first, present acceptance, secondly, future assistance, and thirdly, everlasting happiness. First, "Those things which we do at this present," our confession, absolution, prayers, praises, thanksgivings, and all the services we perform in the house of God, will be well pleasing in his sight. Secondly, Our lives hereafter, directed by the guidance of his holy Spirit, will be pure from their former sins, and virtuous and holy. And thirdly, At the last we shall receive the reward of our faith and obedience, "his eternal joy" through the merits of our blessed Redeemer; who by his precious death has purchased for us pardon and absolution from all our sins; is now a prevailing Intercessor with the Father for the blessings we implore; and will, at his return to judge the world, receive us into those heavenly mansions, which he is gone before to prepare for every true penitent and sincere believer. Shepherd.

• The people shall answer here, and at the end of all other prayers, Amen.] The word here injoined to be used is originally Hebrew, and signifies the same in English as "So be it." But the word itself has been retained in all languages, to express the assent of the person, that pronounces it, to that to which he returns it as an answer. As it is used in the Common Prayer, it bears different significations according to the different forms, to which it is annexed. At the end of prayers and collects, it is addressed to God, and signifies, "So be it, O Lord, as in our prayers we have expressed:" but at the end of exhortations, absolutions, and creeds, it is addressed to the priest; and then the meaning of it is, either," So be it, this is our sense and meaning;" or "So be it, we entirely assent to and approve of what has been said." Wheatly.

This was the practice of the Jewish church: it was also that of the Christian in the apostles' days. "How shall he, that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?" 1 Cor. xiv. 16: and the subsequent ecclesiastical writers shew, that it used to be pronounced audibly and fervently; each expressing his own faith or desire, and animating that of his fellow-worshippers. We should therefore by no means neglect to give this proof, amongst others, that we, not only hear the service with attention, but join in it with earnestness. Abp. Secker.

Still it is not barely putting " Amen" to the Confession and Absolution, that can prove us either true penitents, or truly pardoned. Our hearts and lives must be in a growing state of conformity to the will of God, before we can draw any just and favourable conclusions respecting our own safety. For the Lord hath clearly revealed it, and our Church invariably speaks the same language, that none will be admitted at the last to his eternal joy, but such as have confessed and forsaken their sins, and fled for refuge and pardon to the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. And the more lively sense we have of

the riches of his grace, the more holy shall we be in all manner of conversation. Rogers.

In our present Common Prayer Book it is observable, that the Amen is sometimes printed in one character, and sometimes in another. The reason of which I take to be this; at the end of all the collects and prayers, which the priest is to repeat or say alone, it is printed in Italick, a different character from the prayers themselves, to denote, I suppose, that the minister is to stop at the end of the prayer, and to leave the Amen for the people to respond: but at the Lord's prayer, confessions, creeds, &c, and wheresoever the people are to join aloud with the minister, as if taught and instructed by him what to say, there it is printed in the same character with the confessions and creeds themselves, as a hint to the minister that he is still to go on, and by pronouncing the Amen himself, to direct the people to do the same, and so to set their seal at last to what they had been before pronouncing.

By the people's being directed by this rubrick "to answer Amen at the end of the prayers," they might easily perceive, that they are expected to be silent in the prayers themselves, and to go along with the minister in their minds. For the minister is the appointed intercessor for the people, and consequently it is his office to offer up their prayers and praises in their behalf: insomuch that the people have nothing more to do, than to attend to what he says, and to declare their assent by an Amen at last, without disturbing those that are near them by muttering over the collects in a confused manner, as is practised by too many in most congregations, contrary to common sense as well as decency and good manners. Wheatly.

P Then the minister shall kneel, and say the Lord's Prayer.] Hitherto we have been preparing ourselves to pray, and now we begin with prayer, properly so called, namely, the Lord's Prayer; which, being made by Jesus, and indited by his Spirit, deserved to stand in the first place, but that we were not fit to call God " Our Father" till we had repented of our sins against him: and, being thus prepared, we dare not omit it, because we are sure our Lord intended it, not only for a pattern to make other prayers by, when he said " After this manner pray ye," Matt. vi. 9; but as a form to be used in so many words: because, when he delivered it the second time, he says expressly, "When ye pray, say, Our Father," Luke xi. 1. Therefore St. Jerome saith, "It is recited in the Liturgy by our Lord's tradition:" St. Cyprian also, and divers other ancients, call it, "the daily prayer:" and all the primitive Liturgies have it in every one of their services; so that St. Augustin tells us, "in the Church of God it is daily used at the altar;" yea, the whole congregation joined in repeating it, as our rubrick requires now; for that father adds, "if any of you do not say this prayer, though you be present in body, you are out of the church."

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And, if we consider the style of it, we shall be convinced, that its divine Author intended it chiefly for public assemblies, it being, as St. Cyprian speaks, a common prayer," and all its expressions so general, "Our Father, &c," "our daily bread, &c," that every man prays for others as well as himself, and exercises his charity, as well as his devotion. The phrases and particular sentences of it are all taken out of those forms, which were in use among the Jews in our Saviour's time, to shew that he liked not unnecessary novelty in prayer; but the whole composure is truly wonderful, being so short, that the ineanest may learn it; so plain, that the most ignorant may understand it; and yet so full, that it comprehends all our wants, and intimates all our duty; shewing not only what is fit to be asked, but what manner of persons we that ask ought to be; whence Tertullian calls it, "the epitome of the Gospel:" as containing, our persuasion of God's love, our desire of his honour, our subjection to his authority, our submission to his will, and our dependence on his providence; our need of his mercy to pardon former offences, and of his grace to keep us from future sin, and of both, to deliver us from the punishment due unto them all; concluding with acts of faith and praise, and adoration. And being drawn up by our glorious Advocate, who knew his Father's treasures as well as our wants, it is certainly the most complete in itself, the most acceptable to God, and the most useful to us, of any form in the world; for which cause it ought to be united to all our offices, to make up their defects, and recommend them to our heavenly Father who cannot deny us, when we speak the very same words which his dear Son hath put in our mouths, if we use them with understanding and devotion. Dean Comber.

The church of Christ did use to begin and end her services with the Lord's Prayer. This being the foundation, upon which all other prayers should be built, therefore, saith Tertullian, we begin with it; that so the right foundation being laid, we may justly proceed to our ensuing requests. And it being the perfection of all prayer, therefore, saith St. Augustin, we conclude our prayers with it. Let no man therefore quarrel with the Church's frequent use of the Lord's Prayer: for the Church catholick ever did the same. Besides, as St. Cyprian observes, if we hope to have our prayers accepted of the Father only for his Son's sake, why should we not hope to have them most speedily accepted, when they are offered up in his Son's own words? Bp. Sparrow, Dr. Hole.

: What part of the world soever we fall into, if Christian religion have been there received, the ordinary use of this very Prayer hath with equal continuance accompanied the same, as one of the principal and most material duties of honour done to Jesus Christ. Though men should speak with the tongues of angels, yet words so pleasing to the ears of God, as those which the Son of God himself hath composed, were not possible for men to frame. He therefore, which made us to live, hath also taught us to pray, to the end that, speaking unto the Father in his

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As

Son's own prescript form, we may be sure that we utter nothing which God will either disallow or deny. Hooker.

In conformity with the foregoing sentiments, it may be observed here once for all, that the Lord's Prayer may be placed at the beginning, or at the close, of any office or part of worship, with great propriety and advantage. For, when we begin with it, as after the Creed and in the Communion service, it, being perfect in its comprehension, presents to us at once all that we are about to pray for in the following petitions. Besides, having proceeded from the sacred lips of our Lord God, it hallows and consecrates all our other prayers, which must all grow out of this. On the other hand, when we close with it, as after the Litany, it being a summary recollection of all our foregoing requests, if we have through infirmity or negligence been wandering in the larger forms, we may now double our earnestness in this divine compendium. Accordingly the Church hath always shewn that deference to this Prayer, that she hath inserted it in every distinct office of the whole Liturgy: to this end, that by its perfection she might supply the defects, and atone for the infirmities, of her own composures. And it being added in this place after the Confession and Absolution, makes the whole, as it were, a short distinct office, which is now followed by one of another kind'; namely, that of thanksgiving. What has been done hitherto has been penitential: it now opens into eucharistical. Dr. Bisse.

The service began with the Lord's Prayer in the first book of King Edward the Sixth. But our Reformers at the review of it, in 1551, added the Sentences, Exhortation, Confession, and Absolution, as judging it perhaps not so becoming in us to call God "Our Father," before we have repented of our disobedience against him, and asked pardon for our sins. Wheatly, Dr. Bisse. But it is a very proper time to address God in that form which our Saviour taught his disciples, when we have approved ourselves his real disciples by repentance of sins, and faith in the Gospel-offers of mercy. Abp. Secker. Most justly therefore has our Church injoined the use of it in this and other places, as the badge of our discipleship. Most justly also doth she injoin the people at all times to repeat it together with the minister: for by so doing they declare themselves our Lord's disciples, imitating at the same time the ancient practice, when the whole congregation vocally pronounced it all together.. Dr. Bennet.

Confession of sin, strengthened by absolution, thus appearing to be the main ground of publick worship, upon which the acceptableness of the following service regularly depends; this should be one among many reasons for inducing us to give all diligence to come to church before the Confession; otherwise we lose the great benefit of absolution. For though there be other short confessions of sin, as in the Litany, yet there is appointed no other Absolution. Dr. Bisse.

It is a matter of just lamentation, that many, who profess to attend religious worship, come into church so

late after the beginning of divine service, as not only to lose the opportunity of joining in these preparations themselves, but frequently to disturb and incommode those who have already engaged in them. Rogers.

It has by some been thought, that the people are not to repeat the Lord's Prayer with the minister in the Communion office. But the words, "both here, and wheresoever else it is used in divine service," added to the rubrick at the last review, contain a plain general direction, which a thousand repetitions could not have made more express. Shepherd.

-with an audible voice;] The Lord's Prayer is ordered to be said by the minister "with an audible," or, as in the former rubrick, "with a loud voice," chiefly, it seems, as a corrective of the practice of the Church of Rome, by which it is appointed to be said secretly or mentally. Another reason is, that ignorant persons might the sooner learn it: and that all the congregation might the better hear and join with the minister in that most excellent part of divine worship. Dr. Bisse, L'Estrange.

Till the last review there was no such direction: it having been the custom till then, for the minister to say the Lord's Prayer alone, in most of the offices, and for the people only to answer at the end of it, by way of response, "Deliver us from evil." And the better to prepare and give them notice of what they were to do, the minister was to elevate and raise his voice, when he came to the petition, "Lead us not into temptation," just as it is done still in the Roman Church; where the priest always pronounces the conclusion of every prayer with a voice louder than ordinary, that the people may know when to join their Amen. Wheatly.

It was however an ancient custom of the Church for the Lord's Prayer to be repeated with a loud voice. Dr. Nicholls.

-the people also kneeling,] See page S, note q, before the general Confession. That kneeling was a posture of religious worship or prayer to Almighty God amongst the Jews in the most ancient times, is evident from several passages in Scripture. In this posture Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple, 1 Kings viii. 54; 2 Chron. vi. 13. The same posture Daniel used in his devotions, Dan. vi. 10. And Isaiah describes the worship of God by an expression derived from the same posture, Isa. xlv. 23. The same religious posture was used by our blessed Lord himself, Luke xxii. 41. The same by his apostles, and by other holy men amongst the first Christians: by St. Paul, Acts xx. 36; by St. Stephen, Acts vii. 60; by St. Peter, Acts ix. 40. And St. Paul expresses prayer, as Isaiah did, by the usual posture which accompanied it, Eph. iii. 14. The same posture was generally observed by the Christians of the first ages both in their publick and in their private devotions. Dr. Nicholls. The same observance of bodily worship practised by the Church on earth is also represented as the practice of the Church triumphant in heaven, Rev. vii. 11. And thus at our confessions of sin and at our prayers we present ourselves before God on our knees, by order of our Church, according to the

:

tion ; But deliver us from evil : For thine is the kingdom', The power,

example of our Saviour and of the Church of God. Abp. King.

S

Our Father, &c.] The Lord's Prayer consists of three parts. First, a preface, expressing the goodness and greatness of him to whom we pray. Secondly, seven petitions, which by many learned persons are accounted but six, the two last being reckoned as one, because they nearly relate to one another. Of these the first three concern God's glory; namely, the honour of his name, the advancement of his authority, and the fulfilling of his will: and the four last concern our own good; being offered for temporal supplies, for remission of sins past, for prevention of future sins, and for deliverance from evils and miseries, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. Thirdly, a doxology ascribing to God dominion and might, mercy and praise. Clutterbuck.

Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer. We address ourselves to thee, O God, who by thy creation art the Father of us and all mankind, but art the particular Father of us Christians by adoption, Rom. viii. 15. Putting up our petitions to thee the great God, whose throne and place of especial residence is the highest heaven, Isa. Ixvi. 1; Matt. xvi. 17. We do desire and will endeavour, that thy name, Ex. xx. 7, and whatsoever belongs to thee, may be hallowed, and kept free from all manner of contempt; and also be honoured by distinguishing marks of esteem. We likewise earnestly desire, and long for, the time, when thy kingdom of glory shall begin, which flesh and blood cannot inherit, 1 Cor. xv. 50; and into which the blessed of the Father are to enter, Matt. xxv. 34. We pray farther that we Christians here upon earth may perform the will of God, Mark iii. 35; Eph. v. 10; Rom. xii. 2; manifested to us by the preaching of the Gospel, with as much readiness and exactness as the angels of heaven perform it, Ps. ciii. 21; Matt. xviii. 10. We enlarge our petitions to beg a sufficiency of bread, 1 Tim. vi. 8; that is, food, raiment, and other necessaries of life, in such proportions as God is pleased to deal it out to us; beseeching thee to forgive our sins, great and small, both of which make us liable to God's eternal vengeance, Matt. xii. 36; 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10; as we on our part own, that we freely forgive all that have offended against us, knowing that God will pardon our sins upon no other condition, Matt. vi. 15. Lastly, we desire of thee that thou wouldest be pleased to hinder any strong temptation from being laid in our way, which it is not likely we shall have the power to overcome, Matt. xxvi. 41: or if it be, give us such a powerful assistance of thy grace, as may enable us to overcome it, 2 Cor. xii. 9. But deliver us from all evil, as well that of sin, Eph. ii. 1; Heb. x. 12, as that of misfortune, Ps. cvii. 41; Acts vii. 10; and as that arising from the malice of evil spirits, Job i. 6, 8; Rev. xii. 8. And these blessings we trust thou wilt grant us, thy adorable perfections giving us encouragement to expect them from thee; for thine is the kingdom and sovereign dominion over all things, and thou hast no one to controul thee, 1 Chron. xxix. 11; Jud. 25; thou art endowed with infinite power, and hast nothing to withstand thee, Job xxxviii. 11; Ps. lxv. 7;

and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

and thine own glory is manifested in making us happy. Dr. Nicholls.

It is the case with this, as with all other prayers, that we must not expect God to listen to it, unless our life be in agreement with the matter of our petitions. It may here therefore be useful to observe, that every particular sentence and petition of the Lord's Prayer carries with it a corresponding duty. Thus when we address Almighty God as "Our Father," we are reminded to shew him that honour, which is his due; and to treat all men as our brethren, with kindness and brotherly love: and when we address him as peculiarly being in heaven, we are reminded of his infinite greatness, and of our own lowliness in comparison of him, "whose seat is in heaven, and whose kingdom ruleth over all," Ps. xi. 4; ciii. 19. The first petition, wherein we pray that "his name may be hallowed," teaches us, not to bring any dishonour upon it by our conduct, nor to treat it profanely or lightly, but to cause it to be glorified by the sincerity of our worship, and the goodness of our behaviour. By the second petition, which prays that God's "kingdom may come," we are taught, to live ourselves, and to encourage others in living, a holy life; that we may be worthy subjects of his kingdom on earth, and may be continually more fit, through our Saviour's merits, to enter into his heavenly kingdom. From the petition, that God's "will may be done," we should learn, to be diligent in doing his will; both by performing what he commands, and by abstaining from what he forbids; and, as far as we may be able, by causing his will to be done by others. As we pray God to "give us our daily bread," it should be our constant practice, to use those means, which he hath appointed, for procuring it, industriously and contentedly; and we should upon no account accept it from the devil, which we do, if we employ any dishonest means for bettering our condition. From the petition that God will "forgive us our trespasses," results the duty of repenting of them and forsaking them, together with that of "forgiving those who trespass against us." By the petition that God will not "lead us into temptation," but will " deliver us from evil," we are taught to struggle against every temptation, that we may meet with; to resist the first motion or inclination to commit sin; and above all, not to live in the practice of any thing which we know to be evil. Lastly, by the doxology in the conclusion of the prayer we are taught, to entertain a due reverence for that perfect Being, to whom belong "the kingdom, and the power, and the glory;" who "heareth not sinners," John ix. 31; but who heareth those who "worship him in spirit and in truth," John iv. 23; namely those who worship him with their hearts, and with the offering of a holy life. Edit.

'For thine is the kingdom, &c.] We conclude with the doxology, or form of giving praise to God, which is contained in St. Matthew's Gospel, vi. 13, and is expounded by the Greek Fathers, and therefore used by us here but since it is left out by St. Luke's Gospel, xi. 4, and by most of the Latin Fathers, therefore we omit it sometimes, when the office is not matter of praise, as it is here after the Absolution. Dean Comber.

It was ap

¶ Then likewise he shall say",

O Lord, open thou our lips*.

pointed to be used in this place at the last review of the Common Prayer Book. Wheatly.

" Then likewise he shall say, &c.] Having presumed in the foregoing solemn words to claim God for our Father through Christ, we now proceed to vent the joy and thankfulness belonging to such a privilege, which is the second part of our publick service, as it was in the ancient Church; where, St. Basil informs us, the people, after confession, rose from prayer, and went on to psalmody. But to make the transition more natural and beneficial, we first beg, that God would permit and assist us, unworthy as we are, to pay him this homage: And this we do in the short sentences which follow. Abp. Secker.

It was a very ancient practice of the Jews to recite their publick hymns and prayers by course, and many of the Fathers assure us that the primitive Christians imitated them therein: so that there is no old liturgy, which does not contain such short and devout sentences as these, wherein the people answer the priest, and which are therefore called "Responses." This primitive usage, which is now excluded not only from popish assemblies by their praying in an unknown tongue, but also from those of our protestant dissenters by the device of a long extempore prayer, is still maintained in the Church of England: which allows the people their ancient right of bearing part in the service for these good reasons: First, hereby the consent of the congregation to what we pray for is declared; and it is this unity of mind and voice, and this agreement in prayer, which hath the promise of prevailing, Rom. xv. 6; Matt. xviii. 19. Secondly, this grateful variety and different manner of address serves to quicken the people's devotion. Thirdly, it engages their attention, which is apt to wander, especially in sacred things; and, since they have a duty to perform, causes them to be expectant and ready to perform it. Let all those then, who attend the publick service, gratefully embrace the privilege which the Church allows them, and make their responses gravely and with an audible voice. Dean Comber.

But it must be remembered, both here and elsewhere, when our prayers to God are divided into such small portions as we call "versicles," that the people are to join mentally in that part which the minister utters, as well as in that which they are directed to pronounce themselves. And so the minister in like manner must join in what the people utter, as well as in his own part. For otherwise they do not join in prayer. Besides, if this be not done, we shall frequently offer to God that which has but an imperfect sense. For instance, in this place, these words, "and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise," do so manifestly depend upon what the minister spake just before, that the sense of the one is not perfect without the other. It is true, the church requires, that the minister shall say the one, and the people the other portion; that is, the one portion shall be vocally uttered by the minister, and the other portion shall be vocally uttered by the people, alternately and by way of responses; but yet both the minister and the people ought mentally to offer, and to speak to God, what is vocally offered and spoken

Ꭰ

Answer. And our mouth shall Pa. li. 15. shew forth thy praise'.

by the other party respectively, for the reasons already given. And, that both the minister and the congregation may be the better able to do this, they should respectively take care, that they do not confound and disturb each other by beginning their several portions too soon. The minister's first versicle should be finished, before the people utter a word of the second; and the people should have time enough to finish the second, before the minister begins the third, &c.: so that both the minister and people may have time enough deliberately to offer every portion, and make, all of them together, one continued act of devotion. The same rule must be observed in all those psalms and hymns, which are used alternately. Dr. Bennet.

* O Lord, open thou our lips, &c.] The responses here prescribed consist of prayers and praises: the two first are prayers taken out of David's Psalms, the great storehouse of primitive devotion. The first is from Ps. li. 15. This sentence is very frequent in ancient liturgies, particularly in those of St. James and St. Chrysostom; and it is fitly placed here, with respect to those sins we lately confessed, for it is part of David's penitential Psalm, who had looked on his guilt so long, till shame, and grief, and the fear of punishment which followed thereupon, had almost sealed up his lips and made him speechless; so that he could not praise God as he desired, unless it pleased God, by speaking peace to his soul, to remove those terrors, and then his lips would be opened and his mouth ready to praise the Lord. And, if we be fully sensible of our guilt, as we ought to be, it will be necessary for us to beg such evidences of our pardon, as may free us from the terrors which seal up our lips, and then we shall be fit to praise God heartily in the psalms which follow.

The second is from Ps. lxx. 1; and xl. 13: “ O God make speed, &c." this also is of ancient use in the Western Church; and it is the paraphrase of that remarkable supplication, namely "Hosannah," which signifies, "Save now, Lord, we beseech thee," Ps. cxviii. 25. When with David, xl. 12, we look back to those innumerable evils, that have taken hold of us, we cry to God to save us speedily from them by his mercy; and when we look forward to the duties we are about to do, we pray as earnestly that he will make haste to help us by his grace without which we cannot do any acceptable service: both which are necessary for us just now; and that is the reason why we are so importunate for a speedy

answer.

The other two responses are acts of praise. Upon supposition, that our pardon is granted, we rise up with joy to sing. First "Glory be to the Father," &c: which excellent hymn, though it be not the very words of Scripture, yet it is a paraphrase upon the song of the Seraphim," Holy, Holy, Holy," Isa. vi. 3; and gives equal worship to every Person of the Trinity, because each Person is very God, 1 John v. 7. It was a custom from the beginning of Christianity, as the Fathers shew, to "give glory to the only Father, with the Son and the Holy Ghost; which orthodox form the Arian hereticks attempted to change into "Glory be to the Father, by the Son, and in the Holy Ghost:" whereupon the

Priest, O God, make speed to

save us.

Church enlarged the old form, and annexed it to their Liturgies in this form, "Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, world without end" and so the Greek Church now uses it; to which the Western Church added, in a council, in the year of our Lord 442, "As it was in the beginning," to shew this was the primitive faith, and the old orthodox way of praising God. And to this very day it serves for these two uses. First, as a shorter creed and confession of our believing in three Persons and one God, whereby we both declare ourselves to be in the communion of the Catholick Church, and also renounce all hereticks, who deny this great and distinguishing article of our faith. Secondly, it serves for a hymn of praise; by which we magnify the Father for our creation, the Son for our redemption, and the Holy Ghost for our sanctification; and to quicken us herein, we declare it was so "in the beginning," for the angels sang the praises of the Trinity in the morning of the creation, Job xxxviii. 7; the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, saints and martyrs, did thus worship God from the beginning; the whole Church militant and triumphant doth it now, and shall do it for ever, not only in this world, but in that which is without end. Let us therefore with great devotion join with this blessed company in so good a work, and give glory to the Father who granted our pardon, to the Son who purchased it, and to the Holy Ghost who sealed it. Let every Person of the glorious Trinity have due praise; and, as God is not weary with repeating his blessings, let us never be weary in repeating this hymn, but in psalms, litanies, or whereever we find it, let us say it with a fresh sense of God's infinite love, for he justly deserves our most hearty praises: Amen.

Secondly: "Praise ye the Lord," &c; which is no other but the English of "Hallelujah," a word so sacred that St. John retains it, Rev. xix. 1, 3, 4, 6; and St. Augustin saith, the church of old scrupled to translate it. The use of it is frequent in the psalms, being the title to, and the conclusion of, many of them; particularly of six psalms, which were the Paschal hymn, and called the great Hallelujah, Ps. cxiii-cxviii. And among the Christians it was so usual to sing Hallelujah, that St. Jerome saith little children were acquainted with it. The solemn times of singing it among divers churches were different; but it was used every where on the Lord's day; and among us it is used every day, and placed here, first, as a return to the Gloria Patri, for in that we worship the Trinity, as we do the unity in this: secondly, as a triumphant hymn upon the joyful news of our absolution, and the overthrow of our spiritual enemies, for which saith the priest to the people, "Praise ye the Lord," and they readily obey him replying, "The Lord's name be praised." Thirdly, it is a proper preface to the Psalms, called in the Hebrew, "The Book of Praises." The office hath been thus far penitential, and now it becomes eucharistical; what more proper introduction can there be than this Hallelujah? Dean Comber.

y And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.] This is the answer of all the people. And by making this an