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On Prayer

Tertullian

Chapter 3

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter III.—The Second Clause.

The name of “God the Father” had been published to none

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

.

Even

Moses

,

who

had

interrogated

Him

on

that

very

point

,

had

heard

a

different

name

.

To

us

it

has

been

revealed

in

the

Son

,

for

the

Son

is

now

the

Father’s

new

name

.

“

I

am

come

,

”

saith

He

,

“

in

the

Father’s

name

;

”

and

again

,

“

Father

,

glorify

Thy

name

;

”

and

more

openly

,

“

I

have

manifested

Thy

name

to

men

.

”

That

name

,

therefore

,

we

pray

may

“

be

hallowed

.

”

Not

that

it

is

becoming

for

men

to

wish

God

well

,

as

if

there

were

any

other

by

whom

He

may

be

wished

well

,

or

as

if

He

would

suffer

unless

we

do

so

wish

.

Plainly

,

it

is

universally

becoming

for

God

to

be

blessed

in

every

place

and

time

,

on

account

of

the

memory

of

His

benefits

ever

due

from

every

man

.

But

this

petition

also

serves

the

turn

of

a

blessing

.

Otherwise

,

when

is

the

name

of

God

not

“

holy

,

”

and

“

hallowed

”

through

Himself

,

seeing

that

of

Himself

He

sanctifies

all

others

—

He

to

whom

that

surrounding

circle

of

angels

cease

not

to

say

,

“

Holy

,

holy

,

holy

?

”

In

like

wise

,

therefore

,

we

too

,

candidates

for

angelhood

,

if

we

succeed

in

deserving

it

,

begin

even

here

on

earth

to

learn

by

heart

that

strain

hereafter

to

be

raised

unto

God

,

and

the

function

of

future

glory

.

So

far

,

for

the

glory

of

God

.

On

the

other

hand

,

for

our

own

petition

,

when

we

say

,

“

Hallowed

be

Thy

name

,

”

we

pray

this

;

that

it

may

be

hallowed

in

us

who

are

in

Him

,

as

well

in

all

others

for

whom

the

grace

of

God

is

still

waiting

;

that

we

may

obey

this

precept

,

too

,

in

“

praying

for

all

,

”

even

for

our

personal

enemies

.

And

therefore

with

suspended

utterance

,

not

saying

,

“

Hallowed

be

it

in

us

,

”

we

say

,

—

“

in

all

.

”

Notes

1
Ex. iii. 13–16.
2
John v. 43.
3
John xii. 28.
4
John xvii. 6.
5
i.e., “any other god.”
6
Ps. ciii. 22.
7
Isa. vi. 3; Rev. iv. 8.
8
Isa. xxx. 18.
9
1 Tim. ii. 1.
10
Matt. v. 44.