Hallow God’s name

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson.  This week’s selection is taken from The Lord’s Prayer, “The First Petition in the Lord’s Prayer.”

When may we be said to hallow and sanctify God’s name?

[1] When we profess his name.…

[2] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we have a high appreciation and esteem of him, and set him highest in our thoughts. The Hebrew word to honour, signifies to esteem precious: we conceive of God in our minds as the most superexcellent and infinite good; we see in him a constellation of all beauties and delights; we adore him in his glorious attributes…; we adore him in his words, which are bound up in three great volumes — creation, redemption, and providence.…

[3] We hallow and sanctify his name when we trust in it. ‘We have trusted in his holy name.’ Psa 33:21. No way can we bring more revenues of honour to God, or make his crown shine brighter, than by confiding in him.…Rom. 4:20…

[4] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we never make mention of it but with the highest reverence. His name is sacred, and it must not be spoken of but with veneration. When the Scripture speaks of God, it gives him his titles of honour. ‘Blessed be the most high God.’ Gen. 14:20. ‘Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all praise.’ Neh. 9:5.…

[5] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we love his name. ‘Let them that love thy name be joyful.’ Psa 5:11. The love which honours God’s name must be special and discriminating love — the cream and flower of our love; such as we give to none besides; as the wife honours her husband by giving him such love as she gives to none else — a conjugal love. Thus we hallow God’s name by giving him such love as we give to none else — a love joined with worship. ‘He is thy Lord; and worship thou him.’ Psa 45:11.

[6] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we give him a holy and special worship.…Lev. 10:3…Rom. 12:11…To give God outside worship, and not the devotion of the heart, instead of hallowing and sanctifying him in an ordinance, is to abuse him; as if one calls for wine and you give him an empty glass.…

[7] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we hallow his day.…

[8] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we ascribe the honour of all we do to him. ‘Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.’ Psa 96:8.…This is hallowing God’s name, when we transfer all honour from ourselves to God. ‘Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.’ Psa 115:1.…

[9] We hallow and sanctify God’s name by obeying him. How does a son more honour his father than by obedience. ‘I delight to do thy will, O my God.’ Psa. 40:8. The wise men showed honour to Christ, not only by bowing the knee to him, but by presenting him with gold and myrrh. Matt 2:11. We hallow God’s name, not only by lifting up our eyes and hands to heaven and bowing the knee in prayer, but by presenting him with golden obedience.…

[10] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we lift up his name in our praises.…Psa 71:8…Rev 5:13…Psa 50:23…Psa 144:5, 6…Psa 111:1…Psa. 66:17…Especially is it a high degree of hallowing God’s name when we can speak well of him and bless him in an afflicted state. ‘The Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ Job 1:21. Many will bless God when he gives, but to bless him when he takes away, is in a high degree to honour him and hallow his name. Let us thus magnify God’s name. Has he not given us an abundant matter for praising him? He has given us grace, a mercy spun and woven out of his bowels; and he intends to crown grace with glory. This should make us hallow his name by being trumpets for his praise.

[11] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we sympathize with him; when we grieve when his name suffers.…Exod 32:19…Neh 2:2…

[12] We hallow and sanctify God’s name when we give the same honour to God the Son that we give to God the Father. ‘That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.’ John 5:23.…Heb 1:3…Col 2:9…Matt 28:20…

[13] We hallow God’s name by standing up for his truths.…When we are zealous advocates for his truths, it is an honour done to his name.…We are bid to contend earnestly, to strive as in an agony for the faith, that is the doctrine of faith. Jude 3. This contending for the truth, brings great revenues to heaven’s exchequer; and hallows God’s name.…

[14] We hallow and sanctify God’s name by making as many proselytes as we can to him; when, by all holy expedients, counsel, prayer, example, we endeavour the salvation of others.…

[15] We hallow God’s name when we prefer the honour of his name before the dearest things. (1) When we prefer the honour of God’s name before our own credit.…Psa 69:7…(2) When we prefer the honour of God’s name before our worldly profit and interest.…Matt 19:27.…(3) When we prefer the honour of God’s name before our own life.…Rom 8:36.…

[16] We hallow and sanctify God’s name by a holy conversation.…1 Pet 2:9..…by our holy and Bible conversation we honour God’s name. A holy life speaks louder than all the anthems and praises in the world.