To hallow and to sanctify is to set apart from common use, and so to sanctify the name of God, is to use it in a separate manner, with that reverence and respect which is not used to anything eLse. JSo that when we pray that God's name may be hallowed or sanctified, we
84 AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI, 9.
desire tliat, according as he hath made known himself in the word, so he may be known, reverenced, and esteemed in the world. Known to be the only true God : 1 Kings xviii. 36, 'Let it be known this day that thou art Grod in Israel,' and accordingly worshipped and glorified in the hearts and lives of men.
The third thing to open is the form of proposal, a^LaaOrjrw. It is not sanctificemus, let us hallow, but sanctificetur, let it be hallowed, for in this form of speech, all the persons concerned in this work are included — God, ourselves, and others.
[1.] God is to be included in the prayer, that we may express our sense of his providence working all things for the glory of his holy name, yea, discovering his excellency, showing himself to be the holy God : Ezek. xxxviii. 23, ' I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.' The Lord magnifieth himself by the more eminent effects of his care and providence, but he sanctifieth himself chiefly by blessing and defending the godly, and by punishing and afflicting the wicked, for thereby he declareth his holiness, the purity of his nature, and his love to saints ; so that when we say, ' Hallowed be thy name,' we mean, Lord, declare thyself to be a holy God, by putting a distinction between men and men in the course of thy provi- dence, and owning thy people from heaven.
[2.] We inckide ourselves when we say, ' Hallowed be thy name,' for it is especially the duty of God's people : Isa. xxix. 23, ' They shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.' It is our duty, by our religious carriage, to evi- dence that we have a holy God, This must be our first care, that we ourselves be sanctified, and to sanctify our sanctifier, the Holy One of Israel. Some, they would have God glorified b)^ others, but do not look to themselves how they sanctify God, Now God hath made this to be a g!'eat part of our care, that his own people should not only magnify and glorify him, but sanctify him; therefore he rather makes them good than great. When he would make men great, then he shows his magnificence, to be the almighty disposer of the riches of the world ; but when he makes them good, then he expects to be sanctified, that his people should discover that he is a holy One ; that he is holy in himself, for we add nothing to him when Ave sanctify him. but only discover him to be such a one. In short, God sanctifieth us effectively by working grace and holiness in us, and we sanctify him relativel}', objectively, declaratively, declaring him to be a holy God, and that we are a people belonging to this God.
[3.] The speech is so formed that others may be included, and that we may express our sense of their dishonouring God, as a thing that is grievous to us, that we may show how near it goeth to our heart to see the ignorance, atheism, and blasphemy that is in the Avorld, They would have the holy God to be sanctified abroad, either by the conversion of men, or by their punishment. And so it is meant : Isa. v. 16, ' God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.' That is, his holiness and hatred of sin shall appear, either in the conversion of obstinate sinners, that God may be sanctified by them, or else for punishment, that God may be sanctified upon them.
Mat. VI. 9.] the lord's prayer. 85
Fourthly, The next thing is the note of distinction, ' Hallowed be thy name,' not ours. There seems to be a secret opposition between our name and the name of God. When we come to pray, we should distinctly remember whose name is to be glorified, that God may be at the end of every request. We beg of God many times, but we think of ourselves ; our hearts run upon our own name, and upon our own esteem. How often do we come to him with a selfish aim, as if we would draw God into our own designs and purposes ! None are so unfit to glorify God, and so unwelcome to him, as those that are so wedded and vehemently addicted to their own honour and esteem in the world. Therefore Christ, by way of distinction, by way of ojijiosi- tion to this innate disposition that is in us, he would have us to say, 'Hallowed be tluj name.' That which gives most honour to God is believing: Rom. iv. 19, 20, Abraham was 'strong in faith, giving glory to God.' Now, none so unfit for the work as they that seek glory for themselves : John v. 44, ' How can ye believe, which receive lionour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only ? ' Affectation of vainglory, or splendour of our own name, is a temper inconsistent with faith, which is the grace that gives honour to God. I say, when we hunt after respect from men, and make that the chiefest scope of our actions, God's glory will certainly lie in the dust ; wdien we are to sutfer ignominy and abasement for his sake, the care of God's glory will be laid aside. The great sin of the old world was this : Gen. xi. 4, ' Let us make us a name.' There are many conceits about that enterprise, what that people should aim at there in building so great and- so vast a tower, before God confounded their tongues. Some, interpreting that place, ' Let us build us a tower even to heaven,' think this was their intention, to make a way into heaven. But it is not likely they would be so foolish that had so late experi- ence of the flood, and, when the ark rested upon the top of the highest mountains, found themselves to be at so great and vast a distance from heaven. Some think it was (as Josephus) to secure themselves from another flood ; but that was sufficiently done by God's promise, who had engaged to them he would no more destroy the earth by water ; and if that were their intention, why should they build in the l)lain, between the two rivers of Tigris and Euphrates? Moses gives the main reason there, that they might have an immortal name among posterity. But now see how ill they reckon that do reckon without God. Those that are so busy about their own name, how soon will God blast them ! When in any action we do not seek gloiy to God, but ourselves, it is the ready way to be destroyed. This was the means to bury them in perpetual oblivion. Nebuchadnezzar, when he re-edified the city, Dan. iv, 30 : ' Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty ? ' How doth God disappoint him, and turn him out among the beasts ! Thus are we sure to be disa])pointed and blasted, when our hearts run altogether upon our own name. But now Christ saith thy name ; when we are careful of that, this is the way to prosper. From the words thus illustrated, I shall only observe: — Doct. That God will be so glorified in the world as that his name may be hallowed or sanctified.