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And This is that which is neceffary in the first place to the hallowing or fanctifying the Name of God, viz, to think of him according to his excellent and incomparable Perfections, as he hath made himself known by their Effects, and in all those Relations wherein we ftand to him.

Where there is this Knowledge of God, that which in the fecond place is neceffary to the fanctifying of his Name is, that our Hearts fhould be difpofed and affected towards him, fuitably to that Understanding we have of his Peerless Perfections, which is to make a real Acknowledgment of them; and this confifts in Gratitude for his Benefits, in a reverent Fear of him, in loving him above all Things, in putting our whole Truft in him, and fuch like religious Affections, which his infinite Perfections, together with his Providence over us, do require. This is what the Scripture means by fanctifying the Lord God in our Hearts, 1 Pet. 3. 15. It is to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts and all our Souls, and to fear him above all Things. Great and marvellous are thy Works, Lord God Almigh ty, just and true are thy Ways, thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name, for thou only art holy? Rev. 15. 3, 4. Now where there are not thefe and the like religious Affections to-wards God, our Knowledge of his Perfecti

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ons doth but make us the more inexcufably guilty of dishonouring him, because there is fo much the more reason why we should glorify him as God, Rom. 1. 21. He that

fears the Anger of a Man more than the Juftice of God, he that is a Lover of Pleafures more than a Lover of God, 2 Tim. 3. 4. He that putteth his Truft in Riches more than he doth in God, He that lives without calling upon God, and doth not acknowledge his Dependance upon him, he doth in effect afcribe to other Things the Perfections of God, he doth what in him lies to derogate from the Majefty and Holiness of God, for he is really difpofed towards him, as if there were fome Power, and Goodness, and Wisdom, greater than God's, as if he were not the mighty Creator, the provident Governour, and juft Judge of the World.

3dly, The fanctifying of God's Name, i. e. of God himself, requires alfo the doing Honour to him by outward Worship. In that external Worship which is due to God, I mean chiefly fuch as we are to perform to him before Men, and especially in religious Affemblies, and this confifts of Invocation of God by Prayer, and offering up to him the Sacrifice of Praife and, Thanksgiving, with Acknowledgment of his infinite Perfections, and of his Providence over us, not excluding the external Reverence of Bodily Worship

Worship in the Performance of these Things. And in religious Invocation these Things are to be observed, that the Matter of our Prayers and Thanksgivings be fuch, as that God's infinite Perfections and Providence be acknowledged thereby, as when our Prayers and Thanksgivings imply him to be the great Creator of the World, the Saviour of Mankind, and to have the Supreme Difpofal of all Things; for by fuch Invocation we do plainly acknowledge his fingular Eminence and Perfections. And then again, that the Invocation it felf, abftracted from the Matter, implies our Belief of his Omniprefence; for to call upon an invisible Being every where, with Affurance that we are heard, implies, that he is every where.

The Sum of what hath been faid is this: That God's Name is to be hallowed, by acknowledging his excellent and incomparable Perfections, by thinking of him Honourably, as we ought to do, by Affections of Heart fuitable to fuch Apprehenfions, and by that outward Bodily Worship, which fignifies our Acknowledgment of his Perfections.

And this it is to hallow the Name of God, as that fignifies to fanctify GOD Himself.

I am in the second place to fhew, How the Name of God is to be hallowed, by the Ufe of those Things which are called by his Name, in Token of their peculiar Relation to Him, such as the Revenues appertaining

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to the facred Function, holy Times, holy Places, the holy Bible, Oaths, and Vows, yea, and all Perfons baptized into Chrift.

As for Revenues fet apart, whether by Gift, or by the Law of Man, for the Maintenance of God's Service and Worship, God's Name is to be hallowed and fanctified by applying them to the Maintenance of his Service; and the Contrary thereunto hath the Nature of Sacrilege, and is robbing God of his Honour. The true Reafon indeed why the Minifters of the Church do not ufe to infift upon this Matter in their Sermons and Difcourfes, and to lay the Sin of defrauding God in his Minifters home to the Confciences of People, is, because they seem to plead their own Caufe, and to lie open to this Cenfure, that they make use of God's Name to Enrich Themfelves. But to deal plainly, they who are not liable to be taxed with a Worldly Spirit upon any Other Accounts,may fpeak the plain Truth in This Matter, and may well enough let Men know, that with-holding the Dues of the Church from God's Minifters is no less than robbing of God; and if Men will fill fay, this proceeds from nothing but our own Selfishness, we cannot help that.

As to Times and Places, Natural Religi on hath every where taught Mankind, that God is to have his Peculiar in them, and H

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no wonder then if Christianity gives him both.

As for Times that are holy to God, they are to be employed in his Service, according to the Intent of their being feparated for that Purpose. Highly probable it is that the Lord's Day was fet apart for the religi ous Affemblies of Chriftians, to ferve God in the Ordinances of his Worfhip; fet apart, I fay, by the Authority of the Apostles themselves, with Defign to oblige the whole Church afterwards to the Obfervation of it; on which Day diverse ordinary Practices are to be refrained from, that may be allowed and are neceffary at other times; for which reafon the Obfervation of this Day has been guarded by Laws, fo confiderable a Part of the outward Profeffion of Chriftianity confifting in its Obfervation. And they do ill who put no Distinction at all between this and other Days, as thinking that the Obfervation of it in Diftinction from the other Six of the Week, were running into Judaifm. And they are more to blame still who think they cannot declare their Dislike of those that are indeed Jewishly precife on this Day, and as regardless all the while of Days made holy by Human Appointment and Separation, any other way, I fay, than by oppofing Profanenefs to their Superftition, by Revelling and Riot, and fuch scandalous Liberties, as are in themselves into

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