ral letters of his name, and makes them fhine in glory. Wherein lies the glory of God's wisdom, power, mercy, &c.? Why? it is in this, that his infinite wif dom is holy wifdom, his infinite power is holy power, &c. It is observed, that above thirty times in fcripture God is called The holy One. And when the angels would pick out an attribute to glorify God most by, it is that of his holiness, Jf. vi. 3.

2. Because it is the manifefting of his holiness, in the communicating of it to the creature, that brings in the greatest revenue of glory from the creature to God. The truth is, none are fit to glorify him but those who are holy, 1 Pet. ii. 9. God ftamps the image of his power and fovereign dominion upon one man, and fets him upon a throne; hence is the phrafe, Te are gods. He ftamps the image of his holinefs on another, and fets him on a dunghill. I fay, God's name is more glorified by the holy poor man, than by the unholy monarch. The unholy man may glorify God paffively, but the holy glorifies him actively. And in no other way can God be actively glorified, but by the creature's firft receiving a stamp and impreffion of his holinefs on the heart.

IV. I proceed to fhew what is the import of this petition. To clear this, confider that God's name is hallowed two ways.

1. By himself, manifefting the glory of his own holy name. And this he doth in all the discoveries which he makes of himself to his creatures.

2. By his creatures, they contributing to his glory, by fhewing forth his praife, and declaring the glory of his name. So we pray in this petition,

It, That God would by his over-ruling providence hallow his own name, and glorify himself, John xii. 28. The fins of men and devils are oppofite to the honour of his name; the children of God in this pe tition put it in his own hands to caufe it fhine forth

notwithstanding, to difpofe all things to his glory. Which may be taken up in three things.

(1.) That he would make the honour of his name to break through all impediments in the way of it, laid by men or devils, Pfal. lxxix. 9. Help us, O God of our falvation, for the glory of thy name, fays the church; that he would drive his triumphal chariot over all the oppofition made to it in the world, and appear unto men in his majesty and glory.

J

(2.) That he would make the honour of his name break forth from thefe impediments themfeives, over-, ruling the difhonour done to his name, to his honour, fo bringing meat out of the eater, and sweetness out of the ftrong. This he will do, Pfal. Ixxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man fhall praise thee. And this his people pray for, Pfal. lxxxiii. 17. 18. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever, yea, let them be put to fhame and perish that men may know, that thou, whofe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moft High over all the earth.

:

(3.) That God would remove all these impediments, and fhove off all the rubbish which the fins of men and devils have caft upon the honour of his name, that it may fhine forth for ever without let or hinderance. And fo it looks as far as the accomplishment of that paffage, Rev. xx. 14. And death and hell were caft into the lake of fire.

2dly, That God would by his powerful grace caufe the fons of men, ourfelves and others, to glorify him and hallow his name: q. d. Let thy name be hallowed by us. This fuppofes,

(1) That it is our duty to glorify God, 1 Cor. x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. It is our main duty, and the chief work we have to do in the world. And whofo neglect it, are ufelefs in the world; for their main work is neglected. They anfwer not the end of their creation. (2.) That we cannot of ourfelves do it, 2 Cor. iii. 5. We are not fufficient of ourselves to think, any thing as of ourselves; but our fufficiency is of God. We are

weak and p

verfe and felles, and fo unfit for it; we are per

verfe and felt fh, and fo unwilling to it. Our ftrength for it is in God himself.

(3.) That God can fit and difpofe us for it, Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things, fays the apoftle, through Chrift which frengtheneth me. Grace can make us both able and willing. There is no perfon in any ftation whatsoever, but free grace can make of them happy inftruments for honouring of his name: which fhould be a powerful motive to induce us to pray fervently for it, otherwife we will never actively glorify

him.

Therefore we pray here, that grace may be bestow. ed on ourselves and others, whereby we and they may glorify him, which is the leading duty we have to mind in this world; and that,

[1] Internally, by knowing, acknowledging, and highly efteeming him, his names, titles, attributes, ordinances, words, and works, and fo ever thing whereby he makes himself known, Pfal. lxxvii. 2. 3. This is to hallow that name in our hearts.

[2] Externally, in our words and actions, fpeaking and living to his praife, Phil. i. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Chrift, unto the glory and praife of God.

V. Why is this the firft petition put by our Saviour in our mouths? The reafon is, becaufe the glory of God, or honour of his name, is the chief, end of our being, and of all others. And therefore it fhould lie nearest our hearts, Rom. xi. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things. To whom be glo ry for ever. God's glory is his own end in all his works, and it ought to be ours. We can no other way approve ourselves to him. su svom cu bre

I fhall conclude with fome inferences."

4

Inf. 1. The difhonour done to God, by one's own fin and the fins of others, muft needs go near the heart of a faint, Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I

finned, fays David, and done this evil in thy fight. And again, Pfal. cxix. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes; because they keep not thy law. And to be grieved for our own lofs by fins, and not for the difhonour done to God thereby; and to be unconcerned at the dif honour of God in the world by others, does not look like the difpofition of a child of the family of hea

ven.

2. Habitual profaners of that holy name are none of the children of God, whofe main care is to get that name hallowed. And how many fuch profaners of the facred name of God are to be found in our day! They are fo far from making confcience of hal lowing that dreadful and fearful name, that they are daily employed in difhonouring it by the moft horrid oaths and imprecations, and pouring upon it all the contempt they can, in open violation of the third commandment. How many do profane it by Atheifin, Sabbath-breaking, uncleannefs, perjury, intemperance, injuftice, oppreflion, lying, ftealing, backbiting, and other grofs abominations, as if they had fold them. felves to commit open hoftilities against the King of heaven, and run defperately upon the thick boffes of his buckler! They wear the devil's mark on their foreheads, and openly declare to the world, that they are none of God's children.

3. Holiness is the creature's glory, and its greatest glory, for it is God's glory; and therefore unholiness is its difgrace and difhonour. Ah! unholy finners, ye have loft your glory; fin has difgraced you, and made you contemptible to God and all his holy family. O feek to be fanctified by the Holy Spirit of Chrift, that fo ye may recover your forfeited glory," and no more lie under difgrace. It is only the faints that are the moft excellent in the earth. Seek ye to be like them, by having the image of God drawn on your hearts, and walking holily as God is holy.

4. It is not the language of a child of God to fay, Am I my brother's keeper? as wicked Cain did: What

is my bufinefs, how fuch an one live or die? Why truly, if thou belongeft to God, it will be matter of thy hearty concern and prayer, that God may be honoured by others as well as by thyfelf. Without this concern a man cannot be a Chriftian; he is not a child of God; for every true believer ardently wishes and prays that God may be glorified; and as far as his power, authority, influence, and example can reach, he will ufe his utmoft endeavours to induce others to glorify the name of his God. Were it in his power, he would leave no means uneffayed to engage the whole world in this delightful work, that Jongs might be heard from the uttermoft parts of the earth, even glory to the righteous.

5. It is the difpofition of a child of God, to fubmit his lot and condition in the world, to the Lord, to be cut and carved as may ferve his glory. Without this one cannot be a child of God. For it is infeparable from the character of fuch an one, in whatever state he is, therewith to be content. Hence the apoftle Paul could fay, As alway, fo now alfo, Chrift shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death, Phil. i. 20.

6. It is the duty of all men to fanctify the holy name of God, to reverence, adore, and honour it in their hearts, lips, and lives.. O let us then be excited to the practice of this duty, confidering that it is the end for which God gave us a being; that if we do not hallow it, we contradict this very petition, praying for a thing we have no mind to comply with; that if we live in the neglect of this duty, God will get honour to himfelf by inflicting heavy judgements upon us in this life, and by making us eternal monuments of his vengeance in the next; that when we come to encounter with the king of terrors, it will tend to fweeten the awful, profpect, that we have made it our bufinefs to glorify the name of God; that we will lofe nothing, but be great gainers, by honouring the name of the Lord; for