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name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have pro faned in the midst of them, and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in them before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land," Ezek. xxxvi. 23, 24. (c) But doth God hallow his name in any instance, it is in that great and wonderful work of the redemption of sinners, that he gave his only Son to be their Surety, punished their sins in him, made them accepted in the Beloved, and hath given them the certain expectation of an inconceivable bliss. His name shines forth in this, even his power in effecting it, notwithstanding every opposition; his manifold wisdom in contriving such an admirable way; his goodness, grace, mercy and love to miserable sinners, in sending his only begotten Son for the reconciliation of his enemies; his justice, which the Surety hath fully satisfied, and his truth in executing his counsel of peace, and in fulfilling all his promises. And if aught shine forth in this work, it is his holiness; for by redeeming the sinner through his Son, he manifests his hatred of sin, and his love to himself and to his perfections, which were injured by sin; he hath glorified these by the satisfaction of his Son; and by virtue of that satisfaction he sanctifies his children, and shows that since he is satisfied, he will not demand the debt again. And thus the Lord of hosts is exalted in judgment, and God who is holy is sanctified in righteousness," Isaiah v. 16.

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"The Lord hath made all things for himself," saith the wise king, Prov. xvi. 4. Therefore his creatures, both rational and irrational, were made in order to sanctify and glorify his name. Irrational creatures sanctify and glorify the name of the Lord: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth forth his handy work," &c. saith the sweet Psalmist, Psalm xix. 1-7. "As know the beasts and they shall teach thee and fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee; or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?" Job. xii. 7-9. For although these several creatures do not utter any articulate words, they nevertheless show the reasonable creature "God's eternal power and Godhead, which we may understand and see clearly by means of these creatures," Rom. i. 20, his wisdom, "by which be hath made them all," and his goodness, by which "he hath filled the earth with good things," as David observed, Psalm civ. 24.

Every creature ought to contribute to the honour of its Maker, in proportion to the excellency with which he hath endued it. Rational creatures, to wit, angels and men, are the most excellent of all God's works, and therefore they ought to hallow the name of God more than others. David, filled with the praises of God, calls upon the angels to praise the Lord, Psalm ciii. 20. They did this also at an early period: "When the Lord laid the foundations of the earth, those morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy," Job xxxviii. 7. "They are desirous of looking into the work of redemption," 1 Pet. i. 12. "The church makes known to them the manifold wisdom of God," Eph. iii. 20. "They praise God on account of it in the highest heavens," Luke ii. 13, 14. "They rejoice, when a sinner is converted," Luke xv. 7, 10, and they watch bis Father's beck, to defend and serve him, Matt. xviii. 10. Heb.

i. 14.

But as Christ did not receive angels, but men, in order to render them the children of God, therefore these are particularly obliged to hallow their Father's name. Men do this in and after this life: in this life they do it, when they are alone, and when they are with others. The children of God hallow and glorify his name when they are alone, (a) with the thoughts of their hearts, when they reflect with holy meditations on the acts of God, and his perfections of almightiness, wisdom, goodness, &c. when they look deep into them, admire, rejoice in them, extol them, and praise the Lord, on account of them: "My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord," saith David, Psalm civ. 34. (b) With words, with which they proclaim with joy the glory of the Lord before his face, and in his presence, that they may praise and extol him highly. They speak thus by themselves of the works of his hand," with David, Psalm cxliii. 5, who, contemplating in the silent eve ning the great works of God, cried out to him, Psalm viii. 1–9. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens." (c) With virtuous actions. They apply to his almighty power for help, they suffer themselves to be directed by his wisdom, they are enamoured of his goodness and mercy, they admire his justice in Christ, they trust in his truth, and they fear him with a childlike fear on account of his incomparable glory and holiness: "Sanctify the Lord of hosts," saith the prophet: but how? "Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread," Isaiah viii. 13. Doth it please him, according to his sovereignty, to chastise his children, they sanctify him by submitting to

him without contradiction: "My God," saith David, Psalm xxii. 2, 3, "I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest me not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy." Peter en. joins upon believers to "sanctify the Lord God in their hearts, when they suffer," 1 Pet. iii. 14, 15. (d) With good and holy intentions, aiming in all that they do, even in indifferent actions, at the glory of God, 1 Cor. x. 31. "Whether they eat or drink, or whatever else they do, doing all to the glory of God."

The children of God behold and perceive with pleasure so much glorious holiness and praiseworthiness in their Father, that they can not be satisfied with sanctifying him by themselves, but they desire help; and therefore they do it also in the presence of others, that they also may do it. On this account they will speak of God, and of his exalted dignity to their neighbours, that they also may know the holy glory of God, may obtain a sense of his virtues, and be to his praise, as David in his psalm of praise would for this end "teach others the fear of the Lord." Psalm xxxiv. 11, and he "declared to them who feared God what God had done for his soul," Psalm Ixvi. 16. 17. Yea, they will excite each other to praise his name together. Hear the sweet psalmist say again, Psalm xxxiv. 3, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." And that they may not do aught besides, they will endeavour to manifest in all their behaviour by their humility, selfdenial, and heavenly mindedness, that he is worthy to be sought, loved, feared and honoured, "letting their light so shine before men, that they may behold their good works, and glorify their Father who is in heaven," Matt. v. 16. 1 Peter, ii. 12. iii. 16.

But the name of the Father will be hallowed by his children still more after this life, when the blessed light of the divine holiness and glory shining upon them, and the blessed influence of the divine allsufficiency being shed abroad upon them immediately, they will with all the blessed angels and men proclaim his glory with all their might, and cause the heaven to resound for ever. See as it were a sketch of this their future work, Rev. iv. v. vii.

III, Behold, in this manner is the name of the Father hallowed by himself, by his creatures, and especially by his children. Truly a work which deserves that they should pray to the Father, that he would teach and enable them to do it: the Father also teacheth them this, (a) when he grants them rightly to know him by irradiating their understandings with his light, so that they see and behold him, his name, his holiness and virtues in all his works clearly and

with suitable attention. See how Paul prays for the believing Ephesians, that "God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of their understanding being enlightened," &c. Eph. i. 17-19. (b) When he enables them to praise and celebrate him by giving them much experimental and heartenlarging grace. The heart is sometimes sluggish, it experienceth itself listless, or is discouraged on account of manifold difficulties: but the Lord raises it up," he looses their sackcloth, turns their mourning into dancing, and makes them glad through his works, so that they triumph in the works of his hands," Psalm xcii. 4, and he puts a new song in their mouths, even praise to their God," Psalm xl. 3. (c) The Father grants them to hallow his name also, when "he teaches them to do his will, and when his good Spirit leads them into the land of uprightness," as David prays Psalm cxliii. 10. And they do thus order and direct their whole lives, thoughts, words and works, so that his name is not blasphe med, but honoured and praised on their account."

IV. These are the things which the children of God desire, when they offer up this petition to him. But why doth the Lord Jesus choose that they should pray thus ? (a) Praise is comely," Psalm cxlvii. 1. He is worthy on account of his transcendent glory, to be hallowed. As all things are of and by him, so all things ought to be referred back to him by hallowing him, and all other things, for which we pray, ought to serve to this end. God aims at this in all that he doth. The Father's children ought to be like him, and therefore to be" followers of God," Eph. v. 1. They have indeed been made his children, and "called, that they might show forth his praise and excellencies," Isaish xliii. 21. 1 Peter ii. 9. Yea, their Father's holiness and glory is also their holiness and glory. See Isaiah xxviii. 5. Ezek. xvi. 14, and therefore they must pray thus, if they shall pray aright for themselves. (b) They are pleased, when their Father is hallowed. How will they show that they are, but by their praying, like the church, Isaiah xxvi. 8, "The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." (c) They know experimentally, that they are unable to hallow his name, as they ought. How shall they obtain an ability? only by calling on the Father from Psalm lxxi. 8, "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, and with thy honour all the day." See also Psalm li. 15. (d) The Father will also grant this upon their praying when "they cry to him with their mouth, he is extolled with their tongue," as the church speaks, Psalm lxvi. 17. They

pray indeed for the glorification of his name, in which he delights, and therefore he will hear that petition.

APPLICATION.

But, hearers, who, yea, who of you hallows the name of God thus? Yea, who hath a hearty desire to be enabled to glorify the name of God? indeed very few aim at this; for,

1. Many, though they say this ordinary lesson every day, known ot what they say the most of you understand not what the name of God is, nor how it is hallowed. If we should ask you what ye understood by it, when ye said, "hallowed be thy name," would ye not be ashamed, and be utterly unable to say what ye meant? and be obliged to own that ye uttered barely words, without knowledge, and thus only provoked God by your praying? "O Lord," saith, David, Psalm xcii. 5, 6, "how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not: neither doth a fool understand this." It is then surely evident, that since ye do not understand this, ye do not hallow his name, yea, that ye have no inclination or desire to do it; for we cannot desire that of which we have no knowledge.

2. The most of you seek only the glorification of their own name. Is it not true, that it is your only aim to be esteemed, loved and feared by your neighbour? Ye will say this and that, make such and such a fair show, do this or that action, behave yourselves friendly, flatter your neighbour, and speak highly of yourselves with "Theudas, saying that ye are somebody," Acts v. 36, and with "Simon the Sorcerer, who said of himself that he was some great one," Acts viii. 9. Therefore ye inquire whether there be any who are pleased with you: and when ye perceive that there are, it delights your souls, and affords you a heartfelt pleasure; but doth any person despise you, << ye are "full of indignation at him," as "Haman was at Mordecai ;" and though ye fare ever so well, it is nothing to you, as long as there is a "Mordecai, who will not make obeisance,” to you, Esther v. 9-13. What think ye, when ye aim thus at your own glory, can ye then pray in truth, that the name of God may be hallowed ?

3. Further, a person who is not born again, and adopted for a

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