A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 242
§. 242. Of the vſe of AMEN being added to a Speech.
Q. HOw is AMEN added to a ſpeech?
A. 1. By him that vttereth a ſpeech.
2. By him, or them that heare it.
aRo 16▪ 24, 27It was vſuall with the Apoſtles when they made a prayer,1. Cor. 16. 24. or gaue thankes,2. Cor. 13. 13. or pronounced a bleſſing,1. Pet 5. 14. themſelues to adde thereunto Amen: 1. Ioh. 5. 21.And as vſuall it was with the people of God that heard like ſpeeches vttered by others,Iude, verſe 25. to ſay Amen: whether it wereb1. Kin. 1. 36. onelyonly one, orcNeh. 5. 13. many together.To what kindes of ſpeeches AMEN is added
Many are the kindes and formes of ſpeeches whereunto AMEN is in Scripture noted to be added, as
1.dRom. 15. 33. Petitions.
2.eNeh. 8. 6. Benedictions and Praiſes.
3.fNeh. 5. 13. Imprecations and Curſes.
4.g1. Ioh. 5▪ 21. Exhortations to Duties.
5.hReu. 22. 20. Declarations of Promiſes.
6.iReu. 1. 7. Denunciations of Iudgements.What Amen importeth being added to a ſpeech.
Three eſpeciall things doth AMEN import, when it is pronounced after any of the fore-named ſpeeches.
1. True aſſent. k1. Cor. 14, 16.This the Apoſtle implyeth, where hee directeth the Church to pray, reade and preach in a knowne tongue, for this end, that euen the vnlearned Hearer may ſay Amen, that is, vnderſtanding what hee heareth giuegive aſſent thereto.
2. Earneſt deſire. When the Prophet Ieremiah heard the propheſie of Hananiah concerning the returne of the King of Iudah to his Kingdome, and the other Captiues to their land, and of the veſſels that were taken away, to the Temple, though hee knew that to bee a falſe propheſie, yet to ſhew how earneſtly hee deſired that it might bee ſo,lIer. 28. 6. hee ſaith thereto, AMEN: and fully to declare what hee meant thereby, hee addeth, The Lord doe ſo: the Lord performe thy words, &c.
3. Stedfaſt faith. mReu. 22. 20.Where Chriſt maketh a promiſe of his ſecond comming, ſaying, Surely I come quickely: the Church, to ſhew her ſtedfaſt faith in that promiſe, ſaith, AMEN, which importeth thus much, Lord, I beleeue what thou haſt ſaid: Euen ſo, come Lord Ieſus.
Theſe being the proper ends of ſaying Amen, By whom Amen may rightly be vſed.to manifeſt Aſſent, Deſire and Faith, it is without contradiction true, that whoſoeuer ſaith Amen, muſt vnderſtand that whereunto he ſaith Amen. In this caſe two things are neceſſarily to bee vnderſtood.
1.nforeign. The words that are vttered.
2.oforeign. the meaning of thoſe words.
If the words ſpoken bee not vnderſtood,1. Cor. 14. 9. they are as ſpoken into the aire, altogether in vaine: and the ſpeaker and hearer are as Barbarians one to another. No more benefit can bee receiued by the words of a man not vnderſtood, then by the indiſtinct voice of an vnreaſonable creature. But ſuppoſe the words bee ſuch as in themſelues are intelligible, being Engliſh words to an Engliſh man, yet if the ſence and meaning of them bee not conceiued, they are to no better purpoſe then words of a ſtrange and vnknowne language. Words hauehave ſometimes a figuratiue ſence and meaning, which if it bee not vnderſtood, the proper and true vſe and benefit of them is loſt. If Chriſt had not made his Diſciples to vnderſtand the ſence and meaning of this direction,Math. 1…. 6▪ &c. Take heed and beware of the leauen of the Phariſies and of the Sadduces, they had got no good at all thereby. It is therefore neceſſarie that as the words themſelues, ſo the proper ſence of them be well vnderſtood.
Ob. AMEN is an Hebrew word: that language is vnderſtood of very few: why then is it vſed of all Nations, of all people in all Nations, learned and vnlearned?
A. qRom. 1. 15.The Apoſtles, though they ſpake,Why Amen is vſed of all ſorts. and wrote not in Hebrew, but in Greeke, yet they vſed this Hebrew word: ſo as we hauehave an expreſſe warrant for retaining this word in another language.
2. Continuall vſe hath made it familiar to all perſons, of all languages, in all nations. So as it is eueryevery where as a proper vulgar, mother word. Thus theſe two Titles Ieſus Chriſt, though the one be Hebrew, and the other Greeke, are made ſo familiar, as in all languages they are retained.
3. No other one word ſo fit for the purpoſe, can in any other language be inuented, as Amen is. Not without reaſon therefore, and iuſt cauſe is it, that it hath beene made a word of all languages. It compriſeth vnderunder it whatſoeuer is expreſſed or vnderſtood in and by the ſpeech whereunto it is added. Theſe words,Deut▪ 27. 26. (Curſed be hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them) had a large extent: yet the AMEN, which the people were to ſay thereto, extended it ſelfe as farre.