CHAPTER X.

THE DOXOLOGY.

"FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER. AMEN."

HE doxology is omitted by the Revisers.

THE

It

is not in Luke's version nor in the oldest manuscripts of Matthew, nor in the Vulgate. Alford says, "It must on every ground of sound criticism be omitted." It is supposed to have been placed on the margin, and subsequently transferred to the text, such doxologies being in frequent use. But though excluded by an exact criticism, a doxology so dear to our associations will long be used as expressing scriptural truth and an appropriate response to the prayer. It reminds us of David's thanksgiving, "Thine, O Lord, is the power, and the glory: Thine is the kingdom, and Thou art exalted as head above all." The Apostles Paul, Jude, and John, record similar ascriptions of praise: "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen." our Saviour be glory and power, both now and ever."

"To the only wise God majesty, dominion and "Blessing, and honour,

and glory, and power unto Him that sitteth upon the throne." The doxology is also implied in this very prayer; for His must be "the kingdom" who is asked to do kingly acts; and He must possess adequate "power" who is asked to accomplish what needs Divine strength; and to God alone must belong the "glory" of all His works. It is adoration naturally arising from devout hearts, and has been hallowed by immemorial usage in the Christian Church.

I. THE DOXOLOGY A CONFESSION OF FAITH.

"He that cometh to Him must believe that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Here we profess our belief that God is both able and willing to do what we have asked.

1. The Kingdom.—In ascribing to Him the kingdom, we deny that it is the devil's, from whom we have just asked deliverance. The "Evil One" who tempted our Lord, and who tempts us by displaying the allurements of the world, saying, "This is delivered unto me, and unto whomsoever I will I give it," is a usurper, having no true authority; his pretended kingdom is one of darkness and falsehood, is now overruled by God, and will soon be overthrown for ever. Away with the idea of a malignant spirit sharing the kingdom for ever in conflict. No! the kingdom is God's altogether, unchangeably, eternally, and this God is our Father in heaven. The kingdom

the

of Nature is His. Its laws owe their origin to Him, and if He pleases He can suspend or change them. The kingdom of Humanity is His. Men aspire to control each other, to mould society, to rule in larger or lesser spheres, to be kings. History abounds with the follies and crimes of men who persuaded themselves that theirs was the kingdom for their own. selfish ends, claiming a Divine right to do wrong and serve the devil. Nebuchadnezzar boasted: "Is not this great Babylon that I have built, by my power, and for the honour of my majesty ?" It cost him seven years of humiliation to learn that Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." And how often have proud aristocracies and turbulent democracies abrogated all obligations of Divine justice, as if God had vacated His throne, or delegated His authority to them; as if human might was Divine right. Still more monstrous has been the claim to personate Deity, as when fallible men have pretended to be Christ's infallible representatives and vicars, condemning those who questioned their authority as guilty of rebellion against God. And not only so; but when, in a less degree, the headship of Christ in His Church has been claimed by princes, prelates, presbyteries, congregations, as if their decisions must be accepted as endorsed by His sign manual; as though the abuses and corruptions incident to every system, if not from selfishness and pride, yet from ignorance and neglect, could be Divine; and as if

efforts towards reformation must be repressed as presumptuous interference with the government of God. All such claims need to be held in check by the avowal that the kingdom is God's; not man's, who is at the best ignorant, foolish, frail; but God's, the infinitely Wise, Holy and Good, our Father; to whom, above all the false claims of human authority, our final appeal is made.

If the kingdom is our Father's, every one of His children may claim its privileges and service. The poorest peasant with the proudest peer, the meanest servant with the mightiest monarch, may rejoice in being fellow-subjects of the one King; there being for each some allotted place, some work, some honour -for each the watchful care of the loving Father, whose is the kingdom. "If the words 'Thine is the kingdom' are true words, priests, kings, saints must say as much as any, yea, more than any: 'It is not ours. We exist only to testify whose it is, only to bring all whom we can reach within the experience of its blessedness.' . . . We are bound to affirm that a Fatherly kingdom is established in the world; that to be members of it is our highest title, and that the beggars of the land share it with us; that under Him all may in their respective spheres reign according to this law; that all offices, the highest and lowest, have hence their responsibility and dignity: that this kingdom reaches to the most trifling acts and words; that not one of the suffering myriads in a crowded city is forgotten by Him who is its Ruler, any more than one