VOL. I.
66 AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI. 9.
Hallowed he tliy name.
We are now come to the first petition of the Lord's Prayer ; there three things will fall under discussion : — I. The order of this petition. II. The necessity of putting up such a request to God.
III. The sense and meaning of the petition itself.
I. Of the order ; it is the first of all the six. The petitions of the Lord's Prayer may thus be ranked: — The four first concern the obtaining of good ; and the two last, the removal of evil — either the removal of evil past, and already committed, or the removal of evil future, and such as may be admitted by the temptation of the devil. Among the former, those things that do more immediately concern the glory of God, they have the first place. In this petition, the glory of God is both desired and promised on our part ; for every prayer is both an expression of a desire, and also an implicit vow or a solenm obligation that we take upon ourselves to prosecute what w^e ask. Prayer, it is a preaching to ourselves in God's hearing. We speak to God to warm ourselves, not for his information, but for our edification.
From the order observe : —
Boct. That those things are to be desired in the first place, and wdth the greatest afi'ection, which do concern the glory of God. The first petition is, ' Hallowed be thy name.'
Here to show : —
1. Why this petition is put first.
2. Present some reasons of the point.
First, This petition is put first, for a double reason : — 1. Partly to show that this must be the end of all our requests. All that we desire and pray for, in behalf of ourselves and others, must be subordinate to this end. All these things must be asked, that by the accomplishment of them God may be brought more in request in the world. See all the other petitions in this prayer, how they are suited to this end in scripture. When w-e say, ' Thy kingdom come,' what do we beg that for, but ultimately the glory of God ? Phil. ii. 10, 11, ' God hath given him a name which is above every name, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' When we say, ' Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,' it is still to the glory of God : Mat. v. 16, ' That our good works may still shine forth before men here upon earth, that they may glorify our Father wdiich is in heaven.' When we ask our daily bread, and provisions for the present life, it is still that he may be glorified in our comfortable use of the creature : 1 Cor. x. 31, ' Whether therefore ye cat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' When w^e ask for the remission of sins, it is that God may be glorified in Christ : Eom. iii. 25, 26, ' Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous- ness for the remission of sins that are past, that he may be j ust/ &c. When we beg freedom from temptation, it is that -we may not dis- hoDOur God : Prov. xxx. 9. ' Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say,
Mat. VI. 9.] the lord's prayer. 67
Who is the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.' Still that God may be glorified in every condition. When we ask deliverance from evil : Ps. 1. 15, ' Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.' So that the glory of God, in all requests that we make to him, like oil, still swims on the top, and must be the end of all the rest ; for other things are but means in subordination to it.
2. It notes that our chiefest care and affection should be carried out to the glory of God when we pray. We should i-ather forget ourselves than forget God. God must be remembered in the first place. There is nothing more precious than God himself, therefore nothing should be more dear to us than his glory. This is the great difference between the upright and the hypocrite : the hypocrite never seeks God but when his necessities do require it, not in and for himself; but when the upright come to seek God, it is for God in the first place — their main care is about God's concernments rather than their own. Though they seek their own happiness in him, and they are allowed so to do ; yet it is mainly God's glory which they seek, not their own interests and concernments. See that: Ps. cxv. 1, 'Not unto us, not unto us, 0 Lord, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.' It is not a doxology, or form of thanksgiving, but a prayer ; not for our safety and welfare, so much as thy glory ; not to reek and satisfy our revenge upon our adver- saries ; not for the establishment of our interest ; but for the glory of thy grace and truth, that God may be known to be a God keeping covenant ; for mercy and truth are the two pillars of the covenant. It is a great dishonouring of God when anything is sought from him more than himself, or not for himself. Saith Austin, it is but a carnal affection in prayer when men seek self more than God. Self and God are the two things that come in competition. Now there are several sorts of self ; there is carnal self, natural self, spiritual self, and glori- fied self. Above all these God must have the pre-eminence.