HALLOWING GOd's NAME.
Matt. vi. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye : Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed he thy name.
IT is of the utmost importance to every human being, to know how he shall approach his God with acceptance. Hence some even of the heathen philo- sophers endeavoured to instruct their disciples how to pray^. We do not find indeed any form of prayer provided for the Jews, with the exception of some short passages which may be regarded in that light ''. But in the New Testament we are informed that John the Baptist gave special instructions to his disciples respecting prayer; and our blessed Lord composed a prayer which should be used by his followers, and should serve also as a pattern for prayer to his Church in all ages''. If it be thought that it was intended only for his disciples in their infantine state, previous to tlie
^ Plato, in his Dialogue on Prayer, represents Socrates as teach- ing Alcibiades liow to pray.
b Numb. vi. 22 — 26. and x. 35, 36. and Hos. xiv. 2, 3. c Compare the text with Luke xi. 2,
out-pouring of the Spirit upon them, let it be remem- bered, that it was recorded by the Evangehsts a great many years after the full establishment of Christianity, without any hint of its use having been superseded : and consequently, we have the same reason to use it as the form and pattern of our supplications, as the Apostles themselves had : the only difference is, that as our Lord more clearly taught them afterwards to offer their petitions in his name, we must avail our- selves of that further information, to render our prayers more acceptable to God.
It being our intention to enter at large into the consideration of this prayer, we shall confine our- selves at present to that portion of it which we have read ; in which are two things to be noticed :
I. The invocation —
It is to God alone, and not to creatures, whether angels or men, that we are to address our prayers : " God is a jealous God, and will not give his glory to another." But to him we are invited to draw nigh ; and are taught to regard him,
1. As a loving Father —
[Under this title God was known to his people of old. Indeed it was the appellation, which, in their eyes, was the surest pledge of his love*^: the appellation too in which he himself appeared peculiarly to delight^. And well may it be a comfort to us to be permitted to address him by this endear- ing name ; for, if he be a Father, he will pity our weakness^, and pardon our sins^, and supply our every want^. True, if we have no nearer connexion with him than the ungodly world, and are his children only by creation, we can derive compara- tively but little comfort from it, because we are in rebellion against him : but if we be his children by adoption and grace, what may we not expect at his hands ? When we come to him as members of that great family, pleading for ourselves individually, and for the whole collectively, and addressing him in the name of all, as " our Father," methinks he cannot turn away his ear from us: " We may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us." Only let us come with " a spirit of adoption, crying, Abba, Father !" and, however " wide we may open our mouths, he will fill them."]
^ Isai. Ixiii. 16, ^ Jer. iii. 4, 19. ^ Ps. ciii. 13.
g Luke XV. 20. ^ Luke xi. 11 — 13.
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2. As an almighty Friend —
[When we are taught to address God as our Father " which is in heaven," we are not to understand it as distinguish- ing him from our earthly parents, but as intended to impress our minds with a sense of his majesty : to remind us, that he sees every thing which passes upon earth, and that he has all power to relieve us, to the utmost extent of our necessities. The consideration that he is our Father, encourages us to come " with boldness and with confidence ;" but the thought that he is that " high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity," and dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto ; the thought that he knows even the most secret motions of our hearts, and is alike able to save or to destroy ; these considera- tions, I say, are calculated to beget a holy fear in our minds, and to temper our boldness with reverential awe.