<= Rom. xvi. 27. 1 Pet. v. 11. Judc, ver. 24, 25. '' Eph. iii. 14, 20, 21. e Pg. cxlv. 10.
f Ps. cvii. 1, 2. cxlv. 1, 2. and cxlvi. 1, 2. g Ps. cxlvii. 1. Ji Rev. v. 1.3.
1318.] THE lord's prayer. 205
Nor is there a small emphasis to be laid on the word with which the prayer concludes. " Amen," when annexed to praise and thanksgiving, denotes the full concurrence of the soul in all that has been uttered. In the fourth century, it was cus- tomary for the whole Church to utter this word aloud, in order to express their cordial assent to every thing that had been spoken ; and at times, as St. Jerome tells us, the sound was like thunder '. As far as respects their earnestness, we approve of their custom : but we think that true devotion would be less clamorous : and we far prefer that mode adopted by the Church in the days of Nehemiah, when the earnestness was equally, but inore suitably, expressed ; being chastened and tempered with ardent affection and reverential awe"^ ]
But we have observed that the words of our text may be also interpreted, II. As an humble plea —
Pleading with God is the very essence and perfec- tion of prayer —
[In all the more solemn addresses to the Deity recorded in the Scriptures, pleading bears a very conspicuous part. We must not however imagine that such a mode of prayer was adopted with a view to prevail upon God to grant what he was otherwise averse to give : we mistake the nature of prayer altogether, if we think that it has any such power, or is to be used for any such end. Prayer is rather intended to impress our own minds with a sense of our manifold necessities, and of our dependence upon God for a supply of them ; and thus to prepare our souls for a grateful reception of the Divine favours : and consequently, the more urgent our prayers are, the more will these ends be answered ; and God will be the more glorified by us, when he has imparted to us the desired benefits. It was with such views that Moses ', Jehoshaphat'", Hezekiah", and all the saints of old, presented their petitions, enforced and strengthened with the most urgent pleas °. And it is impossible to feel our need of mercy, without following their example in this particular.]
As a plea, this part of the prayer admirably enforces every petition in it —
[Great are the things which we have asked in it: and utterly unworthy are we to offer such petitions at the throne of grace: but God is a mighty Sovereign, who "may do what
' " In Ecclesiis urbis Romas quasi tonitru coeleste audimus popu- lum reboantem Amen." Praef. in Epist, ad Galat.
5^ Neh. viii. 6, i Exod. xxxii. 11—13.
"' 2 Chron. xx. 5—12. " Isai. xxxvii. 15 — 20.
" Isai. li. 9, 10. aiul Ixiii. 15 — 19. and /)a;i/c?(7«?-/?/ Jer.xiv. 21,22.