It may be of interest to classify (after Westcott) the various doxologies found in the Epistles and the Apocalypse.
(1) Gal 15. To whom [our God and Father] be the glory for
ever and ever. Amen.
(2) Ro 1136. To him [the Lord] be the glory for ever.
Amen. (8) Ro 16-''. To the only wise God through Jesus Christ [to whom] be the glory for ever. Amen.
(4) Ph 4'-!'. Unto our God and Father be the glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
(5) Eph 321. Unto him [that is able to do exceedinjj abund-
antly] be the tilory, in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.
(6) 1 Ti 1". Unto the King eternal ... the only God be
honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(7) 1 Ti 616. To whom [the blessed and only Potentate
. . . ] be honour and power eternal. Amen.
(8) 2 Ti 4I8. To whom [the Lord] be the glory tor ever and
ever. Amen.
(9) He 1321. To whom [the God of peace or possibly Jesus
Christ] be the t^Iory for ever and ever. Amen.
(10) 1 P 411. To whom [God or, possibly, Jesus Christ) is
the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(11) 1 P 611. To him [God] be the dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.
(12) 2 P 318. To him [our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ] be
the glory both now and for ever. Amen.
(13) Jude25. To the only God our Saviour through Jesus
Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, dominion and power before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen.
(14) Rev 16. Unto him [that loveth us and loosed us from our
sins] be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(15) Rev 513. Unto him that sitteth on the throne and unto
the Lamb be the blessing and the honour and the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Anien.
(16) Rev 712. .4men : Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Westcott notes that all except (12) and perhaps (16) are closed by Amen. They vary greatly in detail. We may consider first the address, wliich in most cases is made to the Father, in two — (3) and (13) — through Christ, and in three to Christ— (8) (12), and (14), possibly also (9) and (10). The rich- ness and variety of the titles in St. Paul's doxolo- gies contrast with the simplicity of his ascription of ' glory.' In one instance he adds ' honour,' in another substitutes 'honour and dominion.' Enlargement of the ascription is found in Jude, and above all in the central vision of the Apocalypse when the seven- fold theme marks the highest range of praise.
It seemed best to incorporate in the foregoing the formal doxologies of this type in the Apoca- lypse, but others claim mention. In 4* the living creatures say : ' Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, tlie Almighty, whicli was and which is and which is to come. In Swete's words (ad loc): 'This ceaseless activity of Nature under tlie Hand of God is a ceaseless tribute of praise.' 'The elders also lay down their crowns of victory before the Throne with their tribute of praise (v."): ' Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to re-
ceive the glory and the honour and the power : for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will thuy were, and were created.'
It is interesting to note how much fuller is the doxology which the angels in 5'-' offer to the Lamb, adding ' riches, wisdom, strength, and blessing,' and showing how ' they recognize both the grandeur of the Lord's sacrificial act, and its inlinite merit' (Swete, (id Inc. ).
A four-fold doxology follows from all creation (no. (15) above), ' dominion ' taking the [ilace of the angels' word ' strength,' ' active power being here in view rather than a reserve of secret strength ' (Swete, ad loc).
The seven-fold doxology of the angels in 7" (no. (16) above) again follows a short doxology of the Church (v.i"): 'Salvation unto our God whicli sitteth on the throne and unto the Lamb.' But they do not include the Lamb as in 5".
2. Music. — Our study of the ideal of praise in the Apostolic Church would be incomplete without some reference to the music both vocal and instru- mental in which pious hearts desired to express it. The earliest Christian hymns were sung, nu doubt, like the psalms, but we know very little if anything about the vocal method of the Hebrews. A. Eders- heim, however, thinks that some of the music still used in the Synagogue must date back to the time when the Temple was still standing, and traces 'in the so-called Gregorian tonea ... a close approximation to the ancient hymnody of the Temple ' [The Temple, p. 81). Keferencesto musical instruments are few in number. St. Paul refers to pipes, harps, trumpets, and cymbals. The ])ipe was a cane pierced with holes for notes, or a bit of wood bored out and played like a flageolet.
The harp (KiSapa) was an instrument of seven strings akin to a lyre. St. Paul argues (1 Co 14') that, unless pipe or harp gives a distinction in the sounds, no clear thought will be conveyed to the hearer, just as a trumpet must give no uncertain sound in a call to arms. He refers also to cymbals, half-globes generally of bronze, giving out a clang- ing sound which cannot be tuned to accord with other instruments. They are symbolic of a char- acter which makes professions in words but is lacking in love, or, as Edersheim puts it, ' he com- pares the gift of " tongues " to the sign or signal by which the real music of the Tem pie was introduced ' [op. cit. p. 78). Edersheim (lb. p. 75) also draws an ' analogy between the time when these " harpers" are introduced' in the heavenly services (Rev 5' J42. S) < and the period in the Temple-service when the music began — just as the joyous drink-offering was poured out.' And again in^ev 15- ' the " harps of God " ' are sounded ' with pointed allusion ... to the Sabbath services in the Temple,' when special canticles (Dt 32, Ex 15) were sung, to which the Song of Moses and of the Lamb corresponds when sung by the Church at rest. There was a certain prejudice against the music of flutes, but they seem to have been used at Alexandria to accompany the hymns at the Agape until Clement of Alex- andria substituted harps about A.D. 190.