Thy name is that whereby thou art known, for names serve to distinguish and make known one thing frown another. Now, though thou art known by thy creature, yet in this our corrupt estate they serve but to make us excuse-less. (Rom. i.) Therefore properly, most lively, and comfortably thou art known by thy holy word, and especially by thy promise of grace, and freely pardoning and receding us into thy favour for Christ Jesus' sake; for which goodness in Christ thou art praised and magnified, (Psalm xlviii. cxxxviii.) according to thy name. That is, by so much as men know thee in Christ, they magnify thee, and praise thee, which here thou call hallowing or sanctifying, not that thou art the more holy in respect of thyself, but in respect of men, who, the more they know thee, the more they cannot but sanctify thee, that is, they cannot but as in themselves by true faith, love, fear, and spiritual service, honour thee; so also, in their outward behaviour and words, they cannot but live in such sort, as others, seeing them, may in and by their holiness and godly conversation be occasioned to know thee, and to sanctify thy name accordingly. And therefore thou set forth here unto me what is the chief and principal wish and desire of thy children and people, namely, that thou in Christ might be truly known and honoured, both of themselves and of others, inwardly and outwardly. By reason whereof a man may easily perceive that the greatest sorrow and grief thy people have, is ignorance of thee, false service or religion, and wicked conversation: against which they pray and labour diligently after their vocations, as they, for the obtaining of the others, both to others and themselves, take no small pains in prayer, study, and godly exercise. By reason hereof I see that I am far from this desire and lamentation, which is in thy children: I see my ignorance of the true knowledge of thee and thy name; for else it had not needed that thou by thy word should have so revealed thyself. I see also my ignorance of the excellency of the same; for else would thou not have told me, that the sanctifying of thy name is the chief thing thou require of every man. Again, I see me real want of holiness; for else thou need not to teach me to seek and pray for that I want not. Moreover, I see my great perverseness, which would not seek at thy hands for sanctification, although I see my need thereof: for else thou wouldst not have commanded me to pray for it, if I, seeing my want, would have prayed unto thee therefore. Last of all, I see thy wonderful goodness, who wilt undoubtedly give unto me sanctification and holiness; for thou wouldst not that I should ask for that thing which thou wilt not give me; so that I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament because I am so far from this desire and lamentation which thy children have; also because of my ignorance, poverty, perversity, unthankfulness, &c., but most of all, because thy holy name, word, and religion, is so blasphemed, both in doctrine and living, by many, especially in this realm. To rejoice, I have great cause, for thy exceeding goodness and mercy, who wouldst so disclose thyself by thy works, words, and gospel, who wouldst open these things thus unto me, and also give unto me and unto others sanctification in thy sight by faith, and also in the sight of men by pureness of life and godly conversation.
But, alas! I heartily do neither the one nor the other, that is, lament and rejoice, as thou, Father, who searches my heart, right well dost know. Oh! be merciful unto me, and forgive me, yea, give me of thine own pity, thy Holy Spirit to reveal and open to my mind effectually my miserable estate and condition; my ignorance, perversity, and my carelessness, for thy true honour and dishonour; in such sort, that I may heartily lament these evils, and have them pardoned and taken from me through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again, good Father, give me the same Holy Spirit to reveal to me thy name, word, and gospel, that I may lively know thee, unfeignedly love thee, heartily obey thee, and, above all things, desire and labour, by all lawful means, that all godliness in doctrine and conversation may be exercised both in me and in all others, for whom thou would I should pray.
(Here think upon the state of religion, and the life of the professors of the gospel, that you may lament for some, pray for some, and give thanks for some.)
