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THus much of the preface: now follow the petitions. They be six in number: the three first, con∣cerne God, and his glorie: the o∣ther three concern our selues. The three former petitions, are againe deuided into two partes: the firste concernes Gods glorie it selfe, the other two, the meanes, whereby Gods glory is manifested, and in∣larged
among men. For God his name is glorified among men, whē his kingdome doth come, and his will is done.
Question. Why is this petition, Hallowed be thy name, set in the first place? Answere. Because Gods glo∣ry must bee preferred before all thinges: because it is the end of all creatures, and of all the counsels of God. Prou. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all thinges for his owne sake; yea, euen the vvicked for the day of euill. And from the order of the petiti∣ons heere ariseth a worthy instru∣ction; namely, that euery one in all thinges they take in hande, are to propound to themselues, and to intend the glory of God. The rea∣son is this. The end which God hath appointed to all our doings, we are to propound to our selues: but God hath appointed that the highest end of all our doings shuld be his glorie: therfore, our hearts
must be set to seeke it first of all. That God will haue his name glo∣rified by vs, appeareth in this; that he punisheth those which of obsti∣nacie, set themselues to dishonour him, or by negligence did not san∣ctifie him, when they should haue done so. Herod sitting in his roy∣altie, made such an oration that the people cried, the voice of a God and not of a man: and imme∣diatly the Angel of the lord smote him, because he gaue not the glory to God. Act. 12. 23. And Moses be∣cause he did not sanctifie the Lord in the presence of the children of Israel, therefore, he came not into the land of promise; yet he did but faile in doing of it. Thus wee may see by these punishments, and also by the order of the petitions, that it is our duties to prefer the glory of God before all things else.
Quest. Whether are we to prefer the glory of God before the salua¦tion
of our soules? Answer. If the case stand thus, that Gods name must be dishonoured, or our soules condemned: we must account the glory of God more pretious than the saluation of our soules. This is manifest in the order of the petiti∣ons. The petition that concernes Gods glory is first, and the petiti∣ons that concerne directly our sal∣uation are the fift and sixt. Where by we are taught, that before God should want any part of his glory, we are to let soule and all go, and let God haue all his glory. This af∣fection had Moses. Exod. 32. 32. When he said, Either forgiue them, or if thou vvilt not, blot my name out of thy booke.
In this petition, as also in the rest, we must obserue three things; the first is; the mening of the words the second, the wants which men must learn to bewail, the third, the graces of god, that ar to be desired