The Forty-seventh Lord’s Day

47 The Forty-seventh Lord’s Day 
On the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer
Hallowed by thy Name.
All the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are very short, and yet they are such as contain all things that are to be sought for in their own way, and in a most convenient order. For the first four Petitions concern obtaining good; and the last two the removing of evil. Among the former, those which nearest concern the glory of God have the first place. And first of all, the glory of God itself is sought and prayed for in the first petition, where by the name of God, God himself is understood, and those things which most intimately belong to him, in as much as he has revealed himself to the creatures. By sanctifying this name then is understood the manifestation of God’s glory, as most becomes his most holy majesty.
Doctrine 1. All prayers that we offer to God are to be followed with great zeal and affection.
This is hence gathered, because all these petitions are so short, yet pithy and comprehensive; so that it may appear from this, that the power of prayer does not consist so much in a multitude of words, and empty or vain repetitions or babblings, as it does in the fervent and well-composed desires of the heart.
Reason 1 . Because the abundance of the heart is here chiefly regarded, according to which only the mouth ought to speak.1 And the abundance of the heart consists in such desires with zeal and fervour, or heat of affections.
Reason 2 . Because God knows what we stand in need of, so that a long and artificial or skilful expounding of things to God is not necessary, nor does it at all profit further than it proceeds from an overflowing abundance of the heart.
Use . Of Reproof: against such babblings; they are expressly condemned by Christ our Lord himself,2 and yet they are wilfully and professedly used by Papists, and others also; this is done out of a lukewarm formality, in as much as they use a form of praying, but deny the power of it.3
Doctrine 2. Those things which most concern the glory of God’s name, are to be in first place, and sought after with greatest affection. 
This is gathered from the order of the petitions. 
Reason 1. Because in the order of intention, and of a well-ordered desire, the end is first to be desired. And the glory of God is the end of all. 
Reason 2. That which is first in worth ought to be put before all other things. And the glory of God has infinite excellence and worth beyond all other things.
Reason 3 . Because this is one difference between true and sincere prayer, and that which is hypocritical and vain. Hypocrites then, only seek after God when, by their own private and proper necessities, they are constrained to it, and do not seek after him first, and for himself. But the godly call upon God for the esteem that they have for him especially; although even then they also seek with him, their own happiness in him, and in him alone, because this is most of all to glorify God in that manner which he himself has prescribed.
1 Matthew 12:34. 
2 Matthew 6:7. 
3 2 Timothy 3:5.
Use . Of Exhortation: that by all means, we stir up in ourselves this fervent desire towards the glory of God’s name, not only beyond and above all profits and pleasures of this life, but also above our life itself, both in this world and in the world to come — if it were possible that we could desire God’s glory separately from our own salvation and glorification in Heaven.
Doctrine 3. Our hallowing, or sanctifying and glorifying of God’s name, depends upon his own free gift and bounty. 
For here we are taught to seek and pray for it from him.
Reason 1 . Because no mortal creature of itself knows how God’s name is to be sanctified; nor does any creature by that illumination which he has, so understand it that he does not still stand in need more and more, and from time to time, to be taught this by God.
Reason 2 . Because when we understand how God’s name ought to be sanctified by us, yet the direction, leading, and grace of the Spirit of God is necessary to perform that which we know belongs to our duty.
Reason 3. Because there are many things outside us that belong to sanctifying God’s name, that cannot be effected by us in any way, except by the special and powerful working of God himself. Use. Of Information: that by this we may understand that all the duties that we perform to God, are God’s own gifts. For nothing can be offered to God by us for sanctifying his name, unless that were first freely given to us by God. And thus God is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,1 in all that spiritual communion which we have with him. First he forgives us our sins; then he gives us the grace both to will and to do that which is good and well-pleasing in his sight; and lastly, all these — his own gifts — he crowns in us, both with grace to the end, and glory in the end.
Doctrine 4. It is a great benefit of God to us when we see his name hallowed or glorified. For here we seek this first, as our principal desire and benefit, that the name of God may be hallowed.
Reason 1. Because this hallowing of God’s name always turns to the profit and building up of the children of God, who in some way are made partakers of his glory. 
Reason 2. Because all those who love God above all other things, are made possessors of their chief desire, when they see the name of God being hallowed and glorified.
Reason 3 . Because God often grants us this honour, to be made in some way instruments of hallowing and glorifying his name; and this ought to be acknowledged as a great honour and benefit.
Use. Of Reproof: against the base and earthly minds of men that are more taken with a little profit of the things of this world, than with the glorious hallowing of the name of God. Doctrine 5. It ought to be our greatest grief, if the name of God is profaned or blasphemed. 
1 Revelation 1:8. For this is what is directly contrary to this first and great petition, and the greatest heart’s desire of all the godly [is that it be hallowed].
Reason 1. Because God’s majesty ought to be most dear to us.
Reason 2. Because those who commit such a sin are most wretched, and therefore much to be pitied for the miserable blindness and perverseness in which they lie.
Reason 3. Because great scandal is given to others.
Reason 4 . Because by this means God’s judgments are in a singular way provoked and procured, for God will always have his glory, whether we will or not;1 either from us freely or upon us fiercely; either the glory of his mercy from us, or the glory of his justice and wrath upon us.
Use . Of Direction: how we ought to be affected when the name of God is profaned or blasphemed. If it is done by others, we ought to grieve at the thing, and to mend it, as far as it lies in us to do so. But if it is done by ourselves, or we give occasion for it — that is, for a life led altogether unworthy of and unsuitable to the glorious God that we profess to serve — then we ought as it were, to repair2 God of his honour by our humiliation and repentance for such misdoings, and by zealously glorifying him afterwards, just as we had offended and dishonoured him before.
1 Original wording, “will we, nill we;” 
2 To restore, make amends, or set right.