinely inspired ; Maho- met was of an impure, vicious life ; Maho- met plucks the crown from Christ's head denying his Deity.
3. God's name is dishonoured by the Jews who give not equal honour and ado- ration to God the Son, as to God the Fa- ther. They expect a Messiah yet to come, — seculum J'uturum ; they believe not in Christ, they blaspheme him, and slight rigliteousness imputed ; they vilify the Christian sabbath.
4. God's name is dishonoured by the Pa- pists. Popery is a God-dishonouring reli- gion ; they dishonour God's name, 1st. by their idolatry, which is spiritual adultery. Ezek. \xiii. 37. Idolatry is to worship a false God, or the true God in a false man- ner; this they are guilty of. (1.) They dishonour God by their idolatry, in making gi'aven images, and giving the same honour to them as is due to God ; images are teach- ers of lies, Hab. ii. 18., they represent God in a bodily shape. (2.) By their idolatry in the mass ; worshipping the host, and of- fering it up as a sacrifice for sin. The a- postle saith, Heb. x. 14. " By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified ;" but as if Christ's offering on the cross were imperfect, they offer him up daily in the mass, which is a dishonour a- lone to Christ's priestly office. — 2d. The papist, instead of hallowing God's name, dishonour God's name, by locking up the scriptures in an unknown tongue ; they as the Philistines pluck out the people's eyes, and then make sport with them ; the Bible is a shining light, but they draw a curtain over it ; they take away tlie key of know- ledge, Luke xi. 52., and hinder God's glory by hindering men's salvation. — 3d. Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour it by giving men indulgences. They say, the pope, as Peter's successor, hath power to grant indulgences, by virtue whereof men are set free in the sight of God. (1.) It is to steal a flower from the crown of heaven. The pope assumes a power to par- don, which is God's prerogative royal, Mark