The Prayer Book Explained Part 12

Sanctum quoque paracletum spiritum,

and of epithets to express the majesty of the Father {75} would complete the sentence and express the equality of the Persons.

Te per orbem sancta confitetur ecclesia Patris immensae majestatis Venerandum verum unigenitum filium, Sanctum quoque paracletum spiritum.

But the two genitives, _Patris, majestatis_, suggest the accusative _Patrem_; and already the addition of _Spiritum_ has suggested the inclusion, under _Te_, of the Three Persons.

[1] The word 'reward' is frequently to be found in the English Bible where the Vulgate has _reddo_.

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CHAPTER IX.

PRAISE.

V. The Canticles continued.

The position which the _Te Deum _occupies in the morning is that of Respond of the whole people to the message of the Old Testament. We have found that the _Te Deum_ is a Hymn of the Incarnation; hence it is especially appropriate as a Respond to those Old Testament Lessons which contain, or imply, the promise of the Saviour's Birth and Work on Earth. Gen. iii., Isaiah viii., Malachi iii. may be taken as examples: but there are very many which relate the doings of men in such a way as to leave the hearers waiting and wis.h.i.+ng for the adoption which comes to us through Christ.

Some of them set forth the facts which show our miserable state without Christ. Others contain predictions of the life which He came on Earth to lead. Thus the Christian wors.h.i.+pper seeing the Christ wanted, promised, foretold, or the world waiting, groaning in pain, suffering, responds to such Lessons with this Hymn of the Incarnation.

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In the evening the place is occupied by another Hymn of the Incarnation--_Magnificat_ (doth magnify)--the Song of the Blessed Virgin when the Birth of the Saviour was a.s.suredly promised to her.

The Blessed Mother's words of greeting to the promise and a.s.surance are very sacred, and may be regarded as the most suitable possible for any human being very near the Lord. The words of Isaiah, _Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given_ will often come to the wors.h.i.+pper's mind, when he uses her words to express his praise after the 1st Lesson.

Sometimes however the connection of the Old Testament Lesson with the Incarnation may with advantage be omitted in favour of another line of thought and praise.

Lessons which declare the great acts of Creation, Providence, and Government by G.o.d sometimes contain but remote reference to the Redeeming work of Christ: and for such Lessons another Canticle is provided, viz. _Benedicte omnia Opera_ (_Bless ye all works_) for the morning, and _Cantate Domino_ (_O sing unto the Lord_) for the evening.

Magnificat.

Jesus is known to us as the Son of Man: hence His people can use the words of the Blessed Virgin. When she looked forward to His coming, she used words which we can say after reading the Old Testament promises of a Saviour who should come into the world.

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1. _G.o.d my Saviour_. This is the meaning of the name _Jesus_. The names Jesus and John were given designedly: naturally, therefore, they supply leading thoughts to the two Hymns which are especially a.s.sociated with our Lord's Birth, and the birth of His forerunner (cf.

Benedictus throughout, but especially _vv._ 4, 5, 6).

5. The name, John, suggests G.o.d's _mercy_.

7. The name, Mary, may have prompted the word _exalted_.

9. In this verse we can trace Zacharias=_G.o.d hath remembered_; John=_G.o.d's mercy_; and Elizabeth=_G.o.d's oath_.

The Song of Hannah in 1 Sam. ii. exhibits many points of similarity and contrast, when compared with this Hymn.

Benedicite.

The Canticle _Benedicite omnia Opera_ is so called from Latin words meaning _Bless ye, all Works_.

Our Services were translated from the Latin Services used in our Church for centuries before 1549: for Latin was the common language of civilised Europe.

_Benedicite_ shares with other Canticles and with many parts of the Services the custom of being known by its first words in the Latin books.

We said that _Te Deum laudamus_ not only had its name from the Latin Service Books, but is of Latin origin whether composed by Hilary of Arles, Hilary of Poictiers, or Ambrose and Augustine. But _Benedicite_, {79} though it has now a Latin name, is of Greek origin.

It is a translation of part of the Greek additions to the Book of Daniel. In Daniel iii. the 23rd verse records how the Three Children of Israel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (i. 6), having come to great office in Babylon (ii. 49), and refused to fall down and wors.h.i.+p the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar (iii. 18), were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. The 24th verse proceeds thus:

"Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste," and told his counsellors that he saw four men walking in the fire without hurt.

At this point, between verses 23 and 24, there is a sort of pause in the action. It might be filled up by a mark indicating that some short time elapses. The Greek Version inserts 68 verses: consisting of a prayer of Azariah (Abed-nego), a few verses of narrative, and 40 verses of praise including the 32 verses which have been sung in the Church Services of many countries and many centuries.

The Hymn calls upon all G.o.d's creatures to wors.h.i.+p Him--collectively in the first verse, afterwards in groups.

First group. Heavenly powers.

Second group. Earthly powers.

Third group. Earth and its component parts.

Fourth group. Men.

Notice first the leading verse of each group: 2. Angels--9. Winds (_spiritus_)--18. Earth--26. Children of men. The cla.s.sification in the groups is evidently influenced by the 1st chapter of Genesis. In _v._ 4 the Waters above the firmament (Gen. i. 7) are {80} divided from the Wells, Seas, Floods of _vv._ 21, 22. The former appear here as Heavenly Powers, the latter as creatures of G.o.d in the Earth.

The Showers and Dew of _v._ 8 are regarded as coming from Heaven. They appear therefore in group 1, but in its last verse, so that the transition is easy to the earthly powers amongst which they might have been placed.

The second group includes the forces of Nature which more distinctly surround us on earth. There is some uncertainty in the various versions of this section. The Prayer Book, following, as usual, the Great Bible of 1539, has Dews and Frosts in _v._ 10, meaning probably Dews and h.o.a.r Frosts. The Bible (A.V.) has h.o.a.r Frosts coupled with Snows. It has Fire and Heat and also, in some Versions, Cold and Heat, but omits Winter and Summer. Sometimes there is contrast in the couples and sometimes the forces coupled together are of the same sort.

In group 3, Earth is called up first as including the rest, which progress from that which does not move to that which does, ranging through the inanimate moving things, such as budding things and water, and the animate creation, such as move in the sea, the air and, whether wild or tame, upon the earth.

Group 4 begins, like group 3, with an inclusive term "Children of Men": and proceeds through Israel, as G.o.d's People, and Israel's Priests, as G.o.d's special choice, to those who really serve G.o.d whether in this life or after it; concluding with the specially present service of the holy and humble, and, in particular, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael.

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All these Creatures of G.o.d's hand, whether animate or inanimate, or the Forces which are behind both, are challenged to praise their Maker.

They are called up in twos and threes, a great army, representing all the visible and invisible hosts of Heaven and Earth.

In connection with this Hymn we should read Gen. i., Psalm civ., and Psalm cxlviii.