Of fanctifying God's name,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. secretly by and for ourselves, but also with and for others ;
Eph. vi . 18. Praying always, with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, andwatchingthereunto with all perseverance, and fupplication for all faints.
Q. 9. Why is God said here to be in heaven ?
A. It is to note his sovereign power and dominion over all, as a ground-work of faith in prayer .
Q. 10. What else doth it import?
A. The great distance between God and us,which should fill our hearts with an holy awe of him ; Ecclef. v. 2 .------God is in heaven,andthouupon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Q. 11. What is the first inference from hence ?
A. It shews us, what a fad case all those are in, that have no special interest in God as a Father.
Q. 12. What is the second inference from hence?
A. It shews us what a glorious privilege the Lord Jesus Chrifthath purchased for, and settled on his people ; Heb. iv.
15, 16. For we have not an high-priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Q. 13. What is the last inference from hence ?
A. That seeing believers have a Father in heaven, they should never fear wants while they live, nor be afraid to die, since death brings them to heaven, their Father's house.
Offanctifying God's Name.
W Hat do we pray for in the first petition?
Quest. 101.
A. In the first petition, which is, [Hallowedbethyname, we pray, that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he makethhimselfknown, and that he woulddifpofe all things to his own glory.
Q. 1. Is there any word full enough, perfectly to express what God is?
A. No, his name is secret ; Judges xiii. 18. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret ? A name which none can tell ; Prov. xxx. 4.
What is his name, and what is his Son's name, if thou canst tell ? A name above every name ; Phil. ii. 9.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. But thenamebywhich he more especially manifests himself, is the name I AM
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Exod. iii. 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: And he said,Thus shalt thou fay unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Q. 2. What doth the name of God,IAM, signify to us ?
A. It signifies to us, first, The reality of his being, in opposition to idols,which are but imaginary and fantastic things;
1 Cor. viii . 4.
We know that an idol is nothing in the world, 6. God is not only the most perfect being, but the root of all other beings.
Q. 3. What elsedoththisname IAM import ?
A. It imports both the perfection and eternity of God's being.
I AM implies, he hath not that now, which he had not formerly; and that he shall not afterwards have, what he hath not now : and that there is neither beginning, end, or succession with God,whose name is I AM.
Q.4. But what are we here to understand by the nameofGod?
A. All those things are here intended,by which he manifests himself to the creature ; as his word, works, and ordinances, but especially his glorious attributes ; Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6.The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Q. 5. What is it to hallow, or sanctify his name ?
A. Not to infuse any holiness into him,which he had not before; so he fanctifies us; but to manifest and acknowledge the holiness of God ; Ifa. xxix. 23. But when he feeth his children, the work of my hands in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and fanctifythe holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel .
Q. 6. Why hallowed or sanctified, rather than glorified ?
Why that word, rather than this ?
A. Because his holiness is the beauty and luftre of his other attributes . His greatness appears in his holiness ; Ifa. xii. 6.Great is the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
So doth his power ; Luke i. 49. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. And therefore his holiness is that attribute,which angels single out especially to celebrate ; Ifa. vi.3. And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy,holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, &c.
And so do men also,as it is the cause why they should glorify him ; Exod. xv.
11.-Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, &c.
Q.7.What is the firstthingwe are to intend in this petition?
A. The meaning is, that God would so dispose and order all things in the world, as may best promote and advance the glory of his name; on which account we may pray for the
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. defeat of God's enemies ; Psalm lxxxiii. 16, 17, 18. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name,O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever ; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish; that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most High over all the earth. And the deliverance of his church and people ; Psalm lxxix. 9. Help us,O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name ; and deliver us, and purge away our fins for thy name's fake.
Q. 8. What is the second thing we are to intend in it ?
A. 'That God would fit us for, and use us in the most serviceable capacity for the glorifying of his name ; Psalm lxvii.
1, 2, 3. God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us : That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee.
Q. 9. What is the third thing intended in this petition ?
A. That God may not only glorify his own name, and use us to glorify it, but that it should be our endeavour and joy to have it glorified by others all the world over ; Psalm cxlv.
4, 5, 6. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shallspeakofthe might of thy terrible acts ; and I will declare thy greatness.
Q. 10. Why must our hearts be so intently set upon the -fanctification of God's name ?
A. Because this is the ultimate end of our own, and every other being ; Rom. xi. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things ; to whom be glory for ever, Amen.
And the particular end of God in our effectual calling ; 1 Pet. ii. 9. But ye are achofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Q. 11. What is the first inference from hence ?
A. That the dish on our of God's name must needs be a cutting affliction to a gracious soul; Psalm xlii. 10. As with a sword in my bones my enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
Q.12. What is the second inference from hence ?
A. That it is a dreadful infatuation, and spiritual judgment upon those men that think they glorify God in doing hose things which his soul hateth; Ifa. Ixvi. 5. Hear the word of