A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 243
§. 243. Of the duties which AMEN added to a ſpeech implyeth.
Q. VVHat duties are implyed by the vſe of AMEN after a ſpeech ended?
A. 1. Such as concerne the Speaker.
2.Duties which Amen requireth of ſuch as vtter a prayer. Such as concerne the Hearer.
3. Such as concerne both Speaker and Hearer.
Three duties eſpecially are required of him that vttereth the ſpeech whereunto Amen is added.
1. To ſpeake intelligibly in a knowne tongue. This is a point much preſſed, 1. Cor. 14. 2. &c. See more hereof in The whole Armour of God▪ on Epheſ. 6. 18. §. 87, 88.
2. To ſprake audibly, ſo as they which are to ſay Amen, may heare what is ſaid.Deut. 27. 14. The Leuites vnderunder the Law were expreſſely enioyned to ſpeake to the people with a lowd voice. Accordingly the Leuites that were the mouth of the people to God, and prayed in their preſence,Neh. 9. 4. cryed with a loud voice vntounto the Lord their God. Be a prayer made as intelligibly as may be, if it bee not heard of them that are preſent, they cannot with aſſent, deſire, and faith ſay Amen.
3. To ſpeake diſti…ctly: that is, ſo treatably as hearers may obſerue eueryevery Petition, and eueryevery particular point for which thankes is giuen. It is expreſſely noted of ſuch as inſtructed the people of God that they did it distinctly: Neh. 8. 8.whereby the hearers better vnderſtood what was deliuered. If Prayer or Thankſgiuing be vttered by a voluble, ſwift tongue, too faſt, hearers cannot aduiſedly obſerue the ſeuerall branches thereof: ſo as if they ſay AMEN, at the beſt, it cannot bee but to ſome parts: it cannot bee to all the prayer, or praiſe that is vttered.
Three duties alſo are required of them who ſay Amen to a ſpeech vttered by others.Duties which Amen requireth of ſuch as heare a prayer.
1. To attend diligently to that which is vttered.Neh. 8. 5. The people that ſaid Amen to Ezra his bleſſing, are ſaid to ſtand vp, while he ſpake. That geſture implyeth a diligent attention. If our minds be wandring, and not attentiue to that which is vttered, what aſſent, what deſire, what faith can there be? And if there bee none of theſe, to what end is Amen ſaid? Surely it is a plaine mockage of God.
2. To giuegive aſſent therto. If with the mouth Amen be vttered and no aſſent giuen with the heart, heart and tongue are repugnant, and no better cenſure can be giuen of ſuch an Amen, then that it is the Amen of an hypocrite, which is odious and deteſtable to God?1. Cor. 14. 16. The Apoſtle vnderunder this phraſe (How ſhal we ſay Amen?) implyeth aſſent: for a man may vtter this word Amen to that which he vnderſtandeth not: but with aſſent of minde & heart he cannot ſay Amen.
3. To manifest that aſſent. Deut. 27. 15. &c. Amen to bee vttered aloud by the whole aſſembly.The phraſe of ſaying Amen, oft vſed in Scripture doth import a manifeſtation of aſſent. For that which is ſaid and vttered, is manifeſted. This manifeſtation of aſſent on the hearers part, muſt bee, as the vttering of the prayer on the Speakers part,See more here of in the whole Armour of God, on Epheſ. 6. 18. Treat. 3. Part. 2. § 83. audibly. EueryEvery hearer in an aſſembly muſt vtter Amen, as loud as the Miniſter vttereth the prayer. In many places it is put off onelyonly to the Clerke. But herein all ſhould bee Clearkes. There is mention made of a celeſtiall ſound, which was as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, Reu. 19. 6.and as the voice of mighty thundering, ſaying, Hallelu-iah. If full aſſemblies in our Churches did all of them andibly after a prayer ſay Amen, ſo audibly as the ſound of eueryevery ones voice there preſent might come at leaſt to the Miniſters eares, it would be ſuch a ſound as is there mentioned, as heauenly ſound: A ſound well beſeeming a Church. No Echo like to the Echo which maketh the wals of a Church to ring againe with Amen. Such a ſound would quicken a Miniſters ſpirits, and put a kinde of heauenly life into the people themſelues.
The duties which are required both of ſpeaker and hearers by vertue of Amen to be added,Duties which Amen requireth both of Speaker and Hearers. are theſe that follow.
1. To know the ground of all that is vttered, that that which is mentioned, whereunto Amen is to be added, is grounded on Gods Word, and agreeable to his will. For this is the confidence which we hauehave in him, 1. Ioh. 5. 14.that if wee aske any thing according to his will, he heareth vsus.
2. To hauehave the minde fixed thereon. The minde of the ſpeaker, as well as the Hearer may bee ro…ng and wandring: eſpecially when a ſet, preſcribed, vſuall forme of prayer is vttered: or when a prayer is read. Now becauſe the vtterer of a prayer muſt ſay Amen to his owne prayer, as well as the hearers, he, as well as they, and they, as well as hee, euen all of them muſt hold their minde ſteady thereon;Iſa. 29. 13. elſe will their heart be remoued from God, while they draw neere to him with their mouth: which is an abomination to him.
3. To retaine, as well as they can, in memorie all that is vttered. For Amen muſt bee applyed to the whole ſpeech, and to eueryevery part thereof. Matters well retained in memorie make Amen to come from the heart, and to bee vttered with a goodwill.Pſal. 42. 4. When I remember theſe things, I poure out my ſoule in me, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. That which is forgotten, is as not heard, or not vnderſtood, or not attended vntounto.
4. To be affected with the prayer. This will make men double their Amen, as the Iewes did when Ezra bleſſed the Lord. Neh. 8▪ 6.All the people anſwered, Amen, Amen, with lifting vp their hands. Did not their ſpeech and geſture both declare much affection of heart? Without this inward affection Amen will be but coldly vttered.
5. To beleeue Gods gracious acceptation of the prayer. It hath beenea§. 241. before proued that Amen is a ratification of all that which is vttered before it. But with what heart can that which is not before beleeued, bee after ratified. Expreſſely therefore ſaith Chriſt,Mar. 11. 24. What thing ſo euer ye deſire, when yee pray, beleeue that yee receiue it, And his Apoſtle putteth this in,Iam. 1. 6. as a neceſſarie prouiſo, to prayer, Let him aske in faith.