lics. Destroying two hundred thousand of the thy God." The names of kings are not menAlbigenses who were protestants, was com- tioned without giving them their titles of mended as a glorious action, honoured with a honour, high and mighty; but men speak triumph at Rome, and crowned with his holi- irreverently of God, as if he were like one of ness's blessing. Is not this a high dishonour them, Ps. 1. 21, this is a taking God's name in to God, to gild over the foulest crimes with vain. (2). They swear by his name. Many the name of virtue and piety?-9th. Instead seldom name God's name but in oaths. How of hallowing God's name, they dishonour it, is God dishonoured, when men rend and tear by their damnable assertions; (1). The pa- his name by oaths and imprecations! Jer. pists affirm, that the pope is above scripture; xxiii. 10, "Because of swearing the land that he may dispense with it, and that his mourns." If God will reckon with men for canons bind more than the word of God. idle words, shall not idle oaths be put in the (2). They teach merit by good works; but if account-book? "O but," saith one, "I cana debtor cannot pay his creditor, how can he not help it,-it is a custom of swearing I merit at his hands? (3). That the scripture have got, and I hope God will forgive me!" is not a perfect rule of faith and manners; Ans. Is this a good plea,-a custom of therefore they eke it out with their traditions, swearing? This is no excuse, but an agwhich they hold to be of equal authority. gravation of sin; as if one that had been (4). They teach, that an implicit faith is accused for killing a man should plead with saving; though one may have an implicit the judge to spare him because it was his faith, and yet be ignorant of all the articles of custom to murder; this were an aggravareligion. (5). They say, that the inward act tion of the offence; will not the judge say, of the mind is not required in God's worship; "Thou shalt the rather die ?" so it is here. diversion of the mind in duty, though one prays and never thinks of God, is no sin, saith Angelus and Sylvester, and other pa-lowed be thy name," when in their lives they pists. (6). The papists make habitual love to God unnecessary; it is not needful, saith Bellarmine, to perform any acts of religion out of love to God. Stapleton and Cajetan affirm that the precept of loving God with all our heart is not binding; by which they cut asunder the sinews and soul of all religion. Thus, instead of honouring God's name, the papists dishonour it. Let us pray heartily, that this Romish religion may never again get footing in this nation. God grant that this poisonful weed of popery may never be watered here; but that, it being a plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, it may be rooted up! 5. God's name is dishonoured by carnal protestants. How is God's name this day dishonoured in England? His name is like the sun in an eclipse. Christians instead of hallowing God's name, reproach and dishonour it: 1st. By their tongues. 2d. By their lives. 1. By their tongues. (1). They speak irreverently of God's name. God's name is sacred. Deut. xxviii. 58, "That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name: the Lord 2. As men dishonour God by their tongues, so by their lives. What is it to say, "Hal profane his name? They dishonour God by fæcibus. SEN. "We live in the dregs of sometimes drunk with passion? If their sin time," wherein the common shore of wicked-be blaspheming, is not your sin murmuring? ness runs. Physicians call it [Gr. kachexia] "Are there not with you, even with you, sins when there is no part of the body free from against the Lord?" The sins of God's childistemper. England hath a kachexy; it is dren go nearer to his heart, than the sins of all over disease; "The whole head is sick, others, Deut. xxxii. 19, "When the Lord the whole heart is faint," Isa. i. 5. As black saw it, he abhorred them, because of the vapours rising out of the earth, cloud and provoking of his sons and daughters." The darken the sun, so the sins of people in our sins of the wicked anger God; the sins of age, like hellish vapours, cast a cloud upon his own people grieve him; he will be sure God's glorious name. O that our eyes were to punish them, Amos iii. 2. "You only like limbecks, dropping the water of holy have I known of all the families of the earth; tears, to consider how God's name, instead therefore will I punish you for all your iniof being hallowed, is polluted and profaned! quities." O that our head were waters, that And, may not we justly fear some heavy judg-we could make this place a Bochim, a place ments? Can God put up with our affronts any of weepers, that God's children might mix longer? Can he endure to have his name re-blushing with tears that they have so little proached? Will a king suffer his crown-hallowed, and so much eclipsed God's name! jewels to be trampled in the dust? Do not Truly God's own people have sinned enough we see the symptoms of God's anger? Do to justify God in all his severe actings against we not see his judgments hovering over us? them! Sure God is whetting his sword, he hath bent his bow, and is preparing his arrows to shoot! Qualis per arva leo fulvam minace fronte concutiens jubam. SEN. The body politic is in a paroxysm, or burning fit; and may not the Lord cause a sad phlebotomy? Seeing we will not leave our sins, he may make us lose our blood. May we not fear that the ark should remove, the vision cease, the stars in God's church be removed, and we should follow the gospel to the grave? When God's name, which should be hallowed, is profaned among a people, it is just with God to write that dismal epitaph upon a nation's tomb, "The glory is departed." And, that I may speak to the consciences of all, and deal im-tifying God's name, consider, partially, it were well if only the profane party were guilty; but, may not many professors be called to the bar, and indicted of this, that they have dishonoured God's name? 2 Chron. xxviii. 10, "Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?" Are these the spots of God's children? Deut. xxxii. 5. If you are diamonds, have you no flaws? Have not you your vanities? If your discourse be not profane, is it not vain? Have not you your self-seekings, rash censures, indecent dresses? If the wicked of the land swear, do not you sometimes slander? If they are drunk with wine, are not you Use 3d. Of exhortation. Let us hallow and sanctify God's name. Did we but see a glimpse of God's glory, as Moses did in the rock, the sight of this would draw adoration and praise from us. Could we see "God face to face," as the angels in heaven do,—could we behold him sitting on his throne like a jasper-stone, Rev. iv. 10,-we should presently, at the sight of his glory, do as the twenty-four elders, Rev. iv. 10, 11, “They worship him that liveth for ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honour and power!" That we may be stirred up to this great duty, the hallowing, adoring and sanc 1. It is the very end of our being. Why did God give us our life, but that our living may be a hallowing of his name? Why did he give us souls but to admire him; and tongues, but to praise him? The excellency of a thing is, when it attains the end for which it was made; the excellency of a star is to give light, of a plant to be fruitful; the excellency of a Christian, is to answer the end of his creation, which is to hallow God's name, and live to that God by whom he lives. He who lives, and God hath no honour by him, buries himself alive, and exposeth himself to a curse. Christ cursed the barren fig-tree. 2. God's name is so excellent that it deserves to be hallowed, Ps. viii. 9, "How excellent is thy name in all the earth!" Ps. civ. 1, "Thou art clothed with honour and majesty." As the sun hath its brightness, whether we admire it or not, so God's name is illustrious and glorious whether we hallow it or not. In God are all shining perfections, holiness, wisdom, mercy; "he is worthy to be praised," 2 Sam. xxii. 4. God is dignus honore,-worthy of honour, love, adoration. We oft bestow titles of honour upon them that do not deserve them; but God is worthy to be praised; his name deserves hallowing; | he is above all the honour and praise which the angels in heaven give him. vain. redeeming mankind was a hallowing and glorifying of God's name; never was more honour brought to God's name than by this great undertaking of Christ; now, here was Christ's comfort before his death, that he had hallowed God's name, and brought glory to him. So, what a cordial will this be to us at last, when our whole life hath been a hallowing of God's name! We have loved him with our hearts, praised him with our lips, honoured him with our lives; we have been to the praise of his glory, Eph. i. 6. At the hour of death all your earthly comforts will vanish; to think how rich you have been, or what pleasures you have enjoyed upon earth, this will not give one drachm of comfort. 3. We pray, "hallowed be thy name:" What is one the better for an estate that is that is, let thy name be honoured and mag-spent? But now, to have conscience witnified by us. Now, if we do not magnify his nessing that you have hallowed God's name, name, we contradict our own prayers: to say, your whole life hath been a glorifying of him, "hallowed be thy name," yet not to bring what sweet peace and satisfaction will this honour to God's name, is to take his name in give! That servant who hath been all day working in the vineyard, how glad is he when 4. Such as do not hallow God's name, and evening comes, that he shall receive his pay! bring revenues of honour to him, God will Such as have spent their lives in honouring get his honour upon them, Exod. xiv. 17, "I God, how sweet will death be when they shall will get me honour upon Pharaoh." Pha-receive the recompense of reward! What raoh would not hallow God's name; "Who comfort was it to Hezekiah, when he was on is the Lord, that I should obey him?" Well, his sick bed, and could appeal to God, Isa. saith God, if Pharaoh will not honour me, I xxxviii. 3, "Remember, Lord, how I have will get me honour upon him. When God walked before thee with a perfect heart, and overthrew him and his chariots in the sea, have done that which is good in thy sight.' then he got his honour upon him; God's I have hallowed thy name; I have brought power and justice were glorified in his de-all the honour I could to thee; “I have done struction. There are some whom God hath that which is good in thy sight." raised to great power and dignity, and they will not honour God's name, they make use of their power to dishonour God,-they cast reproach upon God's name, and revile his servants: well, they who will not honour God, he will get his honour upon them in their final ruin. Herod did not give glory to God, and God did get his glory upon him, Acts xii. 23, "The angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms." 6. There is nothing lost by what we do for God; if we bring honour to his name, he will honour us. Honour is as Balak said to Balaam, Numb. xxii. 37, " Am not I able indeed to promote thee to honour?" So if we hallow and sanctify God's name, is he not able to promote us to honour? 1. He will honour us in our life. (1). He will put honour upon our persons; he will number us among his jewels, Mal. iii. 17; he will make us a royal diadem in his hand, Isa. lxii. 3; he will lift 5. It will be no small comfort to us when us up in the eyes of others, Zech. ix. 16, we come to die that we have hallowed and "They shall be as the stones of a crown liftsanctified God's name; it was Christ's com-ed up, as an ensign upon this land :" he will fort a little before his death, John xvii. 4, "I esteem us as the cream and flower of the have glorified thee on the earth." Christ's creation, Isa. xliii. 4, "Since thou wast pre 7. Such as do not hallow God's name, but profane and dishonour it, God will pour con great, and though clothed in purple and scarlet, yet they are abhorred of God, and their name shall rot. Though the name of Judas be in the Bible, and the name of Pontius Pilate be in the creed, yet their names stand there for infamy, as being traitors to the crown of heaven, Nahum i. 14, "I will make thy grave, for thou art vile." It is spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes, he was a king and his name signifies illustrious, yet God esteemed him a vile person. To show how base the wicked are in God's esteem, he compares them to things most vile; to chaff, Ps. i. 4; to dross, Ps. cxix. 119; and the filth that foams out of the sea, Isa. lvii. 20. And as God doth thus vilely esteem of such as do not hallow his name, so he sends them to a vile place at last. Vagrants are sent to the house of correction: hell is the house of correction which the wicked are sent to when they die. Let all this prevail with us to hallow and sanctify God's name. cious in my sight, thou hast been honourable." (2). God will put honour upon your names, Prov. x. 7, "The memory of the just is bless-tempt upon them; though they be ever so ed." How renowned have the saints been in all ages who have hallowed God's name? How renowned was Abraham for his faith, Moses for his meekness, David for his zeal, Paul for his love to Christ? Their names as a precious ointment, send forth a sweet perfume in God's church to this day.-2. God will honour us at our death; he will send his angels to carry us up with triumph into heaven, Luke xvi. 22, "The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Amasis king of Egypt, had his chariot drawn by four kings which he had conquered in war: but what is this to the glory every believer shall have at his death? He shall be carried by the angels of God. 3. God will put honour upon us after death: (1). He will put glory upon our bodies; we shall be as the angels, not for substance but quality; our bodies shall be agile and nimble; now our bodies are as a weight, then they shall be as a wing, moving swiftly from place to place; our bodies shall be full of clarity and brightness, like Christ's glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. The bodies of the saints shall be as cloth dyed into a scarlet colour, made more illustrious; they shall be so clear and transparent, that the soul shall sparkle through them as the wine through the glass. (2).-his incomprehensible goodness. The angels God will put glory upon our souls; if the cabinet of the body shall be so illustrious, of what orient brightness shall the jewel be? Then will be the great coronation day, when the saints shall wear the robe of immortality, and the crown of righteousness which fades not away. O how glorious will that garland be which is made of the flowers of paradise! Who then would not hallow and glorify God's name, and spread his renown in the world, who will put such immortal honour upon his people," as eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive?" QUEST. What may we do to honour and sanctify God's name? ANS. Let us get, 1st. a sound knowledge of God; 2d. a sincere love to God. 1. A sound knowledge of God; take a view of his superlative excellencies,—his holiness, know God better than we, therefore they sanctify his name, and sing hallelujahs to him. And let us labour to know him to be our God. Ps. xlviii. 14, "This God is our God." We may dread God as a judge, but we cannot honour him as a father, till we know he is our God. 2. Get a sincere love to God,-a love of appreciation, and a love of complacency to delight in him, John xxi. 15, "Lord, thou knowest I love thee." He can never honour his master who doth not love him. The reason God's name is no more hallowed is, because his name is no more loved. So much for the first petition. OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER. MATT. vi. 10. Thy kingdom come. A SOUL truly devoted to God joins heart- 3dly. God is a glorious King, Ps. xxiv. 10, ily in this petition, adveniat regnum tuum," Who is this King of glory? The Lord of "thy kingdom come;" in which words this hosts, he is the King of glory." He hath great truth is implied, that God is a king. internal glory, Ps. xciii. 1, "The Lord reignHe who hath a kingdom, can be no less than eth, he is clothed with majesty." Other a king, Ps. xlvii. 7, "God is the king of all kings have royal and sumptuous apparel to the earth." And he is a king upon his make them appear glorious to the beholders, throne, Ps. xlvii. 8, “God sitteth upon the but all their magnificence is borrowed; but throne of his holiness." 1st. He hath a re- God is clothed with majesty, his own glorious gal title, high and mighty, Isa. lvii. 15, essence is instead of royal robes, and he “Thus saith the high and lofty One." 2d. hath girded himself with strength.' Kings He hath the ensigns of royalty: his sword, have their guard about them to defend their Deut. xxxii. 41, “If I whet my glittering persons, because they are not able to defend sword." He hath his sceptre, Heb. i. 8, themselves; but God needs no guard or as"A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of sistance from others; he hath girded himthy kingdom."-3d. He hath his crown royal, self with strength. His own power is his Rev. xix. 12, "On his head were many life-guard, Ps. lxxxix. 6, "Who in the heacrowns." He hath his jura regalia,—his ven can be compared unto the Lord? Who kingly prerogatives; he hath power to make among the sons of the mighty can be li laws, to seal pardons, which are the flowers kened unto the Lord?" God hath a preand jewels belonging to his crown. Thus the eminence above all other kings for majesty, Lord is king. Rev. xix. 16, "He hath on his vesture a name written, (Rex Regum,) KING OF KINGS." He hath the highest throne, the richest crown, the largest dominions, and the longest possession, Ps. xxix. 10, “The Lord sitteth King for ever." Though God hath many heirs, yet no successors. He sets up his throne where no other king doth; he rules the will and affections; his power binds the conscience: angels serve him; all the kings of the earth hold their crowns and diadems by immediate tenure from this great King, Prov. viii. 15, "By me kings reign;" and to this Lord Jehovah all kings must give account, and from God's tribunal there is no appeal.` And, 2dly, He is a great king, Ps. xcv. 3, "A great king above all gods." He is great in, and of himself; and not like other kings, who are made great by their subjects. That he is so great a king appears, (1.) By the immenseness of his being, Jer. xxiii. 24, "Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." His centre is everywhere; he is no where included, yet no where excluded; he is so immensely great, that "the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee," 1 Kings viii. 27. (2.) His greatness appears by the effects of his power, "Who made heaven and earth," Ps. cxxiv. 8, and can unmake it. God can with a breath crumble us to dust; with a word he can unpin the world, and break the axle-tree of it in pieces; he pours contempt upon princes," Job xii. 21, "He shall cut off the spirit of princes," Ps. lxxvi. 12. He is Lord paramount, who doth whatever he will, Ps. cxv. 3, "He weigheth the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance," Isa. xl. 12. |
