7. *_Hallowed be thy name._ This is the first of the six petitions, whereof the prayer itself is composed. The name of God is God himself; the nature of God, so far as it can be discovered to man: it means therefore, together with his existence, all his attributes or perfections――his eternity, particularly signified by his great and incommunicable name Jehovah, as the apostle _John_ translates it, τὸ ἀ, καὶ τὸ ω, ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος. ὁ ὤν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος· _The alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, he which is, and which was, and which is to come_:――His _fulness of being_, denoted by his other great name, _I am that I am_――His omnipresence――His omnipotence; who is indeed the only agent in the material world; all matter being essentially dull and inactive, and moving only as it is moved by the finger of God: and he is the spring of action in every creature, visible and invisible; which could neither act nor exist, without the continued influx and agency of his almighty power――His wisdom, clearly deduced from the things that are seen, from the goodly order of the universe――His trinity in unity and unity in trinity, discovered to us in the very first line of his written word ברא אלהים: literally _the_ Gods _created_, a plural noun joined with a verb of the singular number: as well as in every part of his subsequent revelations, given by the mouth of all his holy prophets and apostles――His essential purity and holiness――and above all, his love, which is the very brightness of his glory.
In praying that God, or his _name_ may _be hallowed_ or glorified, we pray that he may be known, such as he is, by all that are capable thereof, by all intelligent beings, and with affections suitable to that knowledge: that he may be duly honoured and feared and loved by all in heaven above and in the earth beneath; by all angels and men, whom for that end he has made capable of knowing and loving him to eternity.
8. _Thy kingdom come._ This has a close connexion with the preceding petition. In order that the name of God might be hallowed we pray that his kingdom, the kingdom of _Christ_ may come. This kingdom then comes to a particular person, when he _repents and believes the gospel_: when he is taught of God, not only to know himself, but to know _Jesus Christ_ and him crucified. As _this is life eternal, to know the only true_ God, _and_ Jesus Christ _whom he hath sent_, so it is the kingdom of God begun below, set up in the believer’s heart: the Lord God omnipotent then reigneth, when he is known through _Christ Jesus_. He taketh unto himself his mighty power; that he may subdue all things unto himself. He goeth on in the soul conquering and to conquer, ’till he hath put all things under his feet, ’till _every thought_ is _brought into captivity to the obedience of_ Christ.
When therefore God shall _give his Son the Heathen for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession_; when _all kingdoms shall bow before him, and all nations shall do him service_; when _the mountain of the_ Lord’s _house_, the church of _Christ shall be established in the top of the mountains_; when _the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, and all Israel shall be saved_: then shall it be seen, that _the_ Lord _is King and hath put on glorious apparel_, appearing to every soul of man, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. And it is meet for all those who _love his appearing_, to pray that he would hasten the time: that this his kingdom, the kingdom of grace may come quickly, and swallow up all the kingdoms of the earth; that all mankind receiving him for their king, truly believing in his name, may be filled with righteousness and peace and joy, with holiness and happiness, ’till they are removed hence into his heavenly kingdom, there to reign with him for ever and ever.
For this also we pray in those words, _Thy ♦kingdom come_: we pray for the coming of his everlasting kingdom, the kingdom of glory in heaven, which is the continuation and perfection of the kingdom of grace an earth. Consequently this, as well as the preceding petition, is offered up for the whole intelligent creation, who are all interested in this grand event, the final renovation of all things, by God’s putting an end to misery and sin, to infirmity and death, taking all things into his own hands, and setting up the kingdom which endureth throughout all ages.
Exactly answerable to this, are those awful words, in the prayer, at the burial of the dead; “Beseeching thee, that it may please thee of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom: that we with all those that are departed, in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy everlasting glory.”