God to cause the Name to be hallowed, we profess that we are willing to exert ourselves in the use of means for that purpose. But how shall men hallow a Name of which "they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher ?"

It is a prayer that atheists may bow before the Creator; that pagans may worship the true God; that the superstitious may without terror adore the Father; that all who are living in practical ungodliness may respond to His love and revere His name. The Macedonians are said to have carried round in procession, once a year, a jewelled picture of Alexander, that the beholders might be reminded of his fame. So in this petition let us every day be reminded of the power, holiness, love, of our Father in heaven; that we ourselves may adore Him, and that others may become illustrations of the promise, "From the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my Name is great among the Gentiles."

IV. REASONS FOR OFFERING THIS PETITION.

1. The welfare of the world.--The character of a nation must be influenced by that of the God they worship, even more than by that of the men they honour. A people bestowing their chief admiration on warriors, will be warlike; on philanthropists, will be philanthropic. This will especially be the case in connection with the highest of all honours, Divine worship. Pagans have always reflected the character of their

gods by cruelty, lust, revenge. If the only true God, revealed to us as our Father in heaven, is known as He really is, in that proportion will the world which hallows His Name become righteous, pure, and merciful.

2. For the good of ourselves.--In a still greater degree this effect will be produced on those who offer the prayer. If I habitually ask that God's Name may be hallowed, His attributes of holiness and love are constantly before me, and must influence me. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." light of God by habitually praying that His Name may be hallowed, we must ourselves reflect that light. "We, reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image, from glory to glory,

even as from the Lord the Spirit."

mote happiness. There is no joy more

Living in the

This will pro

pure and pro

found than that which is produced by the revelation

of God to the soul.

"Thy Name is like ointment

poured forth." "Let them that love Thy Name be joyful in Thee." To know God as our Father is salvation. We may well wrestle in prayer "till the breaking of the day" to obtain it. A holy boldness is amply justified when we ask, "Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy Name. I will not let Thee go except Thou bless

me." We are blessed indeed when this Name is revealed by the Holy Ghost. Any place, any occasion of such manifestation we may designate Peniel, “for we have seen God face to face." Then indeed the night-shadows flee, the day breaks, and we may go on our way rejoicing as we sing:

"The Sun of Righteousness on me

Hath risen with healing in His wings;
Withered my nature's strength; from Thee
My soul its life and succour brings;
My help is all laid up above;

Thy nature and Thy Name is Love."

-.WESLEY.

"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him for ever." The glorifying and the enjoying are inseparable both now and hereafter. The more we place God first in thought and aim, the greater will be our happiness. No one ever found it in seeking it as a direct object. A resolution to be happy on any one day is almost sure to defeat its purpose. We are most happy when we lose sight of self in cherishing some lofty idea, in pursuing some worthy object, in promoting the honour, welfare, and happiness of others. There can be no higher aim in life than hallowing the Name of God. The apostles, when scourged, " rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His Name." They were thus followers of Him who was the supreme example of the prayer He taught. Amidst deep mental anguish and the anticipation of the crushing agony, He thus prayed: "What shall I say? What shall I say? Father, save

me from this hour? but for this cause

came I unto

This was His

this hour. Father, glorify Thy Name." consolation: "I have glorified Thee on the earth." Let this sublime desire possess the soul, and a thousand petty cares about ourselves will vanish. Whatever becomes of our property, health, comforts, reputation, life, only let God be glorified, let Jesus Christ be

praised, and our chief desire is fulfilled. How such a master-passion elevates the lowliest, enriches the poorest, gladdens the saddest! We shall never ask the question, "Is life worth living?" if we value life chiefly as giving opportunities to glorify God, and if at all times from the heart we pray, "Hallowed be Thy Name."

3. For the glory of God.-Earthly honours are often given to men whose great titles accentuate their own littleness. The Divine perfections infinitely transcend all our ascriptions of praise. We can never adequately "give unto God the glory due unto His Name." Why do we honour an earthly parent, a true friend, some noble character ? It is sufficient to say, "Because they deserve it." We do not think of rendering them any service or securing for ourselves any advantage. And so will every true child of God feel towards Him. Because He is all that the Name "Our Father in heaven can suggest, we pray, "Hallowed be Thy Name." Let us by the Spirit of Adoption rise to this higher level of prayer: asking God not merely to bestow some benefit, but to promote His own honour; praising Him not merely for what He gives, but for what He is. "We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty."

Thus we shall become "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," whose glory is to hallow His Name. Many of the prayers we offer now

will be unheard then. No longer shall we need to ask bread for the mortal body, or pardon for the guilty soul; but we shall never cease to desire that the Name of God may be hallowed. This is the all-comprehensive employment, the supreme consummation of bliss. Cherubim and seraphim "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." The noble army of martyrs sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb: "Great and marvellous are Thy works, O Lord God the Almighty; righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the ages; who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy Name?" The innumerable hosts of the redeemed unite with "the many angels round about the throne, saying with a great voice, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." "Hallowed be Thy Name"

is earth's response to heaven. It is a faint but true echo of the Hallelujah Chorus of the skies. By it we take our part in the liturgy of the celestial temple. "Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name; evermore praising Thee and saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; glory be to Thee, O Lord most High."